White Boy Rick's True Story Is Much More Heartbreaking Than the Film
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Matthew McConaughey's latest film, White Boy Rick, is inspired by the heartbreaking story of a man who was dubbed a "cocaine kingpin" when he was still a teenager. The new movie stars McConaughey as Rick's father, Richard Wershe Sr., while newcomer Richie Merritt takes on the role of Richard Wershe Jr. — better known to the public as White Boy Rick. Viewers who head out to the theater should expect a gritty ride through the '80s-era Detroit's drug scene, but the real-life Wershe Jr.'s life is even more tragic than what's depicted onscreen. This is one time that fact is far more heartbreaking than fiction.
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As reported by the New York Post, Wershe Jr. became an informant for the Detroit police department when he was just 14. At that age, he was already selling guns to local Detroit gangs, which made him the perfect person for the police to use in their search to find out who was trafficking drugs. Wershe Jr. formed connections throughout the gang community in the '80s, and his work for police proved to be lucrative until it became too dangerous to continue. He was shot by someone who became suspicious, and the Detroit police department reportedly no longer had an interest in keeping him on the payroll. At that point, a still-teenage Wershe Jr. began selling drugs for real in order to support himself and his family.
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When he was 18, Wershe Jr. was convicted of cocaine possession and sentenced to life in prison. Because of his age at the time of his sentencing, the kid known as White Boy Rick would go on to become the longest-serving juvenile drug offender in the history of Michigan. It should be noted that not only was he still a teen at the time of his sentencing, he was also convicted of a nonviolent crime. During his early years in prison, Wershe Jr. began working as an FBI informant in order to shorten his sentence. His work led to the arrest of a number of corrupt cops, but there was no offer of parole.
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Because he was sentenced under an old law, Wershe Jr.'s lawyers tried for years to have his case appealed. It wasn't until July 14, 2017, that the Michigan Parole Board voted to grant him parole after almost 30 years in prison. Despite this, Wershe Jr. still isn't a free man, because he had previously pleaded guilty to a crime in Florida while he was behind bars. He's now serving time in a Florida jail with an expected release date of Dec. 25, 2020.