Man accused of serving as lookout in murder of James 'Whitey' Bulger gets prison sentence – Sun Sentinel

By JOHN RABY (Associated Press)

CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (AP) — The man accused of serving as a lookout in the prison killing of notorious Boston mobster James “Whitey” Bulger will not serve additional prison time after pleading guilty Monday on a charge of lying to federal agents.

Sean McKinnon, who was wearing shackles, was hugged by his two lawyers after U.S. District Judge Thomas Kleeh accepted prosecutors' recommendation that he be given credit for serving 22 months in custody after his indictment.

McKinnon was charged along with two other inmates in the 2018 murder at a troubled West Virginia prison. Fotios “Freddy” Geas and Paul J. DeCologero are accused of punching Bulger multiple times in the head hours after he was transferred to the prison.

Plea agreements for all three were disclosed on May 13. Plea hearings and sentencings are set for Aug. 1 for DeCologero and Sept. 6 for Geas.

McKinnon was released from USP Hazelton in 2022 after serving time for stealing firearms from a gun dealer. He was on federal supervised release when the indictment was returned a few weeks later, in August 2022.

McKinnon was expected to be flown back to Florida later Monday.

“We're glad he's out,” defense attorney Katie Cimono said.

Bulger, who led Boston's predominantly Irish mob in the 1970s and 1980s, became one of the country's most wanted fugitives after fleeing Boston in 1994. He was captured at age 81 after more than 16 years on the run and convicted in 2013. a series of 11 murders and dozens of other gang crimes.

___

An earlier version of this report incorrectly stated that Geas and DeCologero were scheduled to appear in court Monday. Their hearings are expected to take place later this summer.