An inmate was sentenced to more than four years for his role in the 2018 fatal bludgeoning of notorious Boston gangster James “Whitey” Bulger in a federal prison in West Virginia. Massachusetts gangster Paul J. DeCologero received the sentence in federal court after admitting to an assault charge. Originally facing up to 10 years, DeCologero was already serving a 25-year sentence from 2006 for buying heroin to kill a teenage girl.
Prosecutors initially accused DeCologero and inmate Fotios “Freddy” Geas of using a belt lock to hit Bulger in the head after his transfer to USP Hazelton. However, during the recent sentencing, both the prosecution and defense revealed that DeCologero had only acted as a lookout and had not physically assaulted Bulger. US District Judge Thomas Kleeh deemed the sentence fair and appropriate.
DeCologero’s defense attorney, Patrick Nash, conveyed an apology from DeCologero to Bulger’s family and highlighted the difficult upbringing that DeCologero had faced. Nash described DeCologero as easily influenced due to his troubled past, where an uncle involved him in criminal activities.
In Bulger’s killing, DeCologero was involved but played a limited role, as stated by Nash. Assistant US Attorney Brandon Flower declined to comment further after the sentencing. Court records showed that inmates were informed in advance about Bulger’s arrival at Hazelton, with DeCologero reportedly planning to kill him due to being labeled a snitch.
The killing of Bulger at Hazelton raised concerns about violence and understaffing in the prison. An inspector general report in 2022 highlighted management failures, incompetence, and flawed policies at the Bureau of Prisons, which led to Bulger’s death. The Senate later passed legislation for better oversight and transparency in the Bureau of Prisons following these revelations.
James “Whitey” Bulger, a former FBI informant, was a notorious figure in the Boston mob scene. After fleeing Boston in 1994, he was captured in 2011 and convicted in 2013 for multiple crimes, including 11 killings. DeCologero’s connection to a gang led by his uncle and Geas’s ties to the Mafia further underscore the criminal underworld surrounding Bulger’s demise.
Geas and his brother were sentenced to life in 2011 for their involvement in violent crimes, including the killing of a crime family boss. These details shed light on the complex web of criminal activities that culminated in the tragic end of James “Whitey” Bulger and the subsequent legal proceedings that followed.
