His wife, Cathy Volsan (Mayor Coleman Young's niece), 24, began having an affair with Wershe, then 17. See All. The explanation could be for welfare or safety reasons. He looks great. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. 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. Author Free Richard Wershe Jr Rick has 3 children. Wershe pleaded guilty in 2006 to being involved in a car theft ring. The White Boy Rick true story reveals that, like in the movie, it happened when Johnny Curry was in jail awaiting trial. Richard Wershe Sr. didnt have any answers but his 14-year-old son, Richard Wershe Jr., knew every name. When the FBI carried out Operation Backbone, an elaborate sting operation targeting public corruption in Detroit, Richard Wershe Jr. assisted them. He also sold illegal guns. And his father had sold some of them guns. "I never set out to make Rick look like a bigger drug dealer than he was," says investigative journalist Chris Hansen, who helped popularize the White Boy Rick persona. The former FBI informant at age 14, now starts his life over as an adult. Johnny and other members of his organisation each served 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to several charges. Ever since he was released, Richard Jr has been an advocate for prison reform and works with Team Wellness to help ex-convicts. Spending 27 years in prison for a drug offence committed when he was 17. He was an FBI informant when he was 14 to 16 years old. They were relics of a time when Detroit was booming. The more time he spent with Boo, the more encounters he had with Boo's older brothers, including Johnny Curry. 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. Wershe is a father of two daughters and a son. In 1984, Rick Wershe is a struggling single father living in Detroit during the height of the crack epidemic and war on drugs. White Boy Rick also has two daughters and six grandchildren. -Documentary. Police had found the drugs stashed near Wershe's house after a traffic stop. Wershe is a father of two daughters and a son. Absolutely. 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). Dawn goes on to say that her family was never consulted for the film, but McConaughey did visit with Wershe Jr. at Oaks Correctional Facility in Manistee in March 2017 for more than 4 hours to prepare for the role. His attorney, Ralph. He now has a recreational marijuana business called The 8th. -Crime Watch Daily, No. -The Atavist Magazine, This happened when Wershe was 14, well before he could drive legally. "Everything went as planned. Agent Gregg Schwarz would later admit: We brought him into the drug world. He was forced to find a way to navigate the streets and make ends meet without the FBIs protection, which wasnt easy. He was paroled in 2017 after more than 30 years in prison but was immediately sent to a Florida prison to begin serving a 3-year, 8-month sentence related to a car theft. All the things I guess you expect after 32 years.". Assistant State Attorney General Scott Rothermel asked him why the police report indicates that less than thirty thousand dollars was confiscated. [7] When Wershe was 16 the FBI, having secured 20 convictions through his infiltration of a violent drug gang, ceased to employ him as an informant. The White Boy Rick true story reveals that, like in the movie, it happened when Johnny Curry was in jail awaiting trial. 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. 7 facts about the 14-year-old FBI informant", "White Boy Rick's Parole Hearing and Drug War Lessons Unlearned", "Here's Where White Boy Rick Is Now, Years After His FBI Involvement", Rick Wershe Jr. released from prison after more than 30 years, "Former informant 'White Boy Rick' sues FBI for $100m", "See Matthew McConaughey fail tragically as a dad in exclusive 'White Boy Rick' trailer", "Eminem Set to Play White Boy Rick in Starz's 'Black Mafia Family', https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Richard_Wershe_Jr.&oldid=1139467193. A member of Johnny Curry's crew shot Wershe in the stomach with a .357 when Wershe was 15. The parole board was well-aware of the Matthew McConaughey movie, which had been filming in Las Vegas the night before the hearing. Hed even taken his girlfriend, Cathy Volsan, the mayors niece. 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. It was one reason why Wershe Sr. didn't want to leave the crack-ridden neighborhood. Wershe was arrested but the cop never showed up for the trial. His wife, Cathy Volsan (Mayor Coleman Young's niece), 24, began having an affair with Wershe, then 17. No. Where is Richard Wershe Jr Now, Kids - Daughter Son . 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. After learning about White Boy RIck, find out about the unjust convictions of Richard Glossip and of Lawrence McKinney, who was given $75 to make up for 31 years of wrongful imprisonment. White Boy Rick is another name for Richard Wershe. After he was done working as an informant for the FBI, Richard Wershe started selling cocaine himself. However, Wershe feels that his punishment grossly exceeded his crime, as do many others. Timeline photos. He's one of the few people I've met in jail that doesn't say, 'I'm innocent.' The FBI investigated Gil Hill's possible role in the cover up, but no charges were ever brought against Hill. Reporters and the police broadcasted the teenager all over the news with headlines that called him the leader of a drug cartel. The remark was made when White Boy Rick appeared in court for possessing multiple kilos of cocaine. . But we are sure that it is not available and his spouses name is not available. They were seen stepping out together but Wershe says that the relationship was tumultuous. Jul 18, 2017. 