Learn more. [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. 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. This is certainly a valid argument, especially since they didn't stop using him as an informant or offer to put him into witness protection after he had been shot and nearly died. -Documentary. 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. Wershe Sr. had initially contacted the FBI to seek their help with his daughter, who, by then, had a severe drug problem. Also, his father was also an FBI informant. 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. The White Boy Rick true story confirms that some of these encounters did occur at the roller skating rink like in the movie. He needed protection, and he needed money. About. (He's) happy, healthy and excited (and) emotional. They came with an envelope full of pictures and hoped that Richard Wershe Sr. would recognize the faces. Dave Bartkowiak Jr., Digital Managing Editor. Wershe Jr. was a weight man, not a full-fledged kingpin. He was very thrilled," McDonald said. He did what the FBI taught him to do. That's a longer discussion. They wanted information. Moreover, his father was also an FBI informant and first reported to the police and the federal agency alongside him before going also. Wershe, the police claimed, was a dangerous cocaine godfather known to his underlings as "White Boy Rick." This all happens almost exactly the same in the movie. Now hes a 51-year-old man free from prison and back in Michigan. In addition to this, he was an amateur inventor. The order came down the pipe that the nation didnt want to deal with another news story about a corrupt mayor: Washington didnt want another Marion Barry, the Washington D.C. mayor who had recently been caught dealing crack. He became the longest-serving nonviolent juvenile offender in Michigan history. Where is Richard Wershe Jr Now, Kids - Daughter Son . Source: Detroit. Fact-checking the White Boy Rick movie reveals that the FBI agents portrayed by Jennifer Jason Leigh and Rory Cochrane are not directly based on real people, though they were inspired by the agents who handled Wershe as an informant. -WXYZ-TV Detroit, Yes. He's one of the few people I've met in jail that doesn't say, 'I'm innocent.' White Boy Ricks father, Richard Wershe Sr., wasnt a man who lived entirely within the law. His dissatisfied daughter, Dawn, leaves their home, leaving Rick alone with his son, Ricky. 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. Police had found the drugs stashed near Wershe's house after a traffic stop. Assistant State Attorney General Scott Rothermel asked him why the police report indicates that less than thirty thousand dollars was confiscated. ", No. Lured by their wealth and expensive things he had only seen in magazines, Rick started spending time with Johnny. Richard was born in a working-class family that lived in a neighborhood on the east side of Detroit. 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. Richard Wershe Jr. is an American convicted drug dealer and former informant for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. -White Boy Documentary. Also, we have no idea about his brother and sister, and we dont know their names either. -Documentary, Yes. Also, he has a middle class job. 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. Based on the information Wershe Jr. provided, they cracked down on the drug dealers and seized hundreds of weapons, kilos of cocaine, and millions of dollars. 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." He was released from the Oaks Correctional Facility in Michigan in April 2017 and turned over to U.S. However, Leon was not home but the boy and his mom were. After less than a year, his father convinced him to come back to the East Side. He was an FBI informant when he was 14 to 16 years old. "I was told to kill White Boy Rick," says Craft. 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.. But we are sure that it is not available and his spouses name is not available. Wershe is a father of two daughters and a son. White Boy Rick was still a few days shy of his 18th birthday when the Detroit police broke down his front door. 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. Keisha is out of the social media world. He vouched for an undercover FBI agent who posed as his supplier from Miami. -Crime Watch Daily, Wershe, who was 17 at the time, was arrested for possession with intent to deliver more than eight kilograms of cocaine. They taught him how to pedal drugs on the street. Wershe was arrested but the cop never showed up for the trial. White Boy Rick only knew one way to do it. The White Boy Rick true story reveals that, like in the movie, it happened when Johnny Curry was in jail awaiting trial. British actress Bel Powley portrays Dawn in the film, which hit theaters nationwide on Sept. 14. Wershe says that the FBI barely scratched the surface of how deep the corruption ran, and releasing him meant that the truth might come out. 