Richard Wershe Jr. is an American former FBI informant and convicted drug trafficker who became widely known on the streets of Detroit during the 1980s by the nickname White Boy Rick. His parents separated when he was five, after which he and his sister went to live with their father. Wershe Jr. was first exposed to criminal activities through his sister’s boyfriend and later became acquainted with the Curry brothers, who were among the leading drug dealers in his neighbourhood at the time. The FBI had contacted the Wershe family before he became associated with the Curry brothers. Through his father, 14-year-old Wershe Jr. began supplying information to the agency, helping investigators build a case against the brothers. Following their imprisonment, however, Wershe Jr. gradually rose to prominence in the local drug trade and eventually became a major dealer in the neighbourhood himself. His criminal activities came to an end in 1987 when he was arrested. He subsequently spent the next three decades behind bars. Although he was granted parole in 2017, his involvement in a car theft operation while incarcerated resulted in an additional five-year prison sentence.
Childhood & Early Life
Richard Wershe Jr. was born on July 18, 1969, in Michigan, to Richard Wershe Sr. and Darlene McCormick. He has an older sister named Dawn, who is approximately three years his senior.
He was raised in a lower-middle-class family in Detroit’s East Side. When Richard was five, his parents separated, and his mother, Darlene, moved to the suburbs. Richard and his sister decided to remain with their father in the family’s modest brick house on Hampshire Street near Dickerson Avenue. Their father raised them with support from his own parents, who lived just across the street.
At the age of 12, Richard briefly moved in with his mother. However, Darlene had remarried by then, and he did not get along with his stepfather. Approximately a year later, he returned to live with his father.
Richard attended a nearby high school but left before completing his education in 1985, shortly before turning 16.
His father, Richard Wershe Sr., openly described himself as a hustler and was always finding different ways to make money. His business activities included selling surplus electronics, satellite television equipment, sporting goods, and devices used to access cable television illegally. He was also an amateur inventor and reportedly dealt in illegal firearms through the black market.
Involvement with Crime & Becoming an FBI Informant
Richard’s introduction to criminal activities came through Terrence Bell, a petty criminal who was dating his sister at the time. His father was gradually losing control over both children. Dawn had developed a crack cocaine habit, while Richard began accompanying Bell on burglaries.
The Curry brothers, Leo “Big Man” Curry and Johnny “Lil Man” Curry, were twin brothers who dominated the drug trade in Richard’s neighbourhood on Detroit’s East Side. Richard initially became acquainted with their younger brother, Rudell “Boo” Curry. Through him, he eventually gained access to the twins and became familiar with their extravagant lifestyle.
During the 1980s, the United States was intensifying its war on drugs, particularly against the growing crack cocaine epidemic. Richard Sr. had initially approached the FBI seeking assistance with his daughter, whose drug addiction had become increasingly serious.
In the summer of 1984, FBI agents visited the Wershe family home and showed them photographs of the Curry brothers and their associates. Although Richard Sr. could not identify the individuals, his son recognized them. Not long afterward, Richard Jr. began working as an FBI informant at just 14 years of age.
The Wershe family was struggling financially, but Richard’s cooperation with the FBI soon brought in money through payments for information. He began earning more than many adults in his neighbourhood. His growing association with the Curry family proved particularly useful, allowing him to collect extensive details about drug operations in his neighbourhood and across Detroit.
Johnny Curry was one of the most influential figures in Detroit’s criminal underworld. Richard regularly supplied the FBI with information about Johnny and his organization. Despite his young age, he quickly became a valuable source for the agency. He spent considerable time with the brothers, who never suspected that he was secretly providing information to law enforcement. They considered him too young to be an informant.
By the time Richard turned 15, he was frequently skipping school, spending his days away from the classroom and his nights visiting clubs to gather intelligence for the FBI. Meanwhile, law enforcement officials were acting on the information he provided. Their operations resulted in the seizure of hundreds of firearms, several kilograms of cocaine, and millions of dollars. One of the largest operations took place on Detroit’s East Side, where the Curry brothers controlled the drug trade. According to retired FBI agent John Anthony, White Boy Rick was the agency’s most productive informant during that period.
When Richard was 15, he was shot in the stomach by one of Johnny Curry’s associates at Johnny’s house. He begged the shooter to call an ambulance, but the man refused. Fortunately, the man’s girlfriend arrived shortly afterward, realized what had happened, and contacted emergency services.
Richard survived the shooting. The Curry brothers and their associates apparently believed that he had not informed the authorities about the incident. His silence earned him greater respect within their circle, and he became even closer to them in the months that followed.
Following the shooting, Richard Sr. no longer wanted his son to cooperate with the FBI. Richard Jr. later explained that although his father knew he was still meeting with federal agents, he did not understand how deeply the agency had involved him with the Curry organization.
In April 1985, Johnny Curry travelled to Las Vegas, Nevada, to attend the boxing match between Marvin Hagler and Tommy Hearns. The FBI sent Richard Jr. to Las Vegas with a false identification document and $15,000 so that he could continue his work as an informant. His sister accompanied him on the trip.
Eventually, the FBI arrested the Curry brothers along with several members of their organization. The information Richard had provided over the years played an important role in building the cases against them. Johnny and other members of his organization pleaded guilty to multiple charges and received prison sentences of 15 years each.
Career as a Drug Dealer
After the Curry brothers’ criminal organization was dismantled, the FBI no longer needed Richard Jr. as an informant. However, he had grown accustomed to the comfortable lifestyle that the payments from the agency had provided. Faced with the choice of returning to school or becoming involved in street life, he chose the latter and entered the drug trade himself.
Richard was described as a “weight man” rather than a major drug kingpin. He purchased cocaine directly from a Miami-based supplier named Art Derrick. During this period, he also became romantically involved with Cathy Volsan, Johnny Curry’s wife. Volsan was a prominent figure in Detroit and the niece of the city’s mayor, Coleman Young.
Richard also became the target of an assassination attempt by Nathaniel Craft, a former professional hitman. Craft later claimed that Detroit police detective Gil Hill had hired him to kill Richard in an effort to prevent him from revealing information about corruption within the police department.
At the height of his drug-dealing activities, Richard reportedly earned around $30,000 per month. However, his criminal career came to an end in May 1987, when he was arrested at the age of 17 and charged with possessing eight kilograms of cocaine. He was subsequently sentenced to life imprisonment. His case was reconsidered in 1998, when he was given the possibility of parole.
Later Years & Life in Prison
Even after being imprisoned, Richard continued providing assistance to the FBI. He played a significant role in Operation Backbone, an investigation that led to the arrest of several corrupt Detroit police officers.
In June 2017, the parole board unanimously approved his release. However, instead of being freed immediately, he was transferred to Florida State Prison to serve an additional sentence related to his involvement in a car theft ring.
Richard Jr. was subsequently held at the Reception and Medical Center state prison in Lake Butler, Florida, with his release scheduled for 2020. He has three children, including a son named Richard Williams.
In Popular Culture
Richard Wershe Jr.’s life story was adapted into the 2018 biographical crime film White Boy Rick. American actor Richie Merritt portrayed Wershe Jr. in the film.