A federal appeals court has upheld the 8-year prison sentence given to the longtime girlfriend of reputed gangster James "Whitey" Bulger for helping him during his 16 years as a fugitive.

The 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Friday that it found no reason to disturb the sentence Catherine Greig received after she pleaded guilty to conspiracy to harbor a fugitive and other charges.

Bulger, the former leader of the Winter Hill Gang, fled Boston in late 1994 and remained a fugitive until he and Greig were captured together in Santa Monica, Calif., in 2011.

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Prosecutors said Greig helped Bulger in multiple ways while he was hiding from law enforcement.

The now 83-year-old Bulger is scheduled to go on trial in June in an indictment charging him with participating in 19 murders.