Bulger Sentenced to Two Life Terms
| U.S. Attorney’s Office November 14, 2013 |
BOSTON—In U.S. District Court in Boston today, James J. Bulger was sentenced for operating a criminal enterprise that was responsible for the murder of 11 people, as well as numerous counts of extortion, money laundering, drug dealing, and firearms possession.
U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper sentenced Bulger to two consecutive life terms plus five years and $19.5 million in restitution. During the sentencing hearing this morning, Judge Casper told Bulger that “the scope, the callousness, the depravity of your crimes, is almost unfathomable.”
On August 12, 2013, Bulger was convicted by a jury following a two-month long trial. The jury found the former fugitive guilty of racketeering conspiracy and numerous racketeering acts of murder, extortion, narcotics distribution, money laundering, and possession of firearms, including machineguns. In their verdict, the jury found that Bulger played a role in the murders of Deborah Hussey, Paul McGonagle, Edward Connors, Thomas King, Richard Castucci, Roger Wheeler, Brian Halloran, Michael Donahue, John Callahan, Arthur Barrett, and John McIntyre.
“The loss and anguish suffered by these families and many others is unimaginable. What is undeniable is the fact that all of this suffering was caused by James Bulger—who is now, finally being held accountable for his horrific acts,” said United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz.
Bulger, the former leader of the Winter Hill Gang, ran a vast criminal network that emanated from South Boston and controlled much of the city and the surrounding areas during the 1970s and 1980s. In order to generate money and maintain dominance among other criminal enterprises, Bulger and his associates engaged in numerous illegal activities such as loansharking, extortion of local business owners and bookmakers, trafficking of narcotics and firearms, and murder. Bulger and associates under his direction, used violence, threats and intimidation to carry out these illegal activities.
In late 1994, upon learning of his impending indictment, Bulger fled Massachusetts. On June 22, 2011, Bulger and his companion, Catherine Greig, were arrested in Santa Monica, California, after 16 years on the run. Greig was later convicted of conspiracy to harbor a fugitive and is currently serving eight years in federal prison.
U.S. Attorney Ortiz; Colonel Timothy P. Alben, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; John J. Arvanitis, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division; William P. Offord, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston; Michael E. Horowitz, Inspector General for the Department of Justice; Vincent Lisi, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Field Division; and U.S. Marshal John Gibbons made the announcement today.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Fred M. Wyshak, Jr., Brian T. Kelly, and Zachary Hafer of Ortiz’s Public Corruption and Special Prosecutions Unit.