By Denise Lavoie
Associated Press
BOSTON — A Las Vegas man who tried to claim a $2 million reward for information leading to the arrest of fugitive New England crime boss James “Whitey” Bulger (BUHL'-jur) says the FBI has paid the money to another tipster.
Bulger was captured in June in Santa Monica, Calif., where he’d been living with longtime girlfriend Catherine Greig (grehg).
Keith Messina tried to claim all or part of the reward because he reported seeing Bulger in Santa Monica in 2008. Messina said Wednesday he recently was notified by the FBI it had rejected his claim and paid the money to a woman who crossed paths with Bulger and Greig in Santa Monica.
Neither the FBI nor the U.S. attorney’s office in Boston would confirm Messina’s claim.
Bulger and Greig have pleaded not guilty to multiple charges.
Copyright 2011 Associated Press