Richard Wershe Jr. is known as the youngest informant in FBI history to work alongside the authorities when he was just 14-years-old. Richard was originally arrested in 1987 in Detroit with eight kilos of cocaine and close to $30,000 on him and was booked with intent to deliver 650 grams of cocaine. The Detroit Free Press now reports that Richard, also known as White Boy Rick will be getting released from prison earlier than anticipated.
“His original release date was 4/20/2021, but it was recently updated to reflect the amount of gain time accrued during his sentence,” Florida Department of Corrections press secretary Patrick Manderfield told the publication.
The Michigan Parole Board voted to release Richard in 2017 but he was later transferred to the custody of the Florida Department of Corrections and booked for charges of racketeering from 2006. He later detailed how he pleaded guilty to the charges as a way to protect his mother and sister.
“They said, ‘Listen, this is what we’re going to do,’” he said. “’If you don’t take this plea, we are going to arrest your mom and your sister.’ It was a forced plea. I don’t agree I committed the crime that I was convicted of.”
Richard's life story has been made into a feature film that sees Matthew McConaughey playing his father - watch the trailer below.