Richard Wershe Jr.
Richard Wershe Jr. (born July 18, 1969),[2] also known as White Boy Rick, is the youngest known Federal Bureau of Investigation (F.B.I.) informant ever, having worked with the bureau at only age 14.[3]
Richard Wershe Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Born | Richard John Wershe Jr.[1] July 18, 1969 |
| Known for | Youngest F.B.I. informant in history at age 14 |
| Criminal charge(s) | Possession of cocaine in excess of eight kg
Racketeering Racketeering (Conspiracy to Commit) |
| Criminal penalty | Life in prison 5 years for racketeering |
| Criminal status | Paroled (2017)
Imprisoned (2017) Scheduled Release Date: July 20th, 2020. |
Life
Wershe and his lower middle-class family lived in a neighborhood on the east side of Detroit about seven miles from downtown. They lived there during a period in the late 1980s and 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.[4] Wershe's father was also an FBI informant and first reported to the police and the federal agency alongside him before going solo.[4]
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. The name was instead given to him by reporters who covered his case.[4] When Wershe was 16, the FBI no longer needed him, so he began selling cocaine himself without the FBI's knowledge.
In 1987 Wershe was arrested for possessing cocaine in excess of eight kilograms (17.6 pounds).[5] 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.[6] Wershe earned parole in 2017 after nearly 30 years in prison.[7] He was released from the Oaks Correctional Facility in Michigan in April 2017 and turned over to U.S. Marshals.
Wershe is being housed at TTH Kissimee FL[1] after spending nearly three decades behind bars in Michigan as a nonviolent drug offender. He was housed at Florida State Prison after pleading guilty to being involved in a car theft ring. Wershe says he pleaded guilty to protect his mother and sister.[8] In 2019, his application for an early release was denied by the Florida clemency board.[9]
Film
A film based on his life, titled White Boy Rick, was released in September 14, 2018.[3][10] The documentary chronicling the case of Richard Wershe Jr., White Boy, won the 2017 FREEP Film Festival Audience Choice Award. It was released in 2017 and began airing on the Starz network in 2019.
References
- "Inmate Population Information Detail". Florida Department of Corrections. Retrieved 12 June 2018.
- "BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION". Michigan Department of Corrections. Retrieved June 12, 2018.
- Kroll, Justin (March 3, 2017). "Newcomer Richie Merritt Lands Title Role in 'White Boy Rick' Opposite Matthew McConaughey". Variety.
- Daalder, Marc (September 5, 2018). "Who is White Boy Rick? 7 facts about the 14-year-old FBI informant". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 2019-05-12.
- Hughes, Evan (June 27, 2017). "White Boy Rick's Parole Hearing and Drug War Lessons Unlearned". The New Yorker.
- Tenreyro, Tatiana (September 14, 2018). "Here's Where White Boy Rick Is Now, Years After His FBI Involvement". Bustle. Retrieved 2019-05-12.
- Dietz, Kevin; Bartkowiak, Dave Jr; Hutchinson, Derick (July 15, 2017). "'White Boy' Rick Wershe is granted parole in Michigan after nearly 30 years in prison". ClickOnDetroit.
- Bartkowiak Jr, Dave; Dietz, Kevin (September 20, 2017). "'White Boy' Rick Wershe is now housed at Florida state prison". WDIV-TV. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
- Hicks, Mark; Rahal, Sarah (April 11, 2019). "'White Boy Rick' denied early release in Florida". Detroit News. Retrieved 2019-05-12.
- Alexander, Bryan (June 4, 2018). "See Matthew McConaughey fail tragically as a dad in exclusive 'White Boy Rick' trailer". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2018-06-12.