Federal inspectors have concluded that mobster Whitey Bulger’s transfer to a West Virginia prison was far too widely known and lacked enough precautions.
Bulger was found beaten to death in his cell within 12 hours of arrival at U.S. Penitentiary Hazelton in 2018, and three inmates have now been charged in his death.
An investigation by the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Justice revealed serious management performance failures at multiple levels by the Bureau of Prisons, bureaucratic incompetence and flawed, confusing and insufficient policies and procedures.
One major misstep, the report revealed, was advising more than 100 Bureau of Prisons officials of Bulger’s transfer to Hazelton from Coleman II in central Florida.
Prison personnel spoke openly at Hazelton about Bulger’s upcoming arrival in the presence of inmates. The 99-page report indicates rumors of Bulger’s transfer were rampant at the prison.
Prison personnel also did not take adequate steps to assess whether Bulger faced harm from other inmates at Hazelton, the report concluded.
“The fact that these serious deficiencies occurred in connection with a high-profile inmate like Bulger is especially concerning, given that the BOP would presumably take particular care in handling such an inmate’s case,” said Michael Horowitz, inspector general for the U.S. Department of Justice in a video accompanying the report.
“In our view, no BOP inmate’s transfer, whether they’re a notorious offender or a nonviolent offender, should be handled like Bulger’s transfer was in this instance.”
James “Whitey” Bulger was serving two life terms for his role in 11 murders while working as a mob boss in the Boston area. Bulger had also been an FBI informant.
Bulger, who was 89 years old, used a wheelchair and had heart conditions. Documentation showed that the prison bureau’s transfer of Bulger from Coleman to Hazelton was based on a determination that he required a lower level of medical care than he was receiving at Coleman.
The review concluded that Bulger’s transfer to Hazelton and placement in the general population appeared unusual in view of his age, his health, his notoriety and history as an FBI informant, and the record of violence among inmates at that facility.
Hazelton, located in Preston County, was chosen in part because of its relative proximity to a regional medical care center.
Bulger was transported from Coleman on Oct. 24, 2018, and was taken to Oklahoma City FTC before going on to Hazelton.
In preparation, an email was sent out with a manifest of inmates scheduled to be transferred, including “Whitey Bulger,” who had been a fugitive for 15 years, was a “former FBI most wanted,” a “mobster” serving 2 life sentences. It specified that he was scheduled to be transported to Hazelton on Oct. 29, 2018.
More than 100 Hazelton employees received the email.
Word began to spread that Bulger was coming. Investigators identified at least one phone record and multiple emails showing that inmates were aware of his impending transfer.
One of the inmates who sent an email was interviewed by investigators and said it became common knowledge at Hazelton that Bulger was being transferred there and that, “Everyone was talking about it on the yard.”
Another inmate told investigators that both the inmates and staff were speculating about—and inmates were betting money on—how long Bulger would stay alive at Hazelton. That inmate told the OIG that after Bulger arrived at Hazelton, multiple inmates were “yelling” about Bulger being a “rat” for about an hour.
Hazelton officials noted that the prison already housed “a fair number of Boston and Northeast guys,” including inmates who were involved with organized crime.
There were two known “associates” at the prison, including one in the unit where Bulger was assigned. That was Fotios Geas, serving a life sentence for racketeering conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering and related crimes. As it turned out, Geas was one of the three inmates charged earlier this year in Bulger’s death.
Bulger arrived at Hazelton at 6:19 p.m. Oct. 29. He answered “no” during his unit intake screening when asked if there was any reason not to place him in general population.
He was secured in his cell about 9 p.m.
The next morning, Oct. 30, staff unlocked the doors to Bulger’s cell at 6:10. His cellmate exited at 6:16.
Surveillance showed that two individuals entered Bulger’s cell at 6:19 a.m., closed the door behind them and left at 6:26 a.m.
At 7:26 a.m., Bulger’s cell mate went back in and immediately exited with laundry bags of property that is not further described.
The video surveillance showed that an officer conducted a round of the unit at 7:37 a.m., but did not enter Bulger’s cell.
At 8:13 a.m., a shift change occurred and another correctional officer can be seen conducting rounds. At 8:21 a.m., prisons staff found Bulger unresponsive with no pulse, in his bunk, with visible injuries to his head and face.
Prisons staff tried CPR, used a defibrillator and called an ambulance.
Bulger was pronounced deceased at 9:04 a.m.