Notorious Boston mobster James ‘Whitey’ Bulger has been sentenced to two consecutive life sentences in prison, plus five years. The sentence puts an end to a dangerous chapter in Boston’s history and comes three months after he was convicted.
Following an eventful trial, Bulger was convicted on 31 of 32 counts in federal court. The jury found Bulger guilty of 11 of the 19 murders prosecutors linked him to. The trail came after Bulger, 83, spent 16 years on the run.
“The testimony of human suffering that you and your associates inflicted on others was at times antagonizing to hear and painful to watch,” US District Court Judge Denise J. Casper said during today’s hearing, reports the Boston Globe. “The scope, the callousness, the depravity of your crimes, are almost unfathomable.”
Bulger was also ordered to pay $19.5 million in restitution to the victims’ families and he was forced to turn over $25.2 million to the government.
According to USA Today, Bulger remained quiet and emotionless during the hearing, just as he was during a hearing on Wednesday. He only said one word - “yes” - when he was asked by the judge if he understood that he could appeal the sentence.
Casper said that she regretted the publicity Bulger’s case had received, telling him, “You and your cohorts should not and do not represent the city.” She mentioned that the response to the Marathon bombings this year really represented Boston.
Bulger lead a criminal enterprise in South Boston from the 1970s to the 1990s, selling drugs and taking advantage of corrupt FBI and government officials. During Wednesday’s hearing victims’ family members gave emotional testimony, but Bulger never looked at them.
image: Wikimedia Commons
