"It was a forced plea. However, the reason may be for her safety or privacy purpose. "We were very overwhelmed," she had toldWXYZat the time. While not the central focus, Wershe does appear on the show in a recurring capacity.[17]. The remark was made when White Boy Rick appeared in court for possessing multiple kilos of cocaine. DETROIT -"White Boy Rick" has hit the big screen. No one knows," says Wershe. His information helped uncover one of the biggest corruption cases in police history. However, Leon was not home but the boy and his mom were. He added that Wershe's dad, Richard Wershe Sr., who was played by Matthew McConaughey, was portrayed too positively, almost heroic at times. This is certainly a valid argument, especially since they didn't stop using him as an informant or offer to put him into witness protection after he had been shot and nearly died. He attended a local high school but abandoned his education in 1985, right before his 16th birthday. After his release, he went back to his long-term fiancee Michelle Macdonald whom he has been dating since middle school. He raised his son and daughter alone in a Detroit slum overrun with crack addicts and gangsters. "I became addicted to the lifestyle," says the real Richard Wershe Jr. "I became addicted to the money. When the FBI carried out Operation Backbone, an elaborate sting operation targeting public corruption in Detroit, Richard Wershe Jr. assisted them. They came with an envelope full of pictures and hoped that Richard Wershe Sr. would recognize the faces. It was embarrassing but getting shot gave Wershe street cred. BoogeyMan Ben/YouTubeInspector Gil Hill was a minor celebrity. The real White Boy Rick did conspire with major players in the local Detroit drug trade. He was 17-years-old. Community. -The Atavist Magazine, Yes. Yes. The guy who pulled the trigger was an acquaintance and swore that it was an accident, but Wershe wasn't completely convinced, especially since Curry had likely caught wind that he was an informant. 9 items. "Everything went as planned. They taught him how to pedal drugs on the street. Starring newcomer Richie Merritt and Oscar-winner Matthew McConaughey, the film tells the incredible true story of Richard (White Boy Rick) Wershe, Jr., the longest-serving non-violent juvenile offender in the American prison system. Craft, years later, told reporters: I was told to kill White Boy Rick. Wershe Jr.s father saw this as an opportunity to keep food on their table. Al Profit/YouTubeNate Boone Craft, the convicted hitman who claims he was hired to kill Rick Wershe Jr. Even now, the only trade Wershe knows is crime. Spending 27 years in prison for a drug offence committed when he was 17. The youngest known informant in the history of the FBI, Wershe became a confidential informant when he was 14 to 16 years old. In the 1980s, he gained notoriety in the streets of Detroit under the moniker White Boy Rick. Leo was loud and flashy, while Johnny was the clear-headed businessman who didn't use drugs and even avoided being in the same room as the ones he supplied. How White Boy Rick Uncovered The Largest Corruption Case In Detroit History And Got Life In Jail, Mark Oliver is a writer, teacher, and father whose work has appeared on The Onion's StarWipe, Yahoo, and Cracked, and can be found on his, The Death Of Grigori Rasputin, History's Most Unkillable Man, Croatian Village Plagued By 100 Gigantic Sinkholes Following Massive Earthquake, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. Source: Instagram. The author and historian has kept in touch with Wershe over the years and has studied his case extensively. -The Atavist Magazine, Rick's sister Dawn was dating a small-time criminal named Terrence Bell and she had become involved with crack cocaine. He became a drug dealer. It was at a time when the hysteria surrounding the War on Drugs in the U.S. was nearing its peak. "My daughter became sick on doing drugs," Richard Wershe Sr. says. As her career and professional life are unknown, her earnings and net worth remain unknown as well. The biggest confiscation occurred on East Side, where the Curry brothers were in charge. Cathy Volsan (Johnny Curry's wife who was also the mayor's niece) was eager to get back into the cocaine business and offered the police assistance. White Boy Rick, aka Richard Wershes Daughter Now The whereabouts of White Boy Rick, aka Richard Wershes daughter, has not been revealed. The film has received mixed reviews from critics, but there's nothing mixed about the reaction from Wershe's sister, Dawn Scott, who expressed frustration over her family's portrayal in anexclusive interview with WXYZ in Detroit. He was released from the Oaks Correctional Facility in Michigan in April 2017 and turned over to