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." -The New YorkerHowever, Wershe maintains that they weren't his drugs and that the corrupt cops planted them there. Convicted murderers came and went while Wershe was behind bars for possession. -WXYZ-TV Detroit, Yes. During his trial the judge had no sympathy. They wanted information. Click On Detroit/WDIV/YouTubeRick Wershe Jr. in prison. Wershe barely survived and left the hospital with a colostomy bag. Further investigate the White Boy Rick true story by watching the Richard Wershe Jr. documentary below. "They said, 'Listen, this is what we're going to do. He is working to enjoy the life he never had due to his conviction as a teenager, but hes still wondering why he had to spend so much time in prison. If you know some information, please comment below. At that time, this personality was just 17 years old. ", No. However, by then, Darlene had remarried and Wershe Jr. was not fond of his stepfather. Rick Wershe had already taken a bullet to the stomach from another Curry Gang member. "Rick refused, so my dad took the money and threw my ex-husband and Rick out." "Were there some exaggerations? But where is the equity in a system that puts non-violent criminals away while killers walk free?, Read more: White Boy Rick Wershe Jr. to return to Metro Detroit after release. She eventually remarried. 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. Keisha is out of the social media world. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. The Estimated Net worth is $80K USD $85k. 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. -White Boy Documentary, Yes. 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). Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Detroit-based organized crime historian and true crime author Scott Burnstein said the end of Wershes decades-long sentence is way overdue.. He was making more money than most adults he knew. 9 items. 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 the people hed exposed were sent free, Wershe stayed behind bars and spent the bulk of his life in a jail cell. Rick went out in mink coats wrapped up with a belt made of solid gold and a diamond-encrusted Rolex on his wrist. It took 30 years for Richard Wershe Jr. to win his freedom. 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. Soon after, he became an informant for the FBI. The White Boy Rick true story confirms that some of these encounters did occur at the roller skating rink like in the movie. The same offense today would only carry a max sentence of three years in prison. White Boy Rick only knew one way to do it. His dissatisfied daughter, Dawn, leaves their home, leaving Rick alone with his son, Ricky. Rick started hanging out with their younger brother, Rudell "Boo" Curry, who shared Rick's interest in cars, motorcycles and girls. On the one-year anniversary of his release from prison after 32 years, Richard Wershe Jr. filed a lawsuit Tuesday accusing former FBI agents, ex-Detroit police officers and former federal. When he followed up with the FBI, Hughes found out that Wershe was telling the truth. F.B.I. McConaughey plays their father, Richard Wershe Sr., who raised his kids on the east side of Detroit. He has a sister, Dawn, who is about three years older than him. Through him, he gained access to the Curry brothers and their lavish lifestyle. Dawn says that when her dad discovered Rick had $50,000 in drug money, he wanted Rick out of the drug business. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. As Richard Wershe Sr. put it: I took the money. He went above and beyond what the FBI asked him to do. Though Rick didnt know it, there was a price on his head. When he was 15, Wershe Jr. was shot in the stomach by one of Johnnys associates at the latter house. But, there is no confirmation as nothing about her personal as well as professional life is known. Wershe was released from a Florida prison in July, ending his 32 years. Young, as well as the allegation about Young's political ally Hill. White Boy Ricks father, Richard Wershe Sr., wasnt a man who lived entirely within the law. Wershe Sr. had initially contacted the FBI to seek their help with his daughter, who, by then, had a severe drug problem. "I cant take it back." Therefore, she has stayed away from the public and has made a low-key lifestyle. Wershe's son, Richard Williams who goes by simply Rich W is a University of Michigan graduate. The 1980s witnessed Americas war on drugs combating a new enemy, crack cocaine. April 2, 2021 'White Boy' is a true-crime documentary that looks into the life of Richard "White Boy Rick" Wershe Jr. His connection with the Curry family immensely helped him in his pursuit to gather more and more information on the drug activities in his neighbourhood and the city at large. Photos. Thats because White Boy Rick wasnt a drug lord he was an FBI informant. Richard was sentenced to life in prison in Michigan under the states 650-Lifer Law. Marshals. 