Shawn Rech’s ‘White Boy’ chronicles the compelling story of Richard “White Boy Rick” Wershe Jr., who used to work as an FBI informant in the 1980s. He was eventually arrested in 1987 for possession of cocaine but was sentenced to life in prison without parole under a law that was repealed later.
Full Answer
What happened to White Boy Rick?
Richard Wershe Jr., a former FBI and Detroit police informant known as \”White Boy Rick,\” hugs his mother Darlene McCormick after a press conference at the Penobscot Building, in Detroit, July 20, 2021, announcing a lawsuit against FBI agents and Detroit police for alleged child abuse.
How old was'White Boy Rick'when he was arrested?
Richard Wershe Jr., popularly known as "White Boy Rick," was 14-years-old when the FBI enlisted him as an informant. Richard Wershe Jr. was arrested in his home in 1988 with 17 pounds of cocaine. He was 17-years-old.
Was White Boy Rick groomed to be an FBI informant?
It's one of myriad milestones Wershe Jr. -- who the media and Hollywood christened "White Boy Rick" -- says he missed because the FBI and Detroit police groomed him to be a drug informant at age 14.
What was White Boy Rick's real name?
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Richard Wershe Jr. (born July 18, 1969), known as White Boy Rick, became a Federal Bureau of Investigation (F.B.I.) informant when he was 14 to 16 years old.
Who sued the FBI?
David Guralnick, The Detroit News. image caption. Richard Wershe Jr has sued the FBI one year after his release from prison. His exploits were fictionalised in a Hollywood movie, and now the true story of a one-time teenage FBI informant has a new twist. Richard Wershe Jr has filed a $100m (£73m) lawsuit against former FBI agents and prosecutors, ...
What is Richard Wershe Jr's lawsuit?
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.
Why did Wershe sue the FBI?
In the 10-page lawsuit, Wershe alleged he was initially contacted by federal agents after his father reached out to the FBI, saying his daughter was dating a known drug dealer.
Who is White Boy Rick?
Richard Wershe Jr., a former FBI and Detroit police informant known as "White Boy Rick," hugs his mother Darlene McCormick after a press conference at the Penobscot Building, in Detroit, July 20, 2021, announcing a lawsuit against FBI agents and Detroit police for alleged child abuse. Wershe spent 32 years in prison after a drug trafficking arrest ...
Why did Wershe go to jail?
Wershe said Tuesday he was used by the FBI agents and the Detroit police officers for information about drug gangs and left to serve out a long prison sentence for a 1988 drug conviction even when they had promised that they would help him out since he cooperated with them for information.
How long was Wershe in jail?
The press conference was the first time Wershe talked to reporters at length since being released from prison a year ago after serving 32 years and seven months behind bars.
Who is the defendant in the Detroit police case?
Former Detroit police officers William Jasper and Kevin Green and retired FBI agents Herman Groman and James Dixon are named as defendants in the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Detroit. The suit also names former federal prosecutors Lynn Helland, who is now the executive director and general counsel of the Michigan Judicial Tenure Commission, James King and a third listed as “unknown.” The city of Detroit is also named as a defendant.
When was Wershe released from prison?
Wershe was released from prison on July 20, 2020, after more than three decades behind bars. He was serving a life sentence on a drug conviction when he was sentenced at age 17 in a Wayne County courtroom in 1988.
How long was White Boy Rick in prison?
Richard Wershe Jr. (born July 18, 1969), known as White Boy Rick, became a Federal Bureau of Investigation (F.B.I.) informant when he was 14 to 16 years old. When he was 15, Wershe told the FBI that a major drug dealer had spoken ...
What network is White Boy on?
It began airing on the Starz network in 2019 and was picked up by Netflix in April 2021.
How old was Wershe when he was arrested?
At the age of 17 Wershe was arrested for possession of 8 kg of cocaine, and with no intervention from the FBI and U.S. Attorney to tell of him being an FBI informant at 14, he was sentenced to life imprisonment.
What did Wershe tell the FBI about the FBI?
When he was 15, Wershe told the FBI that a major drug dealer had spoken of paying a bribe to Detroit detective inspector and subsequent city council president and mayoral candidate Gil Hill in order to quash the investigation into a 13 year old boy's murder. At the age of 17 Wershe was arrested for possession of 8 kg of cocaine, ...
