3 inmates charged in prison killing of Boston gangster James 'Whitey' Bulger set for plea hearing, sentencing
James Bulger was beaten to death in his cell in West Virginia in 2018
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Three inmates who allegedly killed notorious Boston gangster James "Whitey" Bulger in prison in 2018 are set to appear in court on Monday for a plea hearing and sentencing.
The hearing for Fotios "Freddy" Geas, Paul J. DeCologero and Sean McKinnon will be held in federal court in northern West Virginia. Plea deals for the three were revealed last month.
Bulger, 89, was beaten to death in his cell hours after being transferred to a troubled West Virginia prison six years ago.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Fotios "Freddy" Geas and James "Whitey" Bulger. (Associated Press)
Geas and DeCologero are accused of repeatedly hitting Bulger in the head as McKinnon was a lookout.
DeCologero told an inmate witness that Bulger was a "snitch" and revealed a plan to kill him as soon as he entered their unit. DeCologero also told an inmate that he and Geas used a belt with a lock attached to it to beat Bulger to death.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Geas and DeCologero were charged with murder while all three men were charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, which carries up to a life sentence. McKinnon was also charged with making false statements to a federal agent.
FEDS DECIDE IF THEY'LL SEEK DEATH PENALTY IN WHITEY BULGER'S MURDER
James "Whitey" Bulger is escorted from a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter to a waiting vehicle at an airport in Plymouth, Mass., after attending hearings in federal court in Boston. (Stuart Cahill/The Boston Herald via AP, File)
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Last year, the Justice Department said it would not seek the death penalty for Geas and DeCologero.
Bulger, who ran the largely Irish mob in Boston in the 1970s and 1980s, became one of the nation’s most wanted fugitives after fleeing the city in 1994. He was eventually captured at age 81 after more than 16 years on the run.
He was convicted in 2013 for 11 killings and dozens of other gangland crimes.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Associated Press contributed to this report.