349 5 shares Like Most relevant Ashley Hissong How many kids does he have 4y Most Relevant is selected, so some replies may have been filtered out. This all happens almost exactly the same in the movie. The siblings were raised by their father with the help of his own parents who lived across the street from them. On paper, they recorded White Boy Ricks tips under his fathers name. She shared with 7 Action News by phone what that moment meant to them. It contains clips from Richard Wershe Jr. interviews and photos from his time as an FBI informant and drug dealer. They are mostly portrayed as aloof and out-of-touch by Bruce Dern and Piper Laurie, despite living across the street from Richard Wershe and his kids. Instead of helping him, they made sure he was sent away for life. White Boy Rick is also a grandfather of six grandchildren. I can tell you this, I have more peace in my life now than Ive ever had, he told the Daily Mail. "I was, I would say, a hustler," Wershe Sr. admitted. He notices that the gun has details consistent with Egyptian-made AK-47s, unlike the Russian-made ones the dealer claims he's selling. "I know that the drugs I sold destroyed peoples lives," Wershe said in 2017. Al Profit/YouTubeNate Boone Craft, the convicted hitman who claims he was hired to kill Rick Wershe Jr. 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. Caption: Keisha Wershes dad Richard and Michelle. Is it peculiar that he gets released same year that we're makin' a movie that shines a little spotlight on him? AKA Richard Wershe Jr.'s daughter, Kiesha Wershe, is a well known drug supplier. -Documentary, Yes. We have no more Information about his Father; we will try to collect information and update soon. He has three children, including a son named Richard Williams. "My son became sick on power, the excitement, the prestige, the money, and the glamour of selling. Wershe Jr. grew up in a lower middle-class household in East Side of Detroit. The guy's girlfriend came home and called 911 when she saw Wershe writhing on the floor. 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. In the 2018 film White Boy Rick, American actor Richie Merritt portrayed Wershe Jr. https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/richard-wershe-jr--43526.php. 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP, Richard Wershe Jr is a dad of three children and a granddad to six grandchildren, White Boy Rick was released from prison in July 2020, after serving 32 years, McDonald's worker slammed after serving 'half-eaten' burgers and 'ruining' food with too much sauce in TikTok video. "Everything went as planned. Dave Bartkowiak Jr., Digital Managing Editor. They controlled the drug operations in Wershe Jr.s neighbourhood in Detroits East Side. 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. In 2017, justice campaigners publicized Wershe's case and he was subsequently paroled, but directly to a prison in Florida to serve another five years for an auto theft conviction from 2008. Additionally, he has a white-collar job. Richard was born in a working-class family that lived in a neighborhood on the east side of Detroit. 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. He had an affair with Johnnys wife, Cathy Volsan, who was an influential figure in Detroit at the time, being the niece of Mayor Coleman Young. He was a witness for the FBI when he was between 14 and 16 years old. This page was last edited on 15 February 2023, at 08:20. There is no information about Keishas relationship history. Thats why her height, weight, eye color, hair color, etc are unavailable on the internet till today. Other than that offense, he has been described as a model prisoner. 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. Johnny Curry was history. "I was on one for a week, and it's the most traumatic part of almost 30 years in prison.". He added that Wershe's dad, Richard Wershe Sr., who was played by Matthew McConaughey, was portrayed too positively, almost heroic at times. He has stayed quiet for weeks, but that changed when he spoke to the Daily Mail about his past month as a free man. The biggest confiscation occurred on East Side, where the Curry brothers were in charge. Wershe spent nearly three decades behind bars in Michigan for a non-violent drug offense. According to FBI Agent John Anthony, at that time, White Boy Rick was the single most productive informant the FBI had in Detroit. Keishas face is not yet revealed to the world. After spending 32 years incarcerated, Wershe was released from prison in Florida, on July 20, 2020 having completed his sentence with credits for good behavior. 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.". Even though he was dreading the transport process, Wershe said he wanted to start as soon as possible. If you need help with the Public File, call (313) 222-0566. Wershe is a father of two daughters and a son. Your source for Local information & breaking news across southeast Michigan plus 4Warn Weather providing you with accurate forecasts so you can plan your day. In July 2021, Wershe sued the FBI, saying in the lawsuit that: "Had I not been an informant for the task force, I would never have gotten involved with drug gangs or criminality of any sort", and that the FBI's actions amounted to child abuse. 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. If you don't take this plea, we are going to arrest your mom and your sister,'" Wershe said. He was 17-years-old. Keisha Wershe is known as the daughter of the famous drug dealer, Richard Wershe Jr. I don't agree I committed the crime that I was convicted of.". -The Atavist, According to former hitman Nathaniel Craft, he says that he was hired by homicide detective Gil Hill to take out Richard Wershe Jr. so that Wershe couldn't confess to what he knew about corruption in the police department, including the cover up of Damion Lucas' murder. 