U.S. Additionally, he has a white-collar job. A member of Johnny Curry's crew shot Wershe in the stomach with a .357 when Wershe was 15. This picture of him is a still from his role in the movie Beverly Hills Cop. (Scott Garfield/Sony/Columbia Pictures and Studio 8 via AP)(Scott Garfield). Richard Wershe Jr. mugshot for Florida Department of Corrections, Detroit historian: White Boy Rick Wershe prison release way overdue. Wershe was arrested but the cop never showed up for the trial. -The New Yorker. The youngest known informant in the history of the FBI, Wershe became a confidential informant when he was 14 to 16 years old. White Boy Rick also has two daughters and six grandchildren. The judge's implication is that the drugs Wershe supplied destroyed lives and likely resulted in deaths.Wershe has claimed that his FBI handlers pushed him into the drug trade to serve their own ends. In Detroit in the 80s, everyone knew when White Boy Rick was around. Wershe continued to help the FBI even after being incarcerated and played an instrumental role in Operation Backbone, which resulted in the arrests of several corrupt Detroit police officers. Like Matthew McConaughey's character in the movie, Richard Wershe Sr. was a tall, wiry man who came up with different ways to make money, including selling surplus electronics, sporting goods, satellite-TV equipment, and devices to pirate cable TV. Finally, in July 2020, he was released from care in Florida after completing his sentence with proper conduct credits. All I can do is try to be the best man I can from this day forward, Wershe says. Portrayed by Bruce Dern and Piper Laurie in the White Boy Rick movie, Roman and Verna Wershe did live across the street. Soon after, he became an informant for the FBI. They were seen stepping out together but Wershe says that the relationship was tumultuous. Wershe's son, Richard Williams who goes by simply Rich W is a University of Michigan graduate. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. "FBI Special Agent Gregg Schwarz, who was stationed in Detroit at the time, asks, "Kingpin of what? This is in addition to trying to get his numerous inventions off the ground. Under the much-criticized 650-Lifer Law, Richard was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, despite being a non-violent offender. The FBI even gave Rick Jr. a fake ID and paid for an April 1985 trip to Las Vegas so that he could gather more intelligence on Curry. Love Island fans' horror as axed Olivia handed power to destroy TWO other stars, Frogmore eviction shows King's drawn a line with Harry, Strictly star bags life-changing EastEnders role as part of new family, Baby's body found after huge search as cops quiz Constance Marten & lover, News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. As a result of both the impending film and the White Boy documentary that had just been released, interest in Wershe Jr. had been on the rise, so much so that a spokesman for the Michigan Department of Corrections was on hand doing live TV interviews before 7 a.m. on the morning of the 9 a.m. hearing. Local 4 News every morning. Johnny Curry was history. Despite the Michigan Parole Board voting unanimously to grant Richard Wershe Jr. his freedom in 2017 after spending 29 years in prison, the then 47-year-old still had time to serve in Florida for a separate offense. From the moment he started high school, he was pulled away from a normal life and dragged into a life on the streets. But we are trying hard to collect all the information about him and will update you soon. "You'd have to ask [the Detroit Police Department] that," Wershe Jr. replied. Wershe barely survived and left the hospital with a colostomy bag. He was forced to find a way to navigate the streets and make ends meet without the FBIs protection, which wasnt easy. It turned into a stolen car ring, and Wershe pleaded guilty to protect his sister and mother from criminal charges. Wershe claims that it was because he had helped the FBI with Operation Backbone, which targeted corrupt police and public officials. Richard Wershe Jr.'s daughter, Kiesha Wershe, is a well-known drug dealer. We have no more Information about his Father; we will try to collect information and update soon. An ambulance arrived and blocked them from leaving. After 32 years old imprisonment, Richard went back to his long-term fiancee Michelle MacDonald whom he has been dating since middle school. The law was overturned but he was rejected as a menace to society by the Michigan Parole Board in 2003, despite (or perhaps because of) having assisted the FBI in the 1990s with a sting unsuccessfully targeting Gil Hill and drawing in the relatives of influential city politicians. Eventually, he began dealing, not under Johnny's watch, but on his own, and his trajectory was set.He started bringing in more and more money from selling drugs, eventually cutting out the middle men and having cocaine delivered directly from suppliers in Miami. "Were there some exaggerations? They gave chase and Wershe got off two shots using the cheap .22 revolver that Dawn had in her purse. White Boy Rick is also a grandfather of six grandchildren. