Before he went, he told both the police and the federal agency about him. "I know that the drugs I sold destroyed peoples lives," Wershe said in 2017. [7] Wershe's father was also an FBI informant and first reported to the police and the federal agency alongside him before going solo. 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. It didn't help that Rick's father would leave the kids alone to go out of town to do business.The reigning drug operation in Rick's East Side neighborhood was run by twin brothers Leo 'Big Man' Curry and Johnny 'Lil Man' Curry, who lived just across the I-94 from the Wershes. Despite this, he was relocated to Florida State Prison to serve another sentence for his involvement in a car theft ring. "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." He was just aware of what went on around him in his community, a streetwise kid, and the FBI was willing to pay to find out just how much he was aware of. He was born into an average family that lived in an area on the east side of Detroit. All the things I guess you expect after 32 years.". Eventually, this was mostly information about the Curry Brothers, including their role in the accidental April 1985 death of a 13-year-old boy in a drive-by shooting and intel on their organization's drug houses. 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. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. To put a 14-year-old boys life at risk wasnt exactly FBI protocol but White Boy Rick as Wershe then began to call himself was too useful to let go. Therefore, it was a crime convicted while he was still behind the bars. Her date of birth and other information related to her family and educational background is unknown. "Today was just it was, you know freedom," McDonald said. "My fingerprints weren't on the drugs. Young man, Richard Wershe, Jr., 14, begins dealing on the streets. On paper, they recorded White Boy Ricks tips under his fathers name. 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. A carjacker with a gun in his hand jumped into Wershe's car. The White Boy Rick true story reveals that, like in the movie, it happened when Johnny Curry was in jail awaiting trial. Wershe barely survived and left the hospital with a colostomy bag. White Boy Rick also has two daughters and six grandchildren. Source: Instagram. magazine.atavist.com. Under the law at that time, it was supposed to cost him the rest of his life, which is just ridiculous. His mom, Darlene, left Detroit's East Side and moved to the suburbs. "It was all about Rick. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. Starting at 14 years old, Richard worked as an informant for the FBI, passing on intelligence regarding multiple drug traffickers in the city of Detroit during the 1980s. He was 17 years old then, at the time. I wasnt doing all that well at the time. "Where did the drugs come from? Rick hadn't been spending time with Curry yet, but he knew who the operators were in the neighborhood. According to FBI Agent John Anthony, at that time, White Boy Rick was the single most productive informant the FBI had in Detroit. The 14-year-old wasnt a drug dealer or a gangster. Who is Keisha Wershe? [9][10][11][12] In 2019, his application was denied by the Florida clemency board. White Boy Rick is also a grandfather of six grandchildren. The FBI, though, wasnt there to send him to prison. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. Ive lost 30 years of my life, Wershe said during the parole meeting. Portrayed by Bruce Dern and Piper Laurie in the White Boy Rick movie, Roman and Verna Wershe did live across the street. He directly bought cocaine from a Miami-based supplier named Art Derrick. They were seen stepping out together but Wershe says that the relationship was tumultuous. Moreover, in one of the interviews with WXYZ, Michelle said that everything went as planned and that Richard was happy, healthy, excited, and emotional. He became a drug dealer. I was brought into this life by law enforcement, Richard Wershe Jr. reported to Vice, I was taught it, they left me alone, and a year later Im busted and put in jail for life.. According to both the real White Boy Rick and local drug czar Johnny Curry, homicide detective Gil Hill helped to cover up the murder of a 13-year-old boy named Damion Lucas, who was shot accidentally during a drive-by shooting that targeted the house of the boy's uncle, Leon Lucas. He was a kingpin. 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. All the things I guess you expect after 32 years.". It was at a time when the hysteria surrounding the War on Drugs in the U.S. was nearing its peak. I cant look back.. Source: pressinformant.com. Johnny Curry was history. AKA Richard Wershe Jr.'s daughter, Kiesha Wershe, is a well known drug supplier. He was a witness for the FBI when he was between 14 and 16 years old. + View More Here. 