James “Whitey” Bulger.
Credit: US Attorney’s Office
Alleged mob boss James “Whitey” Bulger gave information to federal agents in an effort to lead investigators away from himself and his gang for their alleged murders, often assigning others blame for murders the feds now accuse him of committing, FBI documents show.
Prosecutors introduced hundreds of pages of documents as part of Bulger’s FBI informant file as the 83-year-old’s racketeering and murder trial continued Monday.
The documents, which consist of reports from meetings between Bulger and multiple FBI agents, span decades.
One document details how Bulger gave information to agents two days after the killing of Brian Halloran, who authorities allege Bulger gunned down when they learned he was talking to the feds. The report said Bulger told investigators that the mafia, a gang from Charlestown and some low-level criminals had reasons to commit the murder.
Monday’s testimony could not have been easy for Bulger or his lawyers to sit through. Bulger’s lawyers have repeatedly insisted that Bugler was not an informant and that corrupt FBI agent John Connolly made up the reports to further his career.
“They can’t have it both ways to say he’s a fraud and then to rely on the credibility of his reports,” Bulger attorney Hank Brennan said during an objection. He took issue with prosecutors introducing reports that were written by the now imprisoned Connolly.
Also during Monday’s testimony, Agent James Marra, of the federal Inspector General’s office, discussed Bulger’s informant file. At one point during his testimony, Assistant US Attorney Fred Wyshak had Marra run off a laundry list of names which Bulger had provided information on to FBI agents. Many of names involved members of La Cosa Nostra, or the mafia.
Follow Michael Naughton on Twitter @metrobosmike.
