Whitey Bulger – FBI, Prison, DOJ, INTERPOL & Court Records

Description

Whitey Bulger: A Criminal Life and Corrupt Alliances

1929:

• James Joseph “Whitey” Bulger Jr. is born.

1956:

• 1956: Whitey Bulger is charged with bank robbery against the Highland Branch of the Melrose Trust Company of Melrose, Massachusetts.
• 1956: Whitey Bulger is charged with conspiracy to rob the Industrial National Bank in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.
• 1956 – 1964: Whitey Bulger is incarcerated at United States Penitentiaries at Alcatraz, Leavenworth, and Atlanta, as documented in Bureau of Prison Files.

1974:

• FBI files concerning Whitey Bulger begin, indicating the FBI’s awareness of his involvement in loansharking, horse race-fixing, and other crimes before his recruitment as an informant.

Early 1980s:

• Whitey Bulger begins supplying information to the FBI on the Patriarca crime family, a rival to his Winter Hill Gang.

1982:

• Corrupt FBI Agent John Connolly informs Bulger and Steve Flemmi that informant Brian Halloran is cooperating with the FBI. Bulger and Flemmi subsequently kill Halloran and Michael Donahue, an innocent bystander.

1988 or 1989:

• FBI Agent John Connolly indirectly warns Stephen Flemmi, through Bulger, that alleged extortion victim Timothy Connolly is cooperating with the FBI and will attempt to record conversations with Flemmi.

Late 1994:

• Whitey Bulger becomes a fugitive after his FBI handler (John Connolly) warns him he is about to be indicted.

1995:

• Two weeks after Bulger fled: William Bulger has a phone conversation with his fugitive brother, Whitey, at an arranged location to avoid electronic eavesdropping.

1996:

• William Bulger becomes President of the University of Massachusetts.

1999:

• Informant Kevin Weeks reveals that William Bulger had a phone conversation with Whitey in 1995.

2001:

• William Bulger admits to a grand jury that he spoke with his brother Whitey in 1995, stating it was not in Whitey’s best interest to surrender at the time.

2002:

• The House Committee on Government Reform investigates allegations of Justice Department misconduct in New England, including alleged wrongdoing by the FBI concerning informants like Bulger and Flemmi.

2003:

• June 19, 2003: William Bulger testifies before a Congressional committee regarding his communication with his fugitive brother, after being granted immunity from prosecution for obstruction of justice. He claims not notifying authorities about the call was “in no way inconsistent with my devotion to my own responsibilities.”
• William Bulger resigns from the presidency of the University of Massachusetts due to negative publicity surrounding his testimony.

2004:

• The House Committee on Government Reform publishes “Everything Secret Degenerates: The FBI’s Use of Murderers as Informants,” further detailing issues like efforts to protect Stephen Flemmi and John Connolly’s actions.

September 2005:

• A 314-page “Special Report the FBI’s Compliance with the Attorney General’s Investigative Guidelines” is created, mentioning Bulger 40 times.

2008:

• FBI files concerning Whitey Bulger conclude, though some documents were not released until July 2021.

2011:

• June 11, 2011: The FBI airs a 30-second public service announcement (PSA) focusing on Catherine Greig, Bulger’s longtime companion, in 10 states where Bulger was believed to have resided or had contacts.
• June 12, 2011 (The day after the PSA aired): Hundreds of tips flow into the FBI, one of which leads to the arrest of Whitey Bulger and Catherine Greig in Santa Monica, California, after 16 years on the run.
• 2011: Federal grand jury indictment of Catherine E. Greig.

2012:

• Dick Lehr and Gerard O’Neil publish “Black Mass: The True Story of an Unholy Alliance Between the FBI and the Irish Mob,” which covers William Bulger’s grand jury testimony.

