Congressional committee hears testimony from Tulsa Police homicide detective on FBI handling of mob informants

A hearing in Boston Thursday centers in on FBI corruption that directly impacts one of Tulsa's highest profile murders. <br><br>Roger Wheeler's sons and Tulsa Police homicide Sergeant, Mike Huff,

Thursday, December 5th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

A hearing in Boston Thursday centers in on FBI corruption that directly impacts one of Tulsa's highest profile murders.

Roger Wheeler's sons and Tulsa Police homicide Sergeant, Mike Huff, testified before a House committee on Government Reform Thursday. The committee is investigating how FBI agents could've looked the other way while their informants ordered people killed, including Roger Wheeler. He was murdered at Southern Hills Country Club in 1981 on the orders of two members of a Boston mob who were working for the FBI.

When Tulsa Police tried to investigate the two men for Wheeler's murder, FBI agents shielded them. Because of that protection, the two mobsters were allowed to kill additional witnesses in the case and keep Tulsa detectives from solving it for nearly 20 years.

News on Six crime reporter Lori Fullbright talked with the man who made this case his life's mission. Sgt Mike Huff couldn't wait to get to Boston Thursday to talk about the corruption he discovered 19 years ago, because back then, no one would believe him. Huff was one of the first homicide detectives at the scene of Roger Wheeler's murder.

They quickly learned it was a mob hit, because Wheeler had stood up to mob members he caught skimming money from his business, World Jai Lai. The investigation took one bad turn after another. "Everywhere we went, the people were trying to help us, ended up dead. They covered up a murder with more murders." Detectives quickly learned Whitey Bulger and Stephen Flemmi were behind the murders.

The two men were also informants for the FBI, helping agents put away members of a rival Italian gang in Boston. Those agents were getting lots of awards for their arrests and took money and gifts from Bulger and Flemmi, so, when Tulsa detectives came knocking, just one year after the murder, the agents blocked them at every turn. "They literally let them get away with murder, they took money from them, they became a part of this gang." Huff refused to give up and finally got a break in the mid 1990's when Flemmi got caught and started singing.

Corrupt agents warned Bulger and he escaped with millions, he remains on the 10 most wanted list. Flemmi's testimony made people listening and other criminals and corrupt agents started falling. And, the hit man who killed Wheeler, pleaded guilty in a Tulsa courtroom.

But Huff still won't stop until he sees some of the corrupt agents charged in the murder, too. He just can't let it go. "Some days, I wish I had let it go, it's taken a toll personally, but, it's not my job to let it go. And, I'm not doing anything any of these detectives outside my door wouldn't be do.â€

What frustrates Huff the most is this case could've been solved 19 years ago, and spared Wheeler's family so much pain and agony.