DISGRACED EX FBI AGENT JOHN CONNOLLY WANTS OUT

With the United States and Italy unlocking the doors for alleged mobsters, it should come to no shock to anyone, that former disgraced F.B.I. agent, and Whitey Bulger bestie, John Connolly wants out.  In case your not familiar with John Connolly, he was the rouge agent which directly handled and dealt with former Winter Hill Gang boss, James "Whitey" Bulger.   Connolly would ultimately be convicted of murder, conspiracy to commit murder,   racketeering and obstruction of justice,

Connolly was charged in 2005 with conspiracy to commit murder against John B. Callahan, and the murder of Roger Wheeler, who owned the World Jai Alai sporting corporation.  It would be Bulger hitman John Martorano who fired the fatal shots into Wheeler, because Wheeler refused to pay up.

Connolly worked in tandem with Bulger to out informants, addresses, and inside information from the perspective of any ongoing F.B.I. investigations into the Winter Hill Gang.  It's been alleged that it was Connolly who tipped of Bulger that an impeding arrest was coming, which caused Bulger to go on the lam for a decade before being caught in California.   There was a documentary called The United States of America vs. Whitey Bulger, and it's worth a watch, because Bulger made claims that Connolly acted on his own, and there is substantial evidence that Bulger didn't Connolly any credible information whatsoever.  The basis for that argument is copies of Bulger's 302's.   In those 302's Bulger was very scarce on any details and often repeated himself and facts which were not accurate.  You come away from the documentary seeing that Bulger played Connolly like a fiddle.  It still doesn't take away from Bulger being an informant but there are some very interesting arguments you might be able to make for Bulger not being exactly the informant the F.B.I. attempted to make him out to be.

Connolly would be tossed out of the F.B.I. and sentenced to 10  years in prison.  In his second trial, he would be convicted and sentenced to 40 years in prison. He completed in ten year bid in  2008, then would be transferred to Florida state prison to finish the remainder of his sentence.  It is worth noting he is eligible for parole next year, which is probably why Connolly through his attorneys has asked for a compassionate release.   Connolly apparently suffers from different medical ailments, and with COVID-19 destroying the prison population, Connolly has made his move, but he's going to be met with serious resistance not only from the courts, but the federal prosecutors back in Boston.

Connolly is asking that he be allowed to serve the remainder of his sentence on home confinement, but has been met with terse words from the state's attorney who said " he was an F.B.I. agent who used his badge to give information, that led to the death of an informant, that's reprehensible"  So it looks as if he's going to have a mountain to climb in this situation.   According to the prison system, his age, health and situation could deem his early release however in the penal system he has to ask the prison warden first for consideration.  On April 16, 2020 Connolly forwarded a letter to the warden and has not heard anything as of yet.   If the warden says no, it's done and he's stuck there.

The question is, does he deserve it?