White Boy Rick

White Boy Rick covers the story of Richard Wershe Jr, a teenage drug dealer in Detroit during the 1980s, when the city was a notorious hub of drugs, violence, and state corruption. Although Wershe once worked as an FBI informant, he was arrested at the age of 17 for possessing more than eight kilograms of cocaine and was sentenced to life in prison under a Michigan state law that penalised those found in possession of over 650 grams of cocaine or heroin. The police and media described him as a drug kingpin despite his young age and baby face, and he received no leniency as a minor when handed a life sentence.

Investigative reporter Kevin Dietz chronicles Wershe’s story, from being groomed as an FBI informant at the age of 14, to being discarded at 16, his subsequent life imprisonment, and his long fight for release.