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. Fathers name is Not Available. The mothers name is Not Available. The true crime author believes that Wershe was jailed for an unjust length of time, especially considering the fact that he was groomed by the government at such an early age. However, he wasn't a drug kingpin by any stretch, as trailers for the movie label him. The bullet tore through his large intestine. "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 FBI, in turn, began to train the young Wershe Jr. on how to be a gangster. When he was 14 to 16 years old, he worked as an FBI informant. He chose the latter and became a drug dealer. He also bought and sold firearms, selling guns illegally on the black market, often out of his house. Richard Wershe is also called White Boy Rick. Wershe Jr. first became acquainted with Rudell "Boo" Curry, the younger brother of Leo and Johnny. Lured by their wealth and expensive things he had only seen in magazines, Rick started spending time with Johnny. He left his keys in the ignition and went in to buy a soda. "I don't know what other words to use, not the way it was.". Rick says they robbed somewhere around 20 homes together (not shown in the movie). In Detroit in the 80s, everyone knew when White Boy Rick was around. -Detroit Free Press. While his father did not recognize them, Wershe Jr. did. After the collapse of the Curry brothers criminal empire, the FBI was done with Wershe Jr. as well. 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 32 years in detention, he is back with his long-term fiance Michelle MacDonald, whom he has been dating since high school. I became addicted to the women. 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. 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 the 1980s and was ultimately arrested for drug-trafficking and sentenced to life in prison. When federal agents raided Cathy's townhouse on a Friday afternoon in June 1987, they found Wershe there in bed with her. An off-duty cop was in traffic nearby and pulled them over. So the FBI left Richard Wershe Jr. to fend for himself. "We were very overwhelmed," she had told WXYZ at the time. However, after Wershe Jr. became an FBI informant, money began to flow in as they paid him for information. Wershe spent nearly three decades behind bars in Michigan for a non-violent drug offense. In the summer of 1984, FBI agents came to their house and started showing pictures of the Curry brothers and their associates. Wershe's days as a major drug dealer lasted only about a year before he was arrested. We have no more information about his spouse. 'Rick refused so my dad took the money and threw my ex-husband and Rick out of the house,' Scott said. [7], The name "White Boy Rick" was not a street name that Wershe used himself, nor was it one he was ever called by those with whom he associated. We have no more Information about his Father; we will try to collect information and update soon. British actress Bel Powley portrays Dawn in the film, which hit theaters nationwide on Sept. 14. But the news made him bigger than he was because the police were out for blood. A film based on his life titled White Boy Rick was released Sept. 14, 2018. 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. Rick befriended Bell, who lured him into the world of petty crime. He had allegedly hid them in a box under a nearby porch. I go to pay for a meal, and someone recognizes me as White Boy Rick, and they say, I got this.. His information helped uncover one of the biggest corruption cases in police history. Hollywood went to work making a film version of White Boy Ricks life, while an HBO documentary crew moved into the prison to film a tell-all about his story. He was locked up at the age of 17, to originally serve a life sentence under a law since ruled unconstitutional. (He's) happy, healthy and excited (and) emotional. -White Boy Documentary, With local drug lord Johnny Curry behind bars, it is believed that Wershe, then 17, was bringing in about $30,000 a month. White Boy Rick was arrested in 1987 for possessing cocaine in excess of eight kilograms and sentenced to life in prison. 4 4y View 3 more replies Shonda Fisher Nisley Free Richard Wershe Jr Rick S Daughter And Oldest Grandson Facebook He was arrested of a drug crime and spent 32 years in prison.. Advertisement Kiesha Wershe is the daughter of the famous. RELATED: Richard 'White Boy Rick' Wershe officially free after more than 32 years. [13], On July 20, 2020, Wershe was released from custody in Florida, having completed his sentence with credits for good behavior.[14]. Campaigners for Wershe have suggested to reporters that the length of his incarceration may have been connected to him having provided the FBI with information leading to the arrest of family members and associates of former Detroit mayor Coleman A. I cant look back.. Despite this, he was relocated to Florida State Prison to serve another sentence for his involvement in a car theft ring. The real White Boy Rick did conspire with major players in the local Detroit drug trade. He says that he was working with his sister from prison to secure a car for his mom. Wershe didn't have a drug gang, he didn't have crack houses, he didn't control any parts of the city, and there's no evidence that he ever killed anyone or ordered anyone to be killed. While he was in prison, Wershe introduced his sister, Dawn, to a car salesman. All I can give you is my word. He essentially goes by Rich W and is a graduate of the University of Michigan. DETROIT -"White Boy Rick" has hit the big screen. But according to Dawn, just about all of the family dynamics portrayed in the movie are wrong.
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