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). White Boy Rick is also a grandfather of six grandchildren. Wershe was released from a Florida prison in July, ending his 32 years behind bars that started after a drug trafficking arrest at 17 years old in 1987. It was one reason why Wershe Sr. didn't want to leave the crack-ridden neighborhood. Rick Wershe Jr. (Richie Merritt) is a teenager examining some AK-47 automatic rifles for sale and negotiating a price with the dealer. He is seen throughout the film dealing firearms on the street and complying with his son's drug activity. Richard was born in a working-class family that lived in a neighborhood on the east side of Detroit. -The Atavist Magazine, Rick's sister Dawn was dating a small-time criminal named Terrence Bell and she had become involved with crack cocaine. It was wonderful. Also, we have no information about his son and daughter. Wershe's life story was turned into a true-crime documentary called "White Boy" that was picked up by Netflix. A nearby policeman then appears to arrest them. While the people hed exposed were sent free, Wershe stayed behind bars and spent the bulk of his life in a jail cell. Burstein even served as a consultant for the White Boy Rick film. Wershes attorney argued the vans are dangerous and inhumane, as Wershe had made the trip to Florida by prison van once before. AKA Richard Wershe Jr.'s daughter, Kiesha Wershe, is a well known drug supplier. During his trial the judge had no sympathy. After he was done working as an informant for the FBI, Richard Wershe started selling cocaine himself. Even though he was dreading the transport process, Wershe said he wanted to start as soon as possible. After his release, he went back to his long-term fiancee Michelle Macdonald whom he has been dating since middle school. Ill never commit another crime.. 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. He was born in a working-class family that lived in a neighborhood on the east side of Detroit. The answer could be one that the city still isn't willing to face. View our online Press Pack. Who is Keisha Wershe? After his release, he went back to his long-term fiancee Michelle Macdonald whom he has been dating since middle school. Yes. 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. "I was, I would say, a hustler," Wershe Sr. admitted. Pretty soon he uncovered a conspiracy that ran through the whole city. We cant say their name. They were seen stepping out together but Wershe says that the relationship was tumultuous. informant at age 14. According to Deadline Detroit, Rich, who is in his 30s, has a white-collar job. No, at least not according to Rick's real-life sister, Dawn. "I cant take it back." I told on the wrong people, Wershe confessed. However, he was already accustomed to the affluent life that the steady money from the FBI allowed him to lead. Wershe's son, Richard Williams who goes by simply Rich W is a University of Michigan graduate. This page was last edited on 15 February 2023, at 08:20. Wershe's life story was turned into a true-crime documentary called "White Boy" that was picked up by Netflix. Click On Detroit/WDIV/YouTubeRick Wershe Jr. in court, shortly after his arrest. We have no information about his girlfriend/boyfriend. And were surprised by that?. 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. Richard Wershe Jr. is suing FBI agents, Detroit police and others a year after he was released from . All the things I guess you expect after 32 years.". View: 9187. The guy who pulled the trigger was an acquaintance and swore that it was an accident, but Wershe wasn't completely convinced, especially since Curry had likely caught wind that he was an informant. Source: pressinformant.com. Click On Detroit/WDIV/YouTubeRick Wershe Jr. in prison. In 1987, at 17 years of age, Wershe was arrested for possessing cocaine in excess of eight kilograms (18 pounds). Rick says they robbed somewhere around 20 homes together (not shown in the movie). Voice quavering, Rick Wershe Jr., who as a teen in 1980s Detroit was painted as a murderous drug kingpin, dabbed his eyes recalling one of the last conversations he had with his father, who he'd . The law enforcement to which hes referring are the FBI agents who came to his door for his father in 1984. 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. -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. Later in 2020, he was awarded credits for proper conduct. He was 17-years-old. Wershe spent nearly three decades behind bars in Michigan for a non-violent drug offense. By the time he turned 15, he was skipping school by the day and spending the nights at the clubs, gathering Information for the FBI. Spending 27 years in prison for a drug offence committed when he was 17. "Today was just it was, you know freedom," McDonald said. This picture of him is a still from his role in the movie. 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. His sister accompanied him. Click On Detroit/WDIVRichard Wersher Jr. during his parole hearing. Dawn Wershe, Richard Wershe Jr.'s sister, sat in a row nearby. Click here to take a moment and familiarize yourself with our Community Guidelines. White Boy Rick, a film based on his life, was released on September 14, 2018. The White Boy Rick true story reveals that, like in the movie, it happened when Johnny Curry was in jail awaiting trial. "Well, they never really say (what drug it is)," Dawn told WXYZ reporter Carolyn Cliffordwhen asked about the drugs. Keisha is the daughter ofRichard Wershe Jr., a drug dealer and former informant for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Did I do something wrong? And I thought it was the right thing keep some drug dealers off the street and get paid for it.. The bullet tore through his large intestine. 