James "Whitey" Bulger and his self-described mentor, Kevin Weeks, exchanged heated words in U.S. District Court in Boston on Tuesday as trial day 17 drew to a close. The anger was sparked by fierce questioning of Weeks by Bulger's defense attorney, J.W. Carney.
Carney questioned Weeks about a plea bargain deal he received from the government that resulted in him serving only five years for his involvement in five murders.
The "F" word was the expletive of choice in the fiery exchange between Bulger and Weeks in the courtroom. Weeks is a key prosecution witness. Under heavy questioning during cross-examination by Carney the former mob enforcer became visibly incensed.
“You win,” said Carney. “What did I win?” shouted Weeks from the witness stand. “Five people are dead…it bothers me because we killed people who are rats, and I had the two biggest rats right next to me," Weeks continued, in reference to Bulger and Steve "the Rifleman" Flemmi’s cooperation with the FBI.
Bulger than hissed a profanity toward Weeks along the lines of "Go [explative] yourself." Weeks hurled the expletive right back.
Judge Casper interrupted the exchange and instructed Bulger to let his attorneys do the talking for him.
What led to this emotional tit-for-tat was the defense suggestion that Weeks had made a deal with the government and was willing to say anything to reduce his time in jail.
Weeks said, "so I made a deal before he did," in reference to Bulger. "I avoided a life sentence... I'd be a fool not to."
Carney peppered Weeks with hard questions about the quid pro quo he made with prosecutors to provide "substantial assistance,” and Carney succeeded in getting Weeks to say, in his own words, that he lies:
"If you would benefit from telling a lie, you would tell a lie wouldn't you?" Carney questioned, to which Weeks answered, "Yes."
"I've been lying my whole life," said Weeks. "I'm a criminal."
But, a liar is one thing; a rat another. Weeks insisted that by turning state witness against his former boss, Bulger, he was not a "rat"- the term on the street for snitch or informant. And if anyone were to accuse him of being a rat, he told Carney his voice rising, "I'd go after them physically."
Carney asked, "What would you do?”
"Well, why don't you call me one outside when it's just me and you and see what I do?" Weeks said.
To be called a rat is a fighting word on South Boston streets says John Red Shea, a former Bulger protégée.
Kevin Weeks described Shea on the witness stand as a key drug dealer, who he and Bulger shook down for tens of thousands of dollars. Shea, the author of King Rat, said he served time in federal prison for drug related offenses and because he refused to turn state witness against Bulger andFlemmi.
Kevin Weeks left the witness stand after two days of testimony about rats, grisly murders, shakedowns, drugs, and old friends turned enemies.
