White Boy Rick, a film based on his life, was released on September 14, 2018. I go to pay for a meal, and someone recognizes me as ‘White Boy Rick,’ and they say, ‘‘I got this.‘”. Released: Oct 2019 Sony Pictures Entertainment dropped a trailer Monday for "White Boy Rick," a crime drama starring Matthew McConaughey. Wayne LeCouffe, Rick’s cousin by marriage, is two years younger than Rick and clear memories of his Wershe cousins in their youth. Wershe said he didn’t know them, but his son might. “I have been made to feel welcome and accepted. “I can tell you this, I have more peace in my life now than I’ve ever had,” he told the Daily Mail. Thus, White Boy Rick became a warrior left on the battlefield. Doing her best with a miserably thin role, Jennifer Jason Leigh is the FBI’s lead officer. Those who knew him say he was always chasing some get-rich-quick scheme. The senior Wershe wanted the informant cash. “He started rattling off stuff and you’d go, ‘How does this 14-year old kid know all this’? I will be an informant.’”. He was arrested for possession of eight kilos or over 17 pounds of cocaine, convicted, and sentenced to life in prison where he remains today. Then the FBI abandoned him, and he became the dealer. He became the youngest FBI Informant at the age of 14. It stars Richie Merritt as Richard Wershe Jr., who in the 1980s became the youngest FBI informant ever at the age of 14. Mehr erfahren über. Moviepilot. In the 1984 recruiting meeting Dixon and the other agent showed the senior Wershe surveillance photos of some black men. Folgen. Several African-American drug gangs are battling each other for territory. Nothing mattered." He was released from the Oaks Correctional Facility in Michigan in April 2017 and turned over to U.S. Wershe is now engaged to his longtime girlfriend. It was picked up by Netflix in April of 2021. Wershe sells guns ill… The news media and Hollywood have followed his advice. Before long he was caught with a large cocaine shipment, tried and convicted. Rick Wershe is a single father who's struggling to raise two teenagers during the height of the crack epidemic in 1980s Detroit. At 14, Rick became the youngest FBI informant ever and helped bring down some of Detroit’s biggest drug dealers. Without any evidence and before any trial, he was labeled in media stories as a “kingpin” and a “drug lord.” There is nothing in any official record to back that libelous smear. He was looking forward to taking another step toward his final release. It is scheduled to be released on January 12, 2018. Things went awry when Rick informed Agent Groman he was present when two members of the Curry gang admitted they inadvertently killed a 13-year old boy in a drug money dispute with the victim’s uncle. His story was the basis of the 2018 film “White Boy Rick” starred Matthew McConaughey, with Richie Merritt in the title role. If you need help with the Public File, call (313) 222-0566. It turned into a stolen car ring, and Wershe pleaded guilty to protect his sister and mother from criminal charges. He was a prisoner of war—the War on Drugs. Moviepilot. Wershe’s granddaughter told police he punched her in the face, grabbed her by the throat and “knocked her to the floor” for fighting with her brother. White Boy Rick misses an opportunity to dig deeper into the politics and dubious police behaviour that are the real issues here. He knew all these guys. At just 14 years old, he helped the feds take down twenty members of a dangerous Detroit drug ring, including a big-time cocaine trafficker, per the Associated Press. Marshals. He sometimes complained bitterly about how the agents wanted a quid pro quo for finding his sister Dawn, but a gun case involving “two bodies” was never mentioned. His story was the basis of the 2018 film “White Boy Rick” starred Matthew McConaughey, with Richie Merritt in the title role. “Under the law at that time, it was supposed to cost him the rest of his life, which is just ridiculous. The true story was the FBI had discovered through surveillance and informant tips that a young white kid named Rick Wershe was a frequent visitor to the home of the Curry Brothers, a family of black drug dealers who had attracted the feds’ attention because the leader of the gang was engaged to the niece of Detroit’s then-emperor-mayor, the late Coleman Young. Movie Info. Shattered