Reputed Former Boston Mob Boss Pleads Not Guilty
James "Whitey" Bulger formally responds to charges for first time in nearly two decades.
| Posted Wednesday, July 6, 2011, at 3:25 PM
So much for those rumors that James “Whitey” Bulger had confessed.
The reputed former Boston mob pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to a 32-count federal racketeering indictment that alleges he took part in 19 murders.
The Boston Globe with the play-by-play: "He answered 'not guilty' multiple times in a clear voice that was soft and just above a whisper and was closely watched by some of the relatives of people who were murdered."
The 81-year-old was arrested in Los Angeles last month, 16 years after he went on the run from authorities and sparked an international manhunt.
At one time, Bulger provided information on a rival gang to federal authorities, then fled in January 1995 when a former agent tipped him off that he was about to be indicted.
The cozy relationship between Bulger and the FBI—along with the brutal nature of many of the mobster’s alleged crimes—made his escape a high-profile embarrassment for federal authorities, and earned him a spot next to Osama Bin Laden on the FBI’s Most Wanted List.
Bulger's next court date isn't until Sept. 14.
