Inmate Sentenced for Bulger's Murder

An inmate was sentenced to over four years in prison on Thursday for his involvement in the 2018 murder of infamous Boston gangster James “Whitey” Bulger at a West Virginia federal prison. The inmate, identified as DeCologero, was already serving a 25-year sentence for a previous conviction related to a heroin case. Although he faced a potential maximum of 10 years for his role in Bulger's death, the court determined he acted only as a lookout and did not participate in the physical assault. The sentencing comes after a lengthy investigation into Bulger's murder, which revealed that DeCologero and another suspect, Geas, were identified shortly after the incident but remained uncharged for years. The investigation highlighted significant management failures within the federal Bureau of Prisons, particularly regarding Bulger's transfer to the Hazelton facility, where concerns about violence and understaffing had been raised. Critics pointed to the decision to place Bulger in the general population rather than in protective custody as a critical error. Bulger, who led the Irish mob in Boston during the 1970s and 1980s, was also an FBI informant. He was convicted in 2013 for multiple murders and other gang-related crimes. The circumstances surrounding his death have drawn scrutiny, with a Justice Department inspector general's report in 2022 attributing the incident to widespread incompetence and flawed policies within the prison system.