By Allan Lengelticklethewire.com
More details began to emerge in the Wednesday night capture of Boston mobster James “Whitey” Bulger in Santa Monica, Calif., including the fact the apartment he was living in with his girlfriend had a variety of guns and a “very substantial amount of cash.”
Richard DesLauriers, head of the Boston FBI, said at a press conference broadcast on MSNBC’s website, that a tip was generated directly from a media blitz this week that focused on Bulger’s girlfriend. The blitz included public service announcements on tv in 14 cities where Bulger, 81, who had been on the lam for 16 years, and his girlfriend, 60, were thought to have ties.
Bulger is accused of killing 19 people and there was a $2 million reward that was offered for information leading to his capture.
DesLauriers said just after 8 p.m. on Tuesday, California time, a tip came into the Los Angeles FBI office. The office passed it on to the Boston FBI command post, which analyzed the tip and found it to be “credible and promising.” The Boston office then directed the FBI fugitive task force in LA to conduct a surveillance in Santa Monica.
Just after 4 p.m. on Wednesday, the FBI task force began conducting a surveillance on an apartment where agents suspected Bulger and his girlfriend Catherine Elizabeth Greig lived. They were going by the aliases Charles and Carol Gasko.
At 5:45 p.m., agents, using a ruse, lured Bulger out of the home and arrested him without incident. Agents then went into the home and arrested the girlfriend Catherine Elizabeth Greig, DesLauriers. The Boston Globe reported that Bulger had stashed away hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash in the apartment along with more than 20 firearms.
DesLauriers said the FBI never gave up. He said the bureau followed up every lead and tip and when the leads ran out, agents didn’t just sit back and wait for the phone to ring.
“Although there were those who have doubted our resolve at times over the years, it has never wavered,” he said.
He said the tip came in a result of a media blitz which focused on the girlfriend, Greig. Authorities did not say specifically whether the tip that came in identified her or Bulger or both.
Watch Press Conference
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