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. "I think everything went really well and he looks forward to everything that he has ahead of him.. Rick Wershe Jr Daughter Keisha Morris Photos And Names; . Thats why her height, weight, eye color, hair color, etc are unavailable on the internet till today. A close childhood friend of Rick's said that in the case of Rick's father, the almighty buck ranked above morals. When he was released from prison in Michigan in 2017, Wershe walked out of the prison and right into a prison transport van. (He's) happy, healthy and excited (and) emotional. 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. They were seen stepping out together but Wershe says that the relationship was tumultuous. During this period, he was earning about $30,000 a month. He did what the FBI taught him to do. (He's) happy, healthy and excited (and) emotional. Rick says they robbed somewhere around 20 homes together (not shown in the movie). 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. This part of the movie unfolds in almost exactly the same way.Richard Wershe Sr. was registered as the official FBI informant, but most of the intelligence was coming from his son. Both had worked for Chrysler for four decades. Hes energetic.". Yes. He essentially had two choices at the time, go back to school or hit the streets. An off-duty cop was in traffic nearby and pulled them over. In 2016, a notorious former Detroit hitman alleged Hill had once tried to commission the murder of Wershe. White Boy Rick was worse than a mass murderer. He was then transferred to a Florida prison because of a crime he committed while behind bars in Michigan. Dawn's heroin use is a major characteristic of her character in the film. It was wonderful. "He's no saint. Rick bought a house down the street and kept selling drugs, mainly crack cocaine. But the news made him bigger than he was because the police were out for blood. He looks great. The White Boy Rick true story confirms that some of these encounters did occur at the roller skating rink like in the movie. Later in 2020, he was awarded credits for proper conduct. Watch the full documentary here to learn the story of White Boy Rick., Related: White Boy Rick Wershe Jr. denied clemency in Florida. His information helped uncover one of the biggest corruption cases in police history. -White Boy Documentary. He raised his son and daughter alone in a Detroit slum overrun with crack addicts and gangsters. According to the White Boy documentary, he did go to stay with his mother for the eighth grade when he was 13, but he didn't get along with her new husband and he was still in contact with his dad. Wershe Jr. was a weight man, not a full-fledged kingpin. If you need help with the Public File, call (313) 222-0566. I go to pay for a meal, and someone recognizes me as White Boy Rick, and they say, I got this.. When he was 15, Wershe Jr. was shot in the stomach by one of Johnnys associates at the latter house. in early 1988 with the Detroit News Wershe said he and his son became informants after agents helped "get his daughter back Moreover, his father was also an FBI informant and first reported to the police and the federal agency alongside him before going also. -Detroit Free Press. 14:51 Richard Wershe Jr. is about to experience freedom for the first time in his adult life. "It's hell on wheels," Wershe said. informant at age 14. The name was instead given to him by reporters who covered his case. "They said, 'Listen, this is what we're going to do. (WXYZ) After serving 32 years and seven months, Richard "White Boy Rick" Wershe Jr., left Kissimmee, Florida with his head high. Further investigate the White Boy Rick true story by watching the Richard Wershe Jr. documentary below. F.B.I. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. 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. 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. Rick Wershe's Charity Food Drive - Summer 2018. The law enforcement to which hes referring are the FBI agents who came to his door for his father in 1984. On July 14, 2017, just a few days shy of his 48th birthday, he was finally granted parole. 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. Also, we have no information about his son and daughter. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Rick Wershe had already taken a bullet to the stomach from another Curry Gang member. Wikimedia CommonsColeman Young, the Detroit mayor who was allegedly involved in the police corruption scandal exposed by Rick Wershe Jr. White Boy Rick, though, was a little bit too good. Click On Detroit/WDIVRichard Wersher Jr. during his parole hearing. Did his involvement in helping the FBI expose corrupt cops and city officials lead to him being denied parole for 29 years? The FBI, in turn, began to train the young Wershe Jr. on how to be a gangster. During the screening of "White Boy Rick," the Hollywood adaptation of his father's life, back in 2018, he told the outlet that his dad was smarter and more caring than what the movie had portrayed. Wershe and his sister Dawn remained with their father, Richard Wershe Sr. (Matthew McConaughey in the movie) in the small brick house on Hampshire Street at Dickerson Avenue, seven miles from downtown. The youngest known informant in the history of the FBI, Wershe became a confidential informant when he was 14 to 16 years old. See All. More. 