Fotios “Freddy” Geas, a former Mafia enforcer already serving a life sentence, was sentenced to an additional 25 years in prison on Friday for the 2018 killing of notorious Boston crime boss James “Whitey” Bulger inside a federal prison.
Geas, 56, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and assault resulting in serious bodily injury for the brutal attack on the 89-year-old Bulger at USP Hazelton in West Virginia. Prosecutors said Geas repeatedly battered Bulger in the head with a lock attached to a belt just hours after Bulger’s arrival at the facility.
The sentencing comes as part of a broader case involving three inmates charged in Bulger’s death:
– Paul DeCologero, sentenced in August to four additional years for acting as a lookout during the attack.
– Sean McKinnon, who pleaded guilty in June to lying to FBI agents about his knowledge of the killing, received no additional prison time.
Geas had been incarcerated since 2011 for multiple crimes, including the 2003 murder of Genovese crime boss Adolfo “Big Al” Bruno. The attack on Bulger occurred shortly after his transfer from a Florida prison, with inmates reportedly given advance notice of his arrival.
The killing raised questions about prison management, as Bulger, a high-profile inmate, was placed in general population rather than protective custody.
Bulger, who ran Boston’s Irish mob in the 1970s and ’80s, had a complex history as both a crime boss and an FBI informant. He became one of America’s most wanted fugitives after fleeing Boston in 1994, evading capture for more than 16 years before being arrested in California at age 81.
In 2013, Bulger was convicted of 11 murders and numerous other gangland crimes, many committed while he was reportedly providing information to the FBI about rival gangs.
This sentencing marks the latest chapter in a saga that has captivated the public and law enforcement for decades, highlighting the ongoing repercussions of organized crime even within the prison system.
nypost.com
