Anchor: ON THE STREETS HE
WAS KNOWN AS WHITE BOY RICK.
BEHIND BARS, HE IS RICHARD
WERSHE J LONGEST HE SERVING
JUVENILE DRUG OFFENDER IN
MICHIGAN AND OLD ENEMY WORKING
TO SET HIM FREE.
RICK WERSHE HAS BEEN BEHIND
BARS FOR 28 YEARS.
Anchor: PAROLE BOARD
REFUSES TO CONSIDER THE RELEASE
AND NEITHER WILL PROSECUTOR.
AND HE IS GETTING SUPPORT FROM
SOMEONE THAT WANTED HIM DEAD AT
ONCE.
Anchor: KEVIN DIETZ SHOWS
US SURPRISING SUPPORT.
Reporter: RICK WERSHE SAID
HE NEVER DESERVED THE NAME WHITE
BOY RICK BECAUSE HE WAS NEVER A
BIG DRUG KING PEN AND NOW HE IS
GETTING SUPPORT FROM SOMEONE YOU
WOULD NEVER EXPECT.
HE WAS A 17-YEAR-OLD KID WITH A
WICKED NICKNAME.
WHITE BOY RICK.
DRUG DEALER IN DETROIT.
BUT NOT THE KING PEN THE POLICE,
PROSECUTORS, AND MEDIA MADE HIM
OUT TO BE.
RICK WAS NOWHERE NEAR ME.
FROM A SCALE OF ONE TO 10.
I AM A 10.
I SAY HE WAS ABOUT A TWO.
RICK COULD NOT TOUCH ME WITH A
10-FOOT POLE.
MAKE THING BOY WAY BIGGER THAN
HE WAS.
I JUST SAY WHERE DO THEY GET
THIS STUFF FROM?
Reporter: THAT ACCORDING TO
A NEW HBO SPECIAL CURRENTLY
UNDER PRODUCTION BY TRANSITION
STUDIOS AND AWARD WINNING
PRODUCER SEAN REX.
STORY OF RICK WERSHE LONGEST
SERVING.
BUSTED AT 17 YEARS OLD WITH
8-KILOS AND STILL IN PRISON 28
YEARS LATER.
HE IS NOT WHAT THEY SAID HE
WAS.
WHAT THEY MADE HIM WAS MADE BY
COPS.
LAW ENFORCEMENT CREATED
ALMOST A PERFECT CRIMINAL.
I AM SORRY TO TELL YOU THE
LEGEND OF WHITE BOY RICK IS NOT
TRUE.
Reporter: AS PART OF THE
HBO DOCUMENTARY CALLED 650
LIFER.
RICK TRACKED DOWN JOHNNY CURRIE
THAT BY HIS OWN ACCOUNTS WAS A
REAL DRUG KINGPIN IN DETROIT.
AND HE SAID WERSHE SMALL TIME
AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN OUT OF
PRISON DECADES AGO.
I DID WAY MORE THAN HE COULD
HAVE POSSIBLY DONE TO GET THAT
SENTENCE.
I SAY RICK SHOULD HAVE DID
SEVEN, EIGHT YEARS AND BEEN
HOME.
SHOULD HAVE BEEN HOME.
20 YEARS AGO.
Reporter: I CALLED RICK
WERSHE THAT IS CURRENTLY AT THE
OAKS FACILITY TO ASK ABOUT THE
HBO PROJECT AND ENDORSEMENT FROM
JOHNNY CURRIE.
IT SURPRISES ME A BIT BUT, I
THINK, THAT HE KNOWS, AGAIN,
THAT I WAS NOT WHAT I WAS MADE
IN TO BE.
Reporter: AN ODD
ENDORSEMENT BECAUSE RICK WERSHE
WAS TEENAGE INFORMANT TIPPING
OFF POLICE TO DRUG DEALERS
STARTING AT THE AGE OF 14.
EVENTUALLY WERSHE HELPED POLICE
TO MAKE A CASE AGAINST JOHNNY
CURRIE THAT SENT CURRIE TO
PRISON.
WHEN CURRIE DID GO TO PRISON
RICK WERSHE MOVED THIS WITH
JOHNNY CURRIE'S WIFE.
THE NIECE OF THEN MAYOR COLEMAN
A YOUNG.
HE WAS GONE AND I HOOKED UP
WITH HIS WIFE.
WAS IT A SMART THING TO DO?
PROBABLY NOT.
BUT I DON'T THINK HE HELD IT
AGAINST ME 30 YEARS LATER.
Reporter: WERSHE SENTENCED
TO LIFE IN PRISON.
LATER THE COURT SAID THAT
JUVENILE DRUG DEALERS MUST HAVE
A CHANCE AT PAROLE.
SOME SAY MAYOR YOUNG DID NOT
LIKE HIM WITH HIS NIECE.
HE CALLED HIM A STOOL PIDGEON
WHEN HE GAVE INFORMATION ON
MAYOR'S BODY GUARD.
OTHERS SAY REAL ENEMY IS
RECENTLY DECEASED CITY COUNCIL
MEMBER, POLICE OFFICER, AND
MOVIE STAR GIL HILL.
TAKING BRIBES FOR WERSHE
TESTIMONY.
I THINK ANYONE AT THIS POINT
CAN LOOK AT THIS CASE AND SAY
LISTEN SOMETHING IS PERSONAL
GOING ON.
THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE
CRIME IN WHICH I WAS CONVICTED.
Reporter: JOHNNY CURRIE
SPEAKS OUT SAYING IT IS TIME TO
LET THE KID WANNE NABEE DRUG
DEALER OUT OF PRISON.
HE DID MORE TIME THAN
MURDERERS.
HE DESERVES TIME BUT
SOMETHING THAT HE WASN'T, BOTTOM
LINE, FOR SOMETHING THAT HE
WASN'T.
Reporter: HBO HOPING TO
HAVE THE DOCUