(PresidentialWire.com)- The son of one of the suspects in the alleged murder of James “Whitey” Bulger, who was found bludgeoned to death inside a federal prison over four years ago, says he’s still curious as to why it took so long for the Justice Department to file charges against his father.
On August 14, Fotios “Freddy” Geas, the father of 28-year-old Alex Geas, sent him a letter. Freddy was charged in relation to Bulger’s death just three days later.
According to Alex, Geas’ inner circle was not necessarily shocked to learn of his criminal charges. But after publicly requesting that the Department of Justice either charge Freddy or relieve him from solitary prison for more than a year, the family and their lawyer are now questioning the delay.
An article in May 2021 stated that Geas and his father’s attorney, Daniel Kelly, complained that Geas had been kept in solitary confinement at the United States Penitentiary, Hazelton, in West Virginia since “nearly immediately after” Bulger was fatally beaten on October 30, 2018.
Alex Geas said last year that he challenges the prison to either formally indict him or to move him since things cannot continue going on like it was.
Just hours after entering the federal prison where he was held in the general population, Bulger, 89, was slain.
In addition to other charges, prosecutors have charged Geas, 55, Paul J. DeCologero, 48, and Sean McKinnon, Geas’ roommate, 36, with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder.
They said that Bulger was repeatedly struck in the head with “a belt with a lock attached” by Geas and DeCologero. On October 30, 2018, at six in the morning, they allegedly entered Bulger’s jail cell and remained there for around seven minutes while McKinnon allegedly kept watching at a nearby table.
Two hours later, Bulger was found lying on his bed.
Along with first-degree murder, murder by a federal prisoner serving a life sentence, and assault resulting in serious bodily injury, Geas and DeCologero face additional charges. The 36-year-old McKinnon was also accused of lying to a federal agent.
Alex Geas, Freddy Geas’ son, declined to say whether he knew his father would be charged with Whitey Bulger’s murder in advance. Law professor Steven Friedland said the crime’s location made the investigation more difficult.
A lawyer for Bulger’s family speculated that the Justice Department delayed taking criminal action in the case to prevent leaking information to the family.
Bulger became infamous for tipping off the FBI about the New England mob, the major adversary of his crew.
Brian Kelly, one of the federal prosecutors in charge of securing Bulger’s conviction, described Bulger as a “psychotic killer” who carried out a number of his murders himself.