How old was Richard Wershe Jr. when he was in prison?
informant at age 14. Spending 27 years in prison for a drug offence committed when he was 17. 5 years imprisonment consecutive. Richard Wershe Jr. (born July 18, 1969), known as White Boy Rick, became a Federal Bureau of Investigation (F.B.I.) informant when he was 14 to 16 years old.
When was Gil Hill overturned?
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.
Was Gil Hill in prison?
He was sentenced to life in prison in Michigan under the state's 650-Lifer Law, a drug statute that penalized those found in possession of more than 650 grams (22.92 oz) of cocaine or heroin with life imprisonment without parole. 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. Publicity about the case in 2017, when 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). In 2019, his application was denied by the Florida clemency board.
When did White Boy Rick get parole?
White Boy Rick’s new fame changed his life. On July 14, 2017 , just a few days shy of his 48th birthday, he was finally granted parole.
Who is White Boy Rick's father?
White Boy Rick’s father, Richard Wershe Sr., wasn’t a man who lived entirely within the law. He raised his son and daughter alone in a Detroit slum overrun with crack addicts and gangsters. He made his living running scams and selling guns out of his own home. The FBI, though, wasn’t there to send him to prison.
Why was Wershe in jail?
Convicted murderers came and went while Wershe was behind bars for possession. “I told on the wrong people,” Wershe confessed.
How old was Wershe when he was thrown in jail?
At the age of 14 , the FBI taught Wershe how to deal drugs and planted him inside one of the city’s most dangerous gangs. But when Wershe uncovered a police corruption problem that ended with the mayor of Detroit, the men who trained him cut him loose. Then they had him thrown in prison for life.
How old was Richard Wershe when he was arrested?
Richard Wershe Jr. was arrested in his home in 1988 with 17 pounds of cocaine. He was 17-years-old . Reporters and the police broadcast the young, baby-face all over the news with headlines that called him the leader of a drug cartel. Wershe, the police claimed, was a dangerous cocaine godfather known to his underlings as “White Boy Rick”.
How old was Richard Wershe Jr. when he started looting people's homes?
Richard Wershe Sr. didn’t have any answers but his 14-year-old son, Richard Wershe Jr., knew every name. The 14-year-old wasn’t a drug dealer or a gangster. Though he wasn’t an angel — he already started looting people’s homes for cash — Wershe Jr. had never touched cocaine in his life.
What was the drug that White Boy Rick was caught with?
White Boy Rick was still a few days shy of his 18th birthday when the Detroit police broke down his front door. They caught him with 17 pounds of cocaine. The police took White Boy Rick right to the media. The baby-faced little white boy, the news said, wasn’t just a drug dealer. He was a kingpin.
Who is the white boy Rick?
White Boy Rick is a 2018 American crime drama film directed by Yann Demange and written by Andy Weiss, Logan Miller, and Noah Miller. The film stars Richie Merritt, Matthew McConaughey, Bel Powley, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Brian Tyree Henry, Rory Cochrane, RJ Cyler, Jonathan Majors, Eddie Marsan, Bruce Dern, and Piper Laurie. The film is loosely based on the story of Richard Wershe Jr., who in the 1980s became the youngest FBI informant ever at the age of 14.
How much did White Boy Rick gross?
In the United States and Canada, White Boy Rick was released alongside The Predator, A Simple Favor and Unbroken: Path to Redemption, and was projected to gross $5–9 million from 2,504 theaters in its opening weekend.
What happened to Rick Wershe?
In 1984, Rick Wershe is a struggling single father living in Detroit during the height of the crack epidemic and war on drugs. His dissatisfied daughter, Dawn, leaves their home, leaving Rick alone with his son, Ricky. Rick manufactures gun parts and sells guns illegally to make ends meet, and involves his son in the sale of a pair of silenced Egyptian Kalashnikov rifles with local gangster Johnny Curry. Ricky becomes good friends with Johnny's brother, Boo, which earns him the favor of Johnny and his crew. News of Rick's activity attracts the attention of the FBI and he is questioned by two agents, Alex Snyder and Frank Byrd, who see Ricky as a potential asset due to his connections with the criminal underworld. They convince Ricky to become an undercover informant behind Rick's back in exchange for money and immunity for his father. Ricky is asked to sell drugs to keep up appearances, becoming captivated by his extravagant new lifestyle, and eventually gains enough credibility as a "legitimate" drug supplier. Rick is suspicious of his son and confronts Ricky when he finds thousands of dollars in illicit cash underneath his bed, causing a rift between them. While Ricky is meeting with Dawn at a diner one evening, his grandfather's car is stolen, and the two shoot at the fleeing car. They are arrested but bailed out by Ricky's handlers, which arouses suspicion from Johnny.