2013:

• June 12, 2013: Whitey Bulger’s trial begins in Massachusetts.
• August 12, 2013: Bulger is found guilty on 31 counts, including two racketeering charges, and found to have been involved in 11 murders.
• November 14, 2013: Bulger is sentenced to two consecutive life sentences plus five years for his crimes.
• Bulger files a brief for appeal of the 2013 case.

April 28, 2015:

• Perjury indictment against Robert Fitzpatrick.

October 30, 2018:

• Whitey Bulger is transferred to the United States Penitentiary, Hazelton, near Bruceton Mills, West Virginia.
• Within hours of his arrival at Hazelton, Bulger is beaten to death by fellow inmates.

July 2021:

• Many FBI documents dating from 1974 to 2008 concerning Bulger are released by the FBI.

Cast of Characters

• James Joseph “Whitey” Bulger Jr. (1929-2018): American organized crime boss who led the Winter Hill Gang in Somerville, Massachusetts. He was also an FBI informant. Wanted for numerous crimes including racketeering, 19 counts of murder, extortion, and narcotics distribution. He was a Top Ten Most Wanted Fugitive for 16 years before his capture in 2011. Convicted in 2013 and sentenced to life in prison, he was beaten to death by inmates in 2018.
• Catherine Greig (b. ~1951): Whitey Bulger’s longtime companion. She spent 16 years on the run with Bulger and was arrested with him in Santa Monica, California, in 2011. The FBI’s public service announcement targeting her physical appearance and habits directly led to their capture.
• John Joseph Connolly Jr.: Corrupt FBI Agent and Bulger’s handler. He was convicted of racketeering, obstruction of justice, and murder due to his activities with Bulger, Steve Flemmi, and the Winter Hill Gang. He warned Bulger of his impending indictment, allowing him to flee, and also informed Bulger and Flemmi about cooperating informants, leading to murders.
• Steve “The Rifleman” Flemmi: An associate of Whitey Bulger in the Winter Hill Gang. He was involved in criminal activities with Bulger and was also an FBI informant. He benefited from John Connolly’s corrupt actions, including being warned about cooperating informants.
• William Bulger: Whitey Bulger’s younger brother. A prominent Democratic politician in Massachusetts, lawyer, and educator. He served 18 years as President of the Massachusetts Senate and was President of the University of Massachusetts from 1996 to 2003. He faced controversy and was forced to resign from his university position due to his admitted phone conversation with his fugitive brother and his refusal to urge Whitey to surrender. He was granted immunity from prosecution for obstruction of justice when testifying before Congress.
• Kevin J. Weeks: An informant who testified during Bulger’s 2013 trial. He revealed William Bulger’s phone conversation with Whitey in 1995 and testified about killings he saw Bulger commit.
• Joe “The Animal” Barboza: Another informant mentioned in the Congressional investigation into Justice Department misconduct in New England, alongside Bulger and Flemmi.
• Brian Halloran: An FBI informant whose cooperation was revealed to Bulger and Flemmi by John Connolly in 1982. He was subsequently murdered by Bulger and Flemmi.
• Michael Donahue: An innocent bystander who offered Brian Halloran a ride home. He was murdered by Bulger and Flemmi in 1982 when they killed Halloran.
• Timothy Connolly: An alleged extortion victim who was cooperating with the FBI. Agent John Connolly indirectly warned Flemmi through Bulger that Timothy Connolly would attempt to record conversations.
• Billy Johnson: A Massachusetts State Police trooper mentioned as having an encounter with Bulger at Logan Airport in the 2004 Congressional report.
• Robert Fitzpatrick: Subject of a perjury indictment on April 28, 2015, related to Whitey Bulger.
• Dick Lehr: Co-author of the 2012 book “Black Mass: The True Story of an Unholy Alliance Between the FBI and the Irish Mob,” which provides details on William Bulger’s grand jury testimony.
• Gerard O’Neil: Co-author of the 2012 book “Black Mass: The True Story of an Unholy Alliance Between the FBI and the Irish Mob.”