Notorious Boston mobster Whitey Bulger was once one of the FBI’s most wanted fugitives. He was second only to Osama bin Laden on the agency’s priority list. Thousands of pounds were seized from secret bank accounts in the United Kingdom in the last 7 years after his death.

British investigators say the recovered funds will now be returned to the United States to help compensate families connected to Bulger’s violent criminal empire.

James Joseph 'Whitey' Bulger led the infamous Winter Hill Gang, a powerful organized crime syndicate based in Boston that was linked to murders, extortion, drug trafficking, racketeering, and money laundering operations stretching across decades.

The latest financial seizure was announced by the UK National Crime Agency, which said investigators uncovered two UK bank accounts connected to Bulger during an international financial investigation.

Whitey Bulger had a Criminal Empire

Bulger became one of the most feared organized crime figures in American history during his reign over Boston’s underworld. Authorities accused him of overseeing a brutal criminal network responsible for multiple murders and acts of intimidation throughout the United States.

Despite his violent reputation, it later emerged that Bulger had also worked for years as an FBI informant, a revelation that sparked major controversy and corruption allegations involving federal law enforcement.

FBI Hunt for Crime Boss

Additional historical information about the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted fugitives can be found through the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

In the late 1990s, Bulger fled the Boston area after reportedly receiving a tip from a former FBI handler warning him that authorities were closing in. He eventually relocated to Santa Monica, California, where he lived quietly with longtime girlfriend Catherine Greig while evading capture for more than 16 years.

The FBI placed Bulger on its Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list and offered a $1 million reward for information leading to his arrest. At the time, he was considered one of the most dangerous fugitives in America.

Bulger was finally arrested in 2011 at a Santa Monica apartment, ending one of the FBI’s most high-profile manhunts.

In 2013, a federal jury convicted him of participating in 11 murders along with numerous other crimes, including racketeering, extortion, narcotics trafficking, firearms violations, and money laundering.

He was sentenced to life in prison.

Whitey Bulger’s Money Returned to Victims’ Families

According to British authorities, investigators later discovered that Bulger had opened two bank accounts in the United Kingdom during the early 1990s. One account reportedly used his real name, while the second was allegedly opened under an alias.

The U.S. Department of Justice previously ordered Bulger to forfeit more than $25 million believed to be proceeds from criminal activities. Approximately $19 million was designated for compensation to families of his victims.

The UK’s National Crime Agency said a freezing order issued last year ultimately led to the seizure of £53,041, which will now be transferred to American authorities.

Rob Burgess, the NCA’s Head of Investigations for Asset Denial, praised the international cooperation involved in recovering the money.

“Bulger brought misery and heartbreak to countless families, and we are proud to have worked with our American partners to see his criminally obtained wealth returned to the US,” Burgess said in a statement.

The Death of Whitey Bulger

Bulger’s story has remained deeply embedded in American pop culture long after his death. Johnny Depp portrayed him in the 2015 film Black Mass, while the crime boss character played by Jack Nicholson in The Departed was widely believed to be loosely inspired by Bulger.

Bulger himself died violently in 2018 after being beaten to death inside a West Virginia federal prison shortly after his transfer there. In 2024, several inmates charged in connection with the killing reportedly reached plea agreements with federal prosecutors.