DOJ watchdog finds missteps but no malicious intent in Bulger’s prison transfer. : NPR

Inmates on the federal prison the place James “Whitey” Bulger was killed hours after arriving knew forward of time that the convicted mob boss was being transferred to the ability and had been taking bets on how lengthy he would survive, in keeping with a report launched Wednesday by the Justice Department’s inspector common.

Bulger, who led Boston’s infamous Winter Hill Gang and was serving two consecutive life sentences, was discovered lifeless in his cell on the Hazelton federal prison in West Virginia lower than 12 hours after he arrived there in October 2018.

His killing sparked questions concerning the circumstances of his dying and the federal Bureau of Prison’s dealing with of his switch to Hazelton from one other lockup in Florida. Of explicit concern was the choice to position Bulger, who was 89 years outdated, in poor well being and a infamous FBI informant, in with the prison’s common inhabitants.

In an almost 70-page report analyzing the difficulty, the inspector common says it didn’t discover that BOP workers acted improperly or with malicious intent, but the watchdog did discover that the BOP dedicated a string of missteps. The IG is referring a minimum of six BOP workers for disciplinary actions.

In 2018, Bulger was serving his sentence on the Coleman federal lockup in Florida. The facility supplied degree 3 medical care, which was crucial for Bulger’s well-documented well being points, together with coronary heart circumstances.

After Bulger allegedly threatened a nurse there, Coleman officers tried to get Bulger transferred. Eventually, they managed to safe a transfer for him to Hazelton.

More than 100 BOP officers knew of Bulger’s impending switch to Hazelton, the report says, and company personnel spoke overtly about it inside earshot of inmates there, which violated BOP coverage and put Bulger in hazard.

The watchdog stated the massive variety of officers with data of Bulger’s impending switch made it not possible to find out which BOP workers had been answerable for leaking information of his arrival.

But the information was extensively sufficient identified at Hazelton that inmates had been overtly discussing it. One inmate, for instance, talked about Bulger’s imminent switch throughout a cellphone name hours earlier than the mob boss arrived. Other inmates talked about Bulger’s switch in emails despatched days forward of his arrival.

One man, recognized as Inmate 3, advised the inspector common’s workplace that he overheard different inmates discussing Bulger’s switch weeks forward of time.

“Inmate 3 advised the OIG that he finally additionally heard a number of BOP officers talking overtly about Bulger coming to Hazelton, as in the event that they had been ‘speaking a few soccer sport,'” the report says. “Inmate 3 additional said that each the inmates and workers had been speculating about—and inmates had been betting cash on—how lengthy Bulger would keep alive at Hazelton.”

Several inmates on Bulger’s compound had been in the Genovese Crime Family, which the Inmate 3 says had “beef” with Bulger, in keeping with the report.

The report says one Unit Manager at Hazelton requested to have Bulger assigned to his housing unit on the lockup. The official advised the watchdog that he believed he had the most effective workers and would have the ability to deal with Bulger’s case finest.

The Unit Manager advised the inspector common that he was unaware of any potential threats to Bulger in the unit.

When Bulger arrived at Hazelton, he advised officers there that he was not a member or a gang and didn’t have conflicts with different gangs, the report says. BOP officers advised the inspector common that he needed to be housed with the final inhabitants at Hazelton.

Bulger was discovered lifeless in his cell on Oct. 30, 2018. A medical expert decided that he was killed by blunt drive accidents to his head.

Three inmates, together with a Mafia hitman, are dealing with federal fees in Bulger’s dying.