British actress Bel Powley portrays Dawn in the film, which hit theaters nationwide on Sept. 14. Wershe's life story was turned into a true-crime documentary called "White Boy" that was picked up by Netflix. This picture of him is a still from his role in the movie. Yes. Richard Wershe Jr. (born July 18, 1969),[2] known as "White Boy Rick", is an American former drug trafficker and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) informant. Richard Wershe Jr. was sent to prison for life at 18-years-old. He might have been a pimple-faced teenager who struggled to pull off a mustache but he came out in style. In 1984, Rick Wershe is a struggling single father living in Detroit during the height of the crack epidemic and war on drugs. Wershe spent nearly three decades behind bars in Michigan for a non-violent drug offense. Wershe is now engaged to his longtime girlfriend. 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. Other violent kingpins and enforcers who were convicted under Michigan law were freed years ago. Under the law at that time, it was supposed to cost him the rest of his life, which is just ridiculous. In one of the meetings with WXYZ, Michelle said that everything went according to plan and that Richard was happy, solid, full of energy and enthusiastic. As Richard Wershe Sr. put it: I took the money. White Boy Rick was worse than a mass murderer. We cant say their name. Click On Detroit/WDIV/YouTubeRick Wershe Jr. in court, shortly after his arrest. Agent Gregg Schwarz would later admit: We brought him into the drug world. White Boy Ricks new fame changed his life. Likewise, in July 2020, Richard was released from custody in Florida after completing his sentence with credits for good behavior. Richard 'White Boy Rick' Wershe Jr. (Michigan Department of Corrections) After spending nearly three decades in prison, infamous former drug kingpin Richard Wershe Jr . "It was all about Rick. More. The biggest confiscation occurred on East Side, where the Curry brothers were in charge. Pretty soon he uncovered a conspiracy that ran through the whole city. Now hes a 51-year-old man free from prison and back in Michigan. 9 items. RICHARD Wershe Jr known as White Boy Rich was an undercover FBI informant in the 1980s. "We were very overwhelmed," she had toldWXYZat the time. Richard Wershe is also called White Boy Rick. The guy's girlfriend came home and called 911 when she saw Wershe writhing on the floor. In Mayor Youngs city, to get Curry into trouble was dangerous for himself and bad for his business. He has three children, including a son named Richard Williams. Rick's daughter and oldest grandson. Wershe's son, Richard Williams who goes by simply Rich W is a University of Michigan graduate. 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). Wershe Jr. got involved in the world of crime through a petty criminal named Terrence Bell, with whom his sister was in a relationship at the time. Instead of helping him, they made sure he was sent away for life. 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. Richard Wershe Jr. is suing FBI agents, Detroit police and others a year after he was released from . When the FBI carried out Operation Backbone, an elaborate sting operation targeting public corruption in Detroit, Richard Wershe Jr. assisted them. An ambulance arrived and blocked them from leaving. In 1988, Wershe was sentenced to life in prison in Michigan under the states 650-Lifer Law, a drug statute that penalized those found in possession of more than 650 grams of cocaine or heroin with a stiff penalty of life imprisonment without parole. Author Free Richard Wershe Jr Rick has 3 children. The 14-year-old wasnt a drug dealer or a gangster. Caption: Keisha Wershes father Richard in the court. White Boy Rick is also a grandfather of six grandchildren. Wershe says that he was given new lawyers who had worked for Mayor Coleman Young. Darlene subsequently moved to the suburbs. Both Wershe Jr. and Dawn chose to live with their father at their small brick house on Hampshire Street at Dickerson Avenue. While Michigan repealed the 650-Lifer Law that handed Richard Wershe Jr. a life sentence, he was still in prison long after other offenders were released. A member of Johnny Curry's crew shot Wershe in the stomach with a .357 when Wershe was 15. Copyright 2020 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved. Keishas face is not yet revealed to the world. Nate Boone Craft, a hitman with thirty confirmed murders under his belt, claims that Inspector Gil Hill offered him a small fortune to kill the teenaged boy who knew too much. Richard Wershe Jr. was good at what he did. I became addicted to the women. I don't think so. If you don't take this plea, we are going to arrest your mom and your sister,'" Wershe said. In the summer of 1984, FBI agents came to their house and started showing pictures of the Curry brothers and their associates. I have been made to feel welcome and accepted. On