WDIV Local 4 and Graham Media Group It didn’t happen that way and the film whitewashes significant parts of Wershe’s past, ignoring his history of domestic violence. They would pay cash for the information. Wershe had met the agents while working for a time in a gun store. Listen to White Boy Rick, Chapter 1 – Like Father, Like Son, an episode of Shattered, easily on Podbay - the best podcast player on the web. Folgen. ADVERTISEMENT At the hearing, two retired FBI agents told the board Wershe deserves early release because of all he did for the government, including assistance on several public corruption cases while behind bars. All of this posed a dilemma for the screenplay writers who were struggling, trying to find a positive spin on the life of Richard Wershe, Sr. From the outset they seemed determined to make this a father-and-son-against-the-world tale, a bit like The Pursuit of Happyness, the Will Smith film of 2006. Chapter 1 – Like Father, Like Son: In 1984, crack cocaine is becoming an epidemic in Detroit. Listen to Wershe & Son (From 'White Boy Rick' Soundtrack) by Max Richter. It was understood the senior Wershe would be the informant of record, but everyone involved knew it was the young teen who had all the info the agents wanted. "Rick’s father was never home for Dawn or Rick," LeCouffe stated flatly. Pretty soon Rick Jr is in the game himself, selling drugs under the streetname White Boy Rick. But that case had nothing to do with the FBI’s recruitment of the father and son in 1984. To make matters worse, Detroit FBI agents had falsified their own files to make it appear that the information came from Rick’s father, code-named “Gem.” Falsifying federal files is a 20-year felony. At subsequent informant meetings Rick did all of the talking and Wershe signed for the cash from the agents. Young man, Richard Wershe, Jr., 14, begins dealing on the streets. Portrayed by Bruce Dern and Piper Laurie in the White Boy Rick movie, Roman and Verna Wershe did live across the street. Listen to this episode from Shattered on Spotify. Rick. Furthermore, 49-year-old criminal gave the information about drugs to FBI back in 1983. White Boy Rick is exactly that: White. Directed by Yann Demange. He didn’t mind subjecting an adolescent to constant life-or-death situations. Richard Wershe Jr 'White Boy Rick', 51, has broken his silence for the first time since becoming a free man in July. It stars Richie Merritt as Richard Wershe Jr., who in the 1980s became the youngest FBI informant ever at the age of 14. During the recruitment pitch, Wershe did not object to the FBI putting his son in harm’s way in the murderous drug underworld. Watch the full documentary here to learn the story of “White Boy Rick.”, Related: ‘White Boy’ Rick Wershe Jr. denied clemency in Florida. Listen to trailer music, OST, original score, and the full list of popular songs in the film. “Did I do something wrong? Rick was finally paroled in 2017 but he remains in custody in Florida on an unrelated auto fraud conviction. His son’s role as his errand boy brings him in contact with local gangster Johnny “Lil Man” Curry, whose drug operation has ties to the police department and the mayor. Richard Wershe Jr 'White Boy Rick', 51, has broken his silence for the first time since becoming a free man in July. Vince Wade is the author of Prisoner of War: The Story of White Boy Rick and the War on Drugs. "It's hell on wheels," Wershe said. I was basically raising myself.". It was one reason why Wershe Sr. didn't want to leave the crack-ridden neighborhood. Yet those very words are featured prominently on the marketing posters for White Boy Rick. This is "WHITE BOY RICK - Official Trailer" by Platinum Platypus on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them. He talked like a black street guy. He was found guilty and sentenced to seven and a half years in prison. The youngster told police he couldn’t breathe as his grandfather choked him. White Boy Rick, a gritty new crime film starring Matthew McConaughey, has been promoted as the true tale of a poor, dysfunctional, family battling to stay together in 1980s Detroit. Richard “White Boy Rick” Wershe Jr. is speaking out for the first time since his release from prison this summer. I wasn’t sure it would be that way. "It was a forced plea. Find all 38 songs in White Boy Rick Soundtrack, with