How long was Ricky in prison?
Rick tears up and apologizes for not being able to give him an easy life like he wanted. The credits reveal that Ricky was imprisoned for over 30 years, holding the record for the longest prison term for a non-violent offender in the state of Michigan. He was finally released on parole in 2017.
What is the rating of White Boy Rick?
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 57% based on 155 reviews, with an average rating of 6.04/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Solid work from the cast - particularly a scene-stealing Matthew McConaughey - helps White Boy Rick make up for a number of missed opportunities in the script." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 59 out of 100, based on 35 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale, while PostTrak reported filmgoers gave it a 64% positive score and a 44% "definite recommend".
What happened to Ricky's handlers?
Ricky has Cathy help him out with a large shipment of drugs, the FBI raid the deal, and arrest everyone involved. Ricky is found guilty and is sentenced to life in prison.
What does Ricky learn about Johnny?
Ricky learns that the weapons used were the same AKs he had sold to Johnny. Devastated by his involvement in the murder of a child, he keeps a low profile and mends his relationship with his father. Johnny suspects Ricky is an informant and sends Nug to his house, who shoots him in the stomach.
What did White Boy Rick do?
That's how much the man known as "White Boy Rick" says the police and the FBI owe him for alleged child abuse, claiming the authorities pressured him into being a drug informant when he was just a teen, robbing him of a full life. Wershe, now 52, was 17 when he got a life sentence on a drug conviction in Wayne County.
Who played Wershe's father in White Boy Rick?
Wershe's conviction and life as an informant inspired the 2018 film "White Boy Rick," starring Matthew McConaughey and Richie Merritt, who played Wershe's father and Wershe, respectively. His attorney, Nabih Ayad, acknowledged that Detroit and others named in the lawsuit will likely argue that Wershe's constitutional claims are too old to bring ...
What did Wershe say about his reckless youth?
In his 10-page federal lawsuit, Wershe says that his reckless youth in the 1980s was tied to the pressures of pleasing local police and the FBI who used him as an informant and sent him into drug dens.
Who are the defendants in the Detroit v. Detroit case?
The lawsuit names as defendants: former Detroit police officers William Jasper and Kevin Green; retired FBI agents Herman Groman and James Dixon; former federal prosecutor Lynn Helland, and the city of Detroit.
Where is White Boy Rick now?
In Michigan history, Richard Wershe is the longest-serving non-violent juvenile offender. Serving 32 years behind bars, Richard was released in 2018. He is now living in Michigan as a free man.
How Much Money Does White Boy Rick Make?
On average White Boy Rick aka Richard Wershe Jr. makes around $100k annually.
How much is Richard Wershe Jr. worth?
In the crime world, he is mostly known as White Boy Rick. In fact, he started to work for the FBI when he was 14 years old. Rick has a net worth of $5 million approximately.
How many cars did Richard Wershe Jr. steal?
Richard claimed four stolen cars while he was in prison. He added that his sister has brokered his four stolen cars for about $6k. However, Richard Wershe Jr. was seen driving the BMW X5 after being released from prison.
How much cocaine was Richard Wershe worth?
Generally, one gram of cocaine in the US goes for $96. Hence, at the time of arrest, Wershe was bearing $864000 worth of cocaine. Though exact numbers haven’t been found out, it can be estimated that a vast part of Richard Wershe’s net worth came from drug dealing.
Why was Richard Wershe arrested?
In 1987, Richard Wershe Jr. was arrested due to his involvement with drug dealing. He was arrested with 9000 grams of cocaine and $30k in cash. Before that, he distributed 650 grams of cocaine.
When was Richard Wershe Jr. released from prison?
But he had to spend another 5 years in a Florida prison for a car-theft conviction of 2008. However, he was released from custody with well behavior credits on July 20, 2020.