July 14, 2017, just a few days shy of his 48th birthday, he was finally granted parole. A nearby policeman then appears to arrest them. Click On Detroit/WDIV/YouTubeRick Wershe Jr. in prison. He left his keys in the ignition and went in to buy a soda. Richard was born into a working-class family in a neighborhood on Detroit's east side. Perhaps. For other inquiries, Contact Us. Richard Wershe Jr.'s daughter, Kiesha Wershe, is a well-known drug dealer. "I was, I would say, a hustler," Wershe Sr. admitted. When he was 14 to 16 years old, he worked as an FBI informant. Ive lost 30 years of my life, Wershe said during the parole meeting. After 32 years old imprisonment, Richard went back to his long-term fiancee Michelle MacDonald whom he has been dating since middle school. It wont be easy. 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. Despite this, he was relocated to Florida State Prison to serve another sentence for his involvement in a car theft ring. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. He also sold illegal guns. Therefore, she has stayed away from the public and has made a low-key lifestyle. Richard Wershe Jr has filed a $100m (73m) lawsuit against former FBI agents and prosecutors, alleging child abuse in connection with his time as an informant. They gave chase and Wershe got off two shots using the cheap .22 revolver that Dawn had in her purse. But the news made him bigger than he was because the police were out for blood. You tell me how its right that I served 32 years for a non-violent crime and someone who has raped or killed walks free in a few years, he told the Daily Mail. After his release, he went back to his long-term fiancee Michelle Macdonald whom he has been dating since middle school. Wershe Jr. survived the ordeal and it appeared to the Curry brothers and their associates that he did not reveal anything to the authorities. The FBI, in turn, began to train the young Wershe Jr. on how to be a gangster. Spending 27 years in prison for a drug offence committed when he was 17. He spent over three decades in prison, not getting the chance to spend time with his family. 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. White Boy Rick is also a grandfather of six grandchildren. Wershe Jr.s father saw this as an opportunity to keep food on their table. White Boy Rick was arrested in 1987 for possessing cocaine in excess of eight kilograms and sentenced to life in prison. A carjacker with a gun in his hand jumped into Wershe's car. Matthew McConaughey starred as Richards father, Richard Wershe Sr. More: Former Detroit hitman wants White Boy Rick to be released from prison. "Johnny [Curry] placed a call to Gil, put it on speaker. The FBI investigated Gil Hill's possible role in the cover up, but no charges were ever brought against Hill. Fact-checking the White Boy Rick movie confirmed that he had dropped out of high school by the spring of 1985, prior to his sixteenth birthday. 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. He attended a local high school but abandoned his education in 1985, right before his 16th birthday. If you need help with the Public File, call (313) 222-0566. However, Leon was not home but the boy and his mom were. White Boy Rick, aka Richard Wershes Daughter Now The whereabouts of White Boy Rick, aka Richard Wershes daughter, has not been revealed. There is no information about Keishas relationship history. Source: pressinformant.com. Also, we have no idea about his brother and sister, and we dont know their names either. Richard was born in a working-class family that lived in a neighborhood on the east side of Detroit. But, there is no confirmation as nothing about her personal as well as professional life is known. No, at least not according to Rick's real-life sister, Dawn. He regularly spent time with the brothers and they did not suspect a thing. Hed roll up in a white jeep he was too young to legally drive, with The Snowman emblazoned on the back. Click On Detroit/WDIVRichard Wersher Jr. during his parole hearing. We were ridin' around in Johnny's BMW. He said, 125,000, Ill make sure you get it as long as that boy is dead. His keyword, Dead. This came from Gil Hills mouth to me.. We have no more Information about his Father; we will try to collect information and update soon. [15] According to retired FBI agent John Anthony, White Boy Rick was the most productive informant for the agency at the time. 'Rick refused so my dad took the money and threw my ex-husband and Rick out of the house,' Scott said. "My son became sick on power, the excitement, the prestige, the money, and the glamour of selling. But we are sure that it is not available and his spouses name is not available. Through him, he gained access to the Curry brothers and their lavish lifestyle. It was journalism that saved him. In the 1980s, he gained notoriety in the streets of Detroit under the moniker White Boy Rick. 