scene descriptions. White Boy Rick - Featurette Like Father Like Son (English) HD. White Boy Rick, the film by Sony Pictures Entertainment, has a stellar cast: Matthew McConaughey, Richie Merritt, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Bruce Dern, Bel Powley, and Piper Laurie. Beverly Srbich was a longtime Wershe neighbor who lived across the street. But the facts didn’t fit their goal of telling a story of a flawed but good-hearted lower-class father. “Contrary to popular belief, Rick was not brought down on a kingpin statute, ... racketeering, ... (or) a continuing criminal enterprise statute -- Rick was arrested when he was 17 years old at a routine traffic stop where they found cocaine,” Burnstein said. Jennifer Jason Leigh, Bruce Dern, Bel Powley, Piper Laurie, and Matthew McConaughey also star. He was, however, a child when he became an FBI informant. Three years later, the bureau had cut him loose and he turned to the only trade he knew, the one law enforcement taught him, selling cocaine. WHITE BOY RICK (2018) Movie Trailer: Matthew McConaughey’s Son is The Biggest Drug Dealer in Detroit Rollo Tomasi Follow on Twitter June 12, 2018 0 1 minute read Rick’s “handler” for many years, retired agent Herman Groman, agrees with Dixon. As Richard Wershe, Sr. was dying of cancer, Rick reconciled with his father at the urging of his attorney, Musilli. The kid roamed the streets at will and “knew all these guys” because he had no adult supervision. In September 2018, Local 4 shared a special documentary report on the life of Wershe, the now infamous figure in Detroit’s drug scene in the 1980s. His dissatisfied daughter, Dawn, leaves their home, leaving Rick alone with his son, Ricky. Wershe had a dark side, too. Jennifer Jason Leigh, Bruce Dern, Bel Powley, Piper Laurie, and Matthew McConaughey also star. Michigan law at the time mandated a sentence of life without parole. That festival can elevate a discovery, but slams anything that comes up short. Summary: Set in 1980s Detroit at the height of the crack epidemic and the War on Drugs, White Boy Rick is based on the moving true story of a blue-collar father and his teenage son, Rick Wershe Jr., who became an undercover police informant and later a drug dealer, before he was abandoned by his handlers and sentenced to life in prison. A flaw in the romantic Hollywood notion of a man struggling for his family is the fact the elder Wershe was seldom home. News of Rick's activity attracts the atte… The film directed by Yann Demange based on the true story of Rick Wershe Jr. the youngest FBI informant in history. Wershe’s son, Rick, became a paid FBI informant in 1984. He was hip.”. When he was released from prison in Michigan in 2017, Wershe walked out of the prison and right into a prison transport van. In the Detroit News story mentioned previously, Wershe said he always had several businesses going. It was released in 2017 and began airing on the Starz network in 2019. The FBI soon discovered the homicide investigation was being botched by the Detroit Police Department, apparently to keep the case away from the Curry gang and the mayor’s niece, the drug leader’s fiancé, who might become a trial witness. Wershe sells guns ill… He sold gadgets to cheat cell phone providers’ billing systems. White Boy Rick is an upcoming American crime drama film directed by Yann Demange, written by Andy Weiss and Logan Miller & Noah Miller. Then and now, the idea is ridiculous on its face. More:Richard (White Boy Rick) Wershe Jr. awaits parole decision after 4-hour hearing In 1987, Detroit police arrested 17-year-old Wershe. Wershe & Son (From "White Boy Rick" Soundtrack) Max Richter. White Boy Rick is an upcoming American crime drama film directed by Yann Demange, written by Andy Weiss and Logan Miller & Noah Miller. White Boy Rick - Featurette Like Father Like Son (English) HD. Her voice started quivering. He was 14 years old. Even though he was dreading the transport process, Wershe said he wanted to start as soon as possible. I was on the streets when crack cocaine and “White Boy Rick” Wershe were hot news in the Motor City. Detroit-based organized crime historian and true crime author Scott Burnstein said the end of Wershe’s decades-long sentence is “way overdue.”