Official: Discipline issues led to Whitey Bulger’s transfer

BOSTON (AP) — A federal law enforcement official says slain gangster James “Whitey” Bulger had been transferred to the prison where he was killed because he had disciplinary problems at a Florida prison.

The 89-year-old Bulger was beaten to death Tuesday within hours of arriving at a federal prison in West Virginia.

The official told The Associated Press on Thursday that Bulger was transferred there because he had caused problems at a federal prison in Florida where he was serving a life sentence for participating in 11 killings.

The official has been briefed on the investigation into Bulger’s killing and insisted on anonymity because he was not authorized to release details.

A former investigator told the AP Wednesday that a mob-connected inmate is a suspect in Bulger’s slaying .

The FBI has declined to comment on the investigation.

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Lavoie reported from Richmond, Virginia.