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. Kiesha Wershe is the girl of renowned street pharmacist Richard Wershe Jr. Richard Wershe is also called White Boy Rick. View: 9187. Thats why her height, weight, eye color, hair color, etc are unavailable on the internet till today. Wershe Jr. first became acquainted with Rudell "Boo" Curry, the younger brother of Leo and Johnny. 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. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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. -Crime Watch Daily, Wershe, who was 17 at the time, was arrested for possession with intent to deliver more than eight kilograms of cocaine. To them, he was too young to be an informant. A close childhood friend of Rick's said that in the case of Rick's father, the almighty buck ranked above morals. However, Wershe feels that his punishment grossly exceeded his crime, as do many others. Pandemonium followed. 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., known as White Boy Rich was an undercover FBI informant in the 1980's. As stated in the White Boy documentary, one of those lawyers went on to become one of the officials who petitioned to deny Wershe's chance at parole in 2003, his one and only hearing until 2017. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. It turned into a stolen car ring, and Wershe pleaded guilty to protect his sister and mother from criminal charges. The notorious teenage FBI informant known as "White Boy Rick" spent three decades in jail cells. When he followed up with the FBI, Hughes found out that Wershe was telling the truth. He went above and beyond what the FBI asked him to do. -The Atavist Magazine, When he was no more than 14, Richard Wershe Jr. was becoming familiar with the major players in the Detroit drug world, especially in his neighborhood. 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. The FBI sent Wershe Jr. there with a fake id and $15,000 so he would continue to do his job as an informant. He raised his son and daughter alone in a Detroit slum overrun with crack addicts and gangsters. (WXYZ) After serving 32 years and seven months, Richard "White Boy Rick" Wershe Jr., left Kissimmee, Florida with his head high. See the events in life of Richard Wershe Jr. in Chronological Order, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gehW0KhK5Y, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSLTpGPrKfU, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SznO2lpacFY, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1p14I6X5m1c. This garnered him street cred in their eyes and in the ensuing months, he grew even closer to them. The authorities were equally active. "We were very overwhelmed," McDonlad said. White Boy Rick was certainly involved in drugs, and he definitely moved cocaine. During his trial the judge had no sympathy. The gun jammed. "They look like a bunch of drunks that just didn't care, wild and crazy, but they are the best people you'd ever meet," she said, noting that her grandparents helped raise her. However, lets hope Keisha might be living a happy life. The Estimated Net worth is $80K USD $85k. In 2014, freelance writer Evan Hughes read Wershes outlandish claims about a conspiracy that had put him behind bars and started to look into whether they were true. While his father did not recognize them, Wershe Jr. did. Thats how Richard Wershe Jr. became the FBIs youngest informant. Rick Wershe Jr. began to see the corruption when a 13-year-old boy was shot by the Curry Gang and the Detroit police did nothing about it. This came up at Richard Wershe Jr.'s 2017 hearing. Dave Bartkowiak Jr., Digital Managing Editor. Richard Wershe Sr. tried to get the FBI to help his son but they refused to say a word. "I think helping the FBI with Operation Backbone was the biggest mistake of my life," says Wershe, "because it created enemies I couldn't even imagine." And what happened? Furthermore, Richard's father was also an FBI . The judge, who commented that Wershe looked like the bank robber Baby Face Nelson, went on to say that "as far as the court is concerned, he's worse than a mass murderer." "Everything went as planned. The bullet tore through his large intestine. Wershe is a father of two daughters and a son. That's a longer discussion. The real White Boy Rick did conspire with major players in the local Detroit drug trade. Yes. I wasnt sure it would be that way. He was making more money than most adults he knew. At that time, this personality was just 17 years old. Click here to take a moment and familiarize yourself with our Community Guidelines. Therefore, this personality is not active on any social media sites including Instagram and Twitter. "I cant take it back." document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()), Victoria Persinger Wiki, Biography, Age, Spouse, Net Worth, Fast Facts, Jeremy Hartwell Wiki, Biography, Age, Spouse, Net Worth, Fast Facts. 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