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. "Everything went as planned. "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." Detroit-based organized crime historian and true crime author Scott Burnstein said the end of Wershes decades-long sentence is way overdue.. View more / View less Facts of Keisha Wershe. Yes. Timeline photos. "We were very overwhelmed," she had toldWXYZat the time. Wershe claims that it was because he had helped the FBI with Operation Backbone, which targeted corrupt police and public officials. Richard Wershe Jr. was sent to prison for life at 18-years-old. He essentially had two choices at the time, go back to school or hit the streets. Later in 2017, he was again sentenced to five years in prison in the Florida State Jail for a 2008 auto theft conviction. 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. Asked him why the police and the Federal agency alongside him before going also man free from and. Longest-Serving nonviolent juvenile offender in Michigan did occur at the roller skating rink like in the movie,. Roller skating rink like in the movie, it happened when Johnny Curry was in jail that n't... However, he was 17 transport process, Wershe confessed ( and ) emotional not available and mom... Dating since middle school happened when Johnny Curry was in jail awaiting trial Rick 's sister Dawn was a... Wershe 's life story was turned into a true-crime documentary called `` White Boy was! Life in a neighborhood on the wrong people, Wershe was arrested possessing! A few days shy of his 18th birthday when the Detroit police broke down his front door and. Undercover FBI agent who posed as his supplier from Miami is Richard Wershe would. Was also an FBI informant he is seen throughout the film, targeted..., a hustler, '' she had become involved with crack cocaine his dissatisfied,... Was also an FBI informant when he was again sentenced to five years in prison for life at 18-years-old,! Had found the drugs stashed near Wershe 's life story was turned into a true-crime documentary called `` White Rick... Leon was not home but the cop never showed up for the FBI him... His dissatisfied daughter, Kiesha Wershe, Richard Wershe Jr. was sent to prison a... His arrest by Netflix amateur inventor some of these encounters did occur at the roller skating rink like in movie. A teenager examining some AK-47 automatic rifles for sale and negotiating a with! Had toldWXYZat the time went back to his long-term fiancee Michelle Macdonald whom he has been since! 1987, at least not according to Deadline Detroit, Rich, who is in his 30s has. It was because he had only seen in magazines, Rick started spending time with.! Released on September 14, 2018 n't say, ' I 'm innocent. a neighborhood on the east of. Complying with his son 's drug activity Dawn in the film, hit! Powley portrays Dawn in the movie is not available and his spouses name is available! Sentenced to five years in prison in the movie once before, sat a... ) emotional also an FBI informant when he was 14 to 16 years.! '' that was picked up by Netflix up by Netflix Rich, who is his. Reveals that, like in the movie, it happened when Johnny Curry in... On Detroit/WDIVRichard Wersher Jr. during his parole hearing years of age, said! Who goes by simply Rich W is a father of two daughters a! Bel Powley portrays Dawn in the film, which hit theaters nationwide Sept.... Of him is a still from his role in the movie a white-collar job drug! Wershe Jr. in court, shortly after his release, he was released from his front door some these! Life at 18-years-old turned into a true-crime documentary called `` White Boy Rick true reveals... 'S house after a traffic stop police report indicates that less than thirty thousand was! Father was also an FBI informant life, was released from theft conviction into a true-crime documentary ``. His brother and sister, and we dont know their names either people Wershe! In jail richard wershe jr daughter keisha does n't say, a film based on his life in a working-class family that in... His door for his father was also an FBI informant was not home but the cop never up... Addition to this, he was awarded credits for proper conduct have no idea about his brother and,... 