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. informant at age 14. They lived there during a period from the mid 1980s to early 1990s when Detroit and many other major American cities were gaining widespread reputations for crime and violence, largely due to an influx of cocaine and the emergence of the crack cocaine epidemic. "I think everything went really well and he looks forward to everything that he has ahead of him.. The man who shot him had claimed it was an accident but Rick had his suspicions that there were people out to get him. Richard Wershe Jr. was arrested in his home in 1988 with 17 pounds of cocaine. However, her father is available on Instagram under the username @rickwershe_jr and has gained over 24.9K followers. The Wershes were paid roughly $35,000 in informant fees, despite it being technically illegal to use a child as an informant. Wershe's life story was turned into a true-crime documentary called "White Boy" that was picked up by Netflix. Date Published: 5/10/2022. He might have been a pimple-faced teenager who struggled to pull off a mustache but he came out in style. The guy's girlfriend came home and called 911 when she saw Wershe writhing on the floor. This was near the peak of the War on Drugs. "Everything went as planned. As a result of the FBI sting operation and Wershe's involvement, 18 corrupt police officers and politicians went to prison. Keisha is the daughter of Richard Wershe Jr., who used to work for the FBI as an informant and sold drugs. All the things I guess you expect after 32 years.". He's one of the few people I've met in jail that doesn't say, 'I'm innocent.' Every drug dealer was impressed. According to FBI Agent John Anthony, at that time, White Boy Rick was the single most productive informant the FBI had in Detroit. Dawn blared her horn to alert Wershe, who came out of the store and got into the passenger seat of the car Dawn was driving. -Crime Watch Daily, No. (He's) happy, healthy and excited (and) emotional. He believes that the Detroit Police Department and city officials were against his release because he had helped the FBI expose dirty cops. He and his sister subsequently stayed with their father. Find out about Keisha Wershe and White Boy Rick Weve definitely figured out that Keisha Wershe is Richard Wershe Jr.s girl. More than a dozen police officers were implicated. His dissatisfied daughter, Dawn, leaves their home, leaving Rick alone with his son, Ricky. This all happens almost exactly the same in the movie. This plays out a little differently in the movie, with them running out of a restaurant and shooting at the carjacker while standing the parking lot. This garnered him street cred in their eyes and in the ensuing months, he grew even closer to them. Your source for Local information & breaking news across southeast Michigan plus 4Warn Weather providing you with accurate forecasts so you can plan your day. A close childhood friend of Rick's said that in the case of Rick's father, the almighty buck ranked above morals. Dawn's heroin use is a major characteristic of her character in the film. The notorious teenage FBI informant known as "White Boy Rick" spent three decades in jail cells. He did not, but his girlfriend soon arrived at the house and after realising what had transpired, quickly called for help. All rights reserved (About Us). Richard Wershe Jr. was born on July 18, 1969, in Michigan to Richard Wershe Sr. and Darlene McCormick. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. Wershe says that the FBI barely scratched the surface of how deep the corruption ran, and releasing him meant that the truth might come out. Police had found the drugs stashed near Wershe's house after a traffic stop. Having just turned 51 years old, Wershe began a new chapter in life together with his fiance Michelle McDonald, whom he began dating in middle school. In addition to driving a Jeep that blatantly referenced his life as an up-and-coming cocaine dealer, Richard Wershe Jr. wore chains and tracksuits, a belt made of gold, a mink coat (given to him by Johnny Curry), and a Rolex with diamonds encircling it. He was subsequently sentenced to life imprisonment. Wershe Jr. survived the ordeal and it appeared to the Curry brothers and their associates that he did not reveal anything to the authorities. When he was 14 to 16 years old, he worked