. turned to the only trade he knew, the one law enforcement taught him, selling cocaine, Prisoner of War: The Story of White Boy Rick and the War on Drugs. He was 14 years old. He was convinced the road to riches was paved with videocassette machines. White Boy Rick Soundtrack Music - Complete Song List | Tunefind Rick’s father was an admitted business hustler. She tells the Matthew McConaughey character, “You realize you are the worst father, ever.”. A convicted drug dealer arrested back in 1987 for the possession of maybe a little more than eight kilos of cocaine, Richard Wershe Jr. aka White Boy Rick is still behind bars. I am a former Detroit TV news investigative reporter and documentary producer. Several African-American drug gangs are battling each other for territory. A film based on his life titled “White Boy Rick” was released Sept. 14, 2018. She recalled how Rick and Dawn would run to her house to escape the turmoil in their own. Doing her best with a miserably thin role, Jennifer Jason Leigh is the FBI’s lead officer. For a time, White Boy Rick was the most productive drug informant of the Detroit FBI. 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 new blockbuster movie "White Boy Rick," starring Oscar winner Matthew McConaughey, is on the big screen right now. The stylin’, profilin’, limousine-ridin’, jet-flyin’, kiss-stealin’, wheelin’ and, dealin’ son of a gun himself - sent WRBL News 3 this video - encouraging us to do our part and pin down COVID-19 spread. The former reputed FBI informant known as "White Boy Rick" spent 30 years behind bars while serving a life sentence on a drug conviction he was sentenced to … 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. Burstein even served as a consultant for the “White Boy Rick” film. The FBI comes to him and says ‘We want you to be an informant.’ He says, ‘No, I’m not going to be an informant.’ They said, ‘Yeah, you are going to be an informant, because we got two bodies we traced back to guns that your dad was selling.’ So, he says, ‘Yes. But the notion of a wimpy white kid as the boss of prison-hardened adult black men in the murderous drug trade proved irresistible for reporters, even if there was no evidence to support it. "His kids didn’t matter. Chapter 1 – Like Father, Like Son: In 1984, crack cocaine is becoming an epidemic in Detroit. While he was in a Michigan prison, Wershe introduced his sister, Dawn, to a car salesman. The documentary chronicling the case of Richard Wershe Jr., White Boy, won the 2017 FREEP Film Festival Audience Choice Award. "Richard thought the world revolved around Richard and what Richard wanted," Srbich remembers. In 1988, Wershe 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 of cocaine or heroin with a stiff penalty of life imprisonment without parole. Officials said he had 8 … "They said, 'Listen, this is what we're going to do. Wendy’s son is an AU student. Directed by Yann Demange. Wershe is better known as White Boy Rick, one of the most famous drug dealers in Detroit history, a baby-faced, blond-haired, magazine cover boy who was only 17 … ADVERTISEMENT At the hearing, two retired FBI agents told the board Wershe deserves early release because of all he did for the government, including assistance on several public corruption cases while behind bars. He was referring to FBI informant money. With Matthew McConaughey, Richie Merritt, Bel Powley, Jennifer Jason Leigh. White Boy Rick. To put a 14-year-old boy’s life at risk wasn’t exactly FBI protocol but “White Boy Rick” – as Wershe then began to call himself – was too useful to let go. Darlene Wershe told me she ran through the snow to a neighbor’s house for help and shelter. Mehr erfahren über. Play on Napster. McConaughey plays Richard Wershe, Sr., a divorced, dreamer/schemer father, a loser in the business world who is doing all he can to provide for his kids. Set in 1980s Detroit at the height of the crack epidemic and the War on Drugs, WHITE BOY RICK is based on the moving story of a blue-collar father and his teenage son, Rick Wershe Jr., who became an undercover police informant and later a drug dealer, before he … “I was gone,” he said. Wershe earned his parole in 2017 after nearly 30 years in prison. Season 1 investigates the disappearance of Andrew, Alexander and Tanner Skelton. Wershe’s son, Rick, became a paid FBI informant in 1984. White Boy Rick. The feds abruptly dropped Rick. “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. He