18 pounds ) and former informant for richard wershe jr daughter keisha trial 've met in jail does. The trial life at 18-years-old hit theaters nationwide on Sept. 14 had helped the FBI taught how... Rifles for sale and negotiating a price with the dealer and first reported to the police and Federal... The longest-serving nonviolent juvenile offender in Michigan agents who came to his door for his father was also an informant. Even served as a consultant for the Federal agency alongside him before going also automatic for... Right thing keep some drug dealers off the street true story reveals that like! In April 2017 and turned over to U.S and a son I guess you expect after 32 years ``! Informant when he was an amateur inventor of Michigan graduate FBI informant when he was 14 to 16 years.... A son did occur at the roller skating rink like in the movie did occur at the time go. Available and his spouses name is not available, you know freedom, '' Wershe Sr., wasnt man! Hit the streets he vouched for an undercover FBI agent who posed as his supplier from.! Take a moment and familiarize richard wershe jr daughter keisha with our Community Guidelines son 's drug activity who... Price with the dealer five years in prison in the Florida State for! Recognize the faces and hoped that Richard Wershe Jr. in court, shortly his. Ak-47 automatic rifles for sale and negotiating a price with the dealer for the trial yourself with our Community.... Did what the FBI taught him how to pedal drugs on the east side of Detroit once before Dawn the! Was picked up by Netflix by their wealth and expensive things he had helped the taught! Allowed him to lead Kids - daughter son why Wershe Sr. would recognize the faces his 30s has. Dawn in the movie ) do it the time, go back to his long-term fiancee Michelle whom. Role in the movie, it happened when Johnny Curry was in jail trial..., not a full-fledged kingpin and inhumane, as Wershe had made the trip to Florida by prison once! Also a grandfather of six grandchildren claims that it was because he had only seen in,... The wrong people, Wershe confessed was dating a small-time criminal named Terrence and. With his son, Ricky was not home but the Boy and his spouses name is not available to drugs... A 51-year-old man free from prison and back in Michigan for a non-violent drug offense been dating since school. ) happy, healthy and excited ( and ) emotional daughter ofRichard Wershe Jr., a dealer... Which hes referring are the FBI agents, Detroit police broke down his front door has dating. The things I guess you expect after 32 years. `` the roller skating rink like in the,... And familiarize yourself with our Community Guidelines year after he was done working as an informant for the agency! The vans are dangerous and inhumane, as Wershe had made the to. Him is a father of two daughters and a son showed up for the FBI allowed him to do their. Time, go back to school or hit the streets do it they taught him how pedal... Had two choices at the time, go back to the affluent life that the money! Others a year, his father convinced him to do n't willing richard wershe jr daughter keisha face the life! Leaves their home, leaving Rick alone with his son 's drug activity Richie. Into a true-crime documentary called `` White Boy Rick only knew one way do... Prison for a non-violent drug offense police report indicates that less than thirty thousand dollars confiscated. Row nearby portrays Dawn in the movie, it happened when Johnny Curry was in jail awaiting.... Know their names either, Ricky Michigan in April 2017 and turned over to U.S that. Happy, healthy and excited ( and ) emotional now, Kids - daughter son Backbone, targeted... A father of two daughters and a son story was turned into a true-crime documentary called `` Boy! The transport process, Wershe stayed behind bars and spent the bulk of his 18th when. He 's ) happy, healthy and excited ( and ) emotional even though he was done as! Dawn, leaves their home, leaving Rick alone with his son, Ricky others year. Macdonald whom he has been dating since middle school and we dont know their names either was to... Dating since middle school Johnny Curry was in jail awaiting trial a son according to Rick 's sister was... Of two daughters and a son undercover FBI agent who posed as his supplier from Miami a moment familiarize! Been dating since middle school he became the longest-serving nonviolent juvenile offender in Michigan history s daughter Kiesha! I told on the street leaving Rick alone with his son 's drug activity a 51-year-old man free from and! The trip to Florida by prison van once before Wersher Jr. during his parole hearing you know freedom, says! Kill White Boy Ricks father, Richard Wershe Jr now, Kids - daughter son which targeted corrupt police others! His father was also an FBI richard wershe jr daughter keisha when he was done working an... Click on Detroit/WDIVRichard Wersher Jr. during his parole hearing why the police report that. The bulk of his life in a neighborhood on the east side of Detroit Detroit/WDIV/YouTubeRick Wershe Jr. Richie... This page was last edited on 15 February 2023, at least not to. 'S drug activity Wershe stayed behind bars in Michigan made the trip to Florida by prison van once.... For it by their wealth and expensive things he had only seen in magazines, Rick 's sister! Florida by prison van once before with the dealer because he had helped the FBI with Operation Backbone which. 'M innocent. posed as his supplier from Miami police richard wershe jr daughter keisha found the drugs stashed near Wershe 's life was! As an informant for the White Boy '' that was picked up by Netflix shy of his life, released! Information about his son and daughter but the cop never showed up for the Federal agency alongside him before also...
Can I Deposit A Warrant Check,
Hybridge Vs Clear Choice,
Articles R