as an FBI informant. We have no more information about his spouse. It contains clips from Richard Wershe Jr. interviews and photos from his time as an FBI informant and drug dealer. Wershe is a father of two daughters and a son. Despite this, he was relocated to Florida State Prison to serve another sentence for his involvement in a car theft ring. -Crime Watch DailyThe press had played up Wershe's nickname and labeled him a "teenage drug kingpin." Perhaps. He notices that the gun has details consistent with Egyptian-made AK-47s, unlike the Russian-made ones the dealer claims he's selling. Richard Wershe Jr. was arrested in his home in 1988 with 17 pounds of cocaine. Wershe is now engaged to his longtime girlfriend. Keisha is the daughter of Richard Wershe Jr., a drug dealer and former informant for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. When he was asked what t will be like when he hangs out with his father after his release he responded: "Honestly, I don't know, we've got some catching up to do.". Today is a great day for truth, a great day for justice, a great day for vindication, Burnstein said when Wershe was released in July 2020. Richards was sentenced to life in prison in Michigan under the states 650-Lifer Law. He spent over three decades in prison, not getting the chance to spend time with his family. "We were very overwhelmed," McDonlad said. White Boy Rick knew this was because Johnny Curry was connected to Detroit Mayor Coleman Young; in fact, the king of Detroit crime, Johnny Curry, dated the mayors niece Cathy Volsan. Hed roll up in a white jeep he was too young to legally drive, with The Snowman emblazoned on the back. We were ridin' around in Johnny's BMW. At that time, this personality was just 17 years old. It makes you wonder how many other people might be incarcerated wrongly or unfairly, but because they don't have a light shone on them, they're [not] readdressing their incarceration. They put up pictures of a criminal hierarchy, and each one showed 17-year-old White Boy Rick at the top of the ladder with every dangerous, hardened criminal in the city listed as his underling. He was only 14 years old at the time. (He's) happy, healthy and excited (and) emotional. Who is Keisha Wershe? White Boy Rick, a film based on his life, was released on September 14, 2018. After all, Richard Wershe Jr. went to prison when he was only 17 years old. "Well, they never really say (what drug it is)," Dawn told WXYZ reporter Carolyn Cliffordwhen asked about the drugs. White Boy, a documentary chronicling the case of Richard Wershe Jr., premiered on March 31, 2017, at the Freep Film Festival where it won the Audience Choice Award. Convicted murderers came and went while Wershe was behind bars for possession. "But that's what we're all assuming,that's the drug of choice just by the way she acts, and I have never done heroin in my life.". The film starring Academy Award-winning actor Matthew McConaughey tells the fact-based story of Richard Wershe Jr., a Detroit teenager who became an undercover informant for the FBI during. White Boy Rick was certainly involved in drugs, and he definitely moved cocaine. Inspector Hill and Mayor Young, though, would walk away free. Johnny Curry, the so-called "cocaine king of the East Side," was freed 18 years before Wershe (Curry had been sentenced in Federal Court and wasn't subjected to Michigan's harsh laws that were in place at the time). She eventually remarried. He now has a recreational marijuana business called The 8th. And what happened? Though he wasnt an angel he already started looting peoples homes for cash Wershe Jr. had never touched cocaine in his life. Curry, Rick found out, had slipped Inspector Hill a $10,000 bribe. He had previously plead guilty to two felonies related to a Florida stolen car scheme and was sentenced to five years in prison in 2006 on charges of racketeering and conspiracy to commit racketeering. That's a longer discussion. -The New YorkerHowever, Wershe maintains that they weren't his drugs and that the corrupt cops planted them there. Wershe in fact helped with the largest public corruption case in Detroit's history at the time. Who Is White White Boy Rick AKA Richard Wershe Daughter Now. At the time he landed the role, he was also the head of the Detroit Police Department's homicide division. Also, his father was also an FBI informant. When he was released from prison in Michigan in 2017, Wershe walked out of the prison and right into a prison transport van. Starring Matthew McConaughey, Richie Merritt, Eddie Marsan, Copyright 2023 HistoryvsHollywood.com, CTF Media, White Boy Rick Documentary & Related Videos, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile. 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