After 16-years of hiding in plain sight to evade the authorities, the FBI’s most wanted, Boston Irish American mobster James ‘Whitey’ Bulger, has appeared in court.

The FBI stated that the tip that led to Bulger's arrest came from overseas but would not say where.

The tipster was watching a report of a new FBI campaign to capture Bulger's female companion, Catherine Greig, and recognized her from meeting her in Santa Monica, California.

FBI agents rushed to the address and lured Bulger out of the apartment before arresting him and Greig. In the small seaside apartment were 20 guns and up to $800,000 in cash.

The gangster, who is being charged in connection with 19 murders, racketeering and other crimes, claimed that he could not afford to pay a lawyer and asked for a public defender. Prosecutors objected to this citing the $800,000 the FBI found in Bulger’s South California apartment this week.

The magistrate did not immediately rule on the request. Peter Krupp, an attorney,was assigned for Bulger, just for yesterday’s appearance.

Bulger wore jeans and a white shirt and looked tanned and fit. The 81-year-old walked with a slight hunch. His brother, William Bulger, former president of the Massachussetts Senate, was also in court. Reports say they greeted each other with a smile across the court room.

During the 14 minute hearing, the charges against Bulger, excluding the murders, were read out by both judges. According to the Patch.com they are:

—Conspiracy under RICO (the Racketeer Influence and Corrupt Organizations Act)
— "Substantive" RICO count
— Violation of the Hobbs Act, which deals with extortion, robbery and interstate commerce violations
— Several counts of money laundering
— Possession of firearms in furtherance of violent crime
— Possession of machine guns
— Possession of unregistered machine guns
— Transfer and possession of machine guns
— Possession of machine guns with "obliterated" serial numbers

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After the hearing he was taken from the Moakley Courthouse, under police escort, to the Plymouth County Correctional Facility on Long Pond Road in Plymouth, MA. His official arrangement will take place next week.

The FBI managed to nab the wanted criminal due to an anonymous tip. The FBI agents then lured Bulger out of his Santa Monica, CA, apartment by telling him that someone had broken into his on-site storage unit.

According to the Associated Press, Bulger walked out of his apartment and he and his girlfriend Catherine Greig (60) were arrested without incident. FBI agents lured Boston crime boss James "Whitey" Bulger out of his Santa Monica, Calif., apartment earlier this week by telling him someone had broken into his on-site storage unit.

Inside the apartment, the police found $800,000 in cast, most than 30 firearms (pistols, rifles and shotguns), several types of knives and a variety of false identification cards.