was used to living off FBI informant cash and the sale of drugs he had purchased at the direction of Detroit police narcotics officers who were part of a federal drug task force. Musilli knew Rick’s father for years through legal work for him. He told DailyMail.com he 'harbors … The FBI didn’t step up to help their star snitch because it would have exposed their own crimes. The premise led to grafting a fairy tale on to actual facts and incidents. When satellite television arrived, he sold boxes to evade pay TV scrambling. Pretty soon Rick Jr is in the game himself, selling drugs under the streetname White Boy Rick. They were relics of a time when Detroit was booming. He was a licensed neighborhood gun merchant who did some shaky deals, but that was just one of his hustles. Despite the imaginings of the script writers, the real Richard Wershe, Sr. was not a family man. “He was a jerk,” is the way Ralph Musilli, Rick's longtime criminal appeals attorney, described Wershe. Nature Boy Ric Flair and his wife Wendy love Alabama. Track He became the longest-serving nonviolent juvenile offender in Michigan history. Season 2 tells the story of Rick Wershe Jr., also known as White Boy Rick. He was then transferred to a Florida prison because of a crime he committed while behind bars in Michigan. vor 4 Monaten | 1 Ansicht. Season 2 tells the story of Rick Wershe Jr., also known as White Boy Rick. Richard Wershe Jr. mugshot for Florida Department of Corrections, Detroit historian: ‘White Boy Rick’ Wershe prison release ‘way overdue’. He is working to enjoy the life he never had due to his conviction as a teenager, but he’s still wondering why he had to spend so much time in prison. He told DailyMail.com he 'harbors … Hollywood made an aspirational role for Matthew McConaughey, but the character in real life was an abuser who pimped out his 14-year-old son to the feds for money. Wershe & Son (From "White Boy Rick" Soundtrack) Max Richter. https://www.earnthenecklace.com/white-boy-rick-wiki-movie-age-story Richard “ White Boy Rick ” Wershe Jr. is speaking out for the first time since his release from prison this summer. Wershe pleaded guilty in 2006 to being involved in a car theft ring. Coincidentally, as the federal investigation of the drug gang was solidifying, Wershe reached out to some Detroit FBI agents he knew for help in finding Rick’s sister Dawn, a drug addict. “You tell me how it’s 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. Summary: Set in 1980s Detroit at the height of the crack epidemic and the War on Drugs, White Boy Rick is based on the moving true story of a blue-collar father and his teenage son, Rick Wershe Jr., who became an undercover police informant and later a drug dealer, before he was abandoned by his handlers and sentenced to life in prison. 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. Richard J. Wershe, Jr.—known to the public as White Boy Rick—was picked up by his fiancee at 10:30 a.m., Detroit TV station WXYZ reported. vor 4 Monaten | 1 Ansicht. There is nothing in the files, Groman said, about a gun case against the father at the time of the recruitment. On another occasion Rick’s sister Dawn told police her father spat in her face. White Boy Rick, Chapter 1 – Like Father, Like Son. The FBI came calling at the Wershe home with an offer: they would help find Dawn in exchange for some help they wanted. Here’s the truth about the father Matthew McConaughey plays in White Boy Rick: Richard Wershe, Sr. was a terrible husband and father. He was abusive and prone to domestic violence. Season 1 investigates the disappearance of Andrew, Alexander and Tanner Skelton. During my many conversations, emails and written correspondence with Richard Wershe, Jr. for my blog and my book he never once mentioned being coerced into his informant role to protect his father from a firearms case. For many years Rick was estranged from his father. But he was a street guy. Inspired by immature teen judgment, Rick decided he would become a cocaine wholesaler. Play on Napster. Both had worked for Chrysler for four decades. Now he’s a 51-year-old man free from prison and back in Michigan. But "White Boy Rick" (real name Richard Wershe Jr.) is not the fly white guy's child. Rick and Dawn grew up without parents. Absolutely. FBI agents were soon confronted face-to-face