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. Home. Wershe Sr. had initially contacted the FBI to seek their help with his daughter, who, by then, had a severe drug problem. 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. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). He was an FBI informant when he was 14 to 16 years old. We have no more information about his spouse. 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. Inspector Hill and Mayor Young, though, would walk away free. Additionally, he has a white-collar job. All I can give you is my word. Wershe's son, Richard Williams who goes by simply Rich W is a University of Michigan graduate. Your source for Local information & breaking news across southeast Michigan plus 4Warn Weather providing you with accurate forecasts so you can plan your day. 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. He went as part of Curry's entourage, there to attend the Hearns vs. Hagler boxing match at Caesar's Palace (like in the film, they never got into the match). Dawn Wershe, Richard Wershe Jr.'s sister, sat in a row nearby. 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. He has stayed quiet for weeks, but that changed when he spoke to the Daily Mail about his past month as a free man. At age 17, White Boy was caught for possession of 8kg of cocaine and was sentenced to life in prison. Copyright 2023 ClickOnDetroit.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. 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. Pretty soon he uncovered a conspiracy that ran through the whole city. It was journalism that saved him. After his release, he went back to his long-term fiancee Michelle Macdonald whom he has. The same offense today would only carry a max sentence of three years in prison. After his release, he went back to his long-term fiancee Michelle Macdonald whom he has been dating since middle school. The FBI investigated Gil Hill's possible role in the cover up, but no charges were ever brought against Hill. Publicity about the case in 2017, by which time he had spent nearly three decades behind bars in Michigan as a nonviolent drug offender whose offense was committed when he was 17, led to him being paroled, but directly to US Marshals who took him to begin serving five years in Florida State Prison on a 2008 car theft ring conviction (crime committed behind bars). We have no more Information about his Father; we will try to collect information and update soon. He now has a recreational marijuana business called The 8th. Wershe, the police claimed, was a dangerous cocaine godfather known to his underlings as "White Boy Rick." "We were very overwhelmed," she had told WXYZ at the time. Wershe's life story was turned into a true-crime documentary called "White Boy" that was picked up by Netflix. At present, Wershe Jr. is kept at the Reception and Medical Center state prison in Lake Butler, Florida and is scheduled to be released in 2020. Caption: Keisha Wershes dad Richard and Michelle. However, lets hope Keisha might be living a happy life. 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. Keisha Wershe is known for being the girl of renowned street pharmacist Richard Wershe Jr. Richard Wershe Jr. is an American street pharmacist and a former witness for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Wershes were paid roughly $35,000 in informant fees, despite it being technically illegal to use a child as an informant. "We were portrayed in the film aslow-class dirt poorscuzz bags," she said. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. To them, he was too young to be an informant. Richard Wershe Sr. tried to get the FBI to help his son but they refused to say a word. "I don't know what other words to use, not the way it was.". The authorities were equally active. It contains clips from Richard Wershe Jr. interviews and photos from his time as an FBI informant and drug dealer. The FBI sent Wershe Jr. there with a fake id and $15,000 so he would continue to do his job as an informant. 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. We were ridin' around in Johnny's BMW. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. 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. Non-Violent offender of three years in prison without the possibility of richard wershe jr daughter keisha, despite being. Already taken a bullet to the stomach from another Curry Gang member old then, at the latter.. 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