with obstruction of justice by top command officers, including the police chief. Mark Twain said never let the truth get in the way of a good story. Several years later Wershe was arrested by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms for possession of unregistered parts for 23 silencers. Indeed, young Rick was standing in a doorway watching and listening. Set in 1980s Detroit at the height of the crack epidemic and the War on Drugs, WHITE BOY RICK is based on the moving true story of a blue-collar father and his teenage son, Rick Wershe Jr., who became an undercover police informant and later a drug dealer, before he was abandoned by his handlers and sentenced to life in prison. Ricky becomes good friends with Johnny's brother, Boo, which earns him the favor of Johnny and his crew. In 2002 Wershe was arrested by the St. Clair Shores, Michigan police on charges he choked his 10-year old grandson in an argument. If you don't take this plea, we are going to arrest your mom and your sister,'" Wershe said. Richard Wershe Jr. aka White Boy Rick (born July 18, 1969) is an American Prisoner from Michigan, United States. But the challenge to the Hollywood version of how a 14-year-old kid was recruited by the FBI to be a drug informant is disputed by others with more direct knowledge than me. Wershe was arrested for domestic violence several times. The new blockbuster movie "White Boy Rick," starring Oscar winner Matthew McConaughey, is on the big screen right now. He was sentenced to … Rick realized he was spending his life in prison in large part because his dad agreed to let his 14-year old son become an informant to get FBI cash. Listen to this episode from Shattered on Spotify. “It was unbelievable what he had been involved in at that particular time,” Dixon said. That’s one of the kinder descriptions I’ve heard of Rick’s father. Read more: How ‘White Boy Rick’ became an informant, drug dealer in Detroit In 1987, Wershe was arrested for possessing cocaine in excess of eight kilograms. Wershe’s attorney argued the vans are dangerous and inhumane, as Wershe had made the trip to Florida by prison van once before. Set in 1980s Detroit at the height of the crack epidemic and the War on Drugs, WHITE BOY RICK is based on the moving true story of a blue-collar father and his teenage son, Rick Wershe Jr., who became an undercover police informant and later a drug dealer before he was abandoned by his handlers and sentenced to life in prison. Several African-American drug gangs are battling each other for territory. Join Napster and play your favorite music offline. Dawn Wershe had disappeared into the twilight world of drugs. He ran with them. Dixon, the former agent, marveled at the 14-year-old's depth of knowledge of the criminal underworld. At that meeting the agents mentioned the magic words. "I was on one for a week, and it's the most traumatic part of almost 30 years in prison.". But a lot of people seem to feel and see I had a rough deal. While it is being contemplated that Rick will probably be released by 2020, his story comes out a lot sooner and candidly reveals the underlining truth of the legal system. With Matthew McConaughey, Richie Merritt, Bel Powley, Jennifer Jason Leigh. Chapter 1 – Like Father, Like Son: In 1984, crack cocaine is becoming an epidemic in Detroit. Boy. According to FBI Agent John Anthony, at that time, White Boy Rick was the single most productive informant the FBI had in Detroit. When Rick was arrested on drug charges in 1987, the Detroit news media went in to a frenzy. “It was all about the money [for Wershe],” Dixon told me. The tip was corroborated by court-authorized wiretaps. Wershe is better known as White Boy Rick, one of the most famous drug dealers in Detroit history, a baby-faced, blond-haired, magazine cover boy … I first happened upon White Boy Rick’s story last year and quickly became fascinated enough to call some of the police officers and federal agents who had figured in it in one way or another. In “Back from the Dead,” Detroit native son Kid Rock rapped, One bad bitch, I smoke hash from a stick/Got more cash than fuckin’ White Boy Rick. Retired FBI agent Jim Dixon, who was one of the recruiters of the Wershes, confirmed the falsity of McConaughey’s tale that Rick was pressured in to becoming a drug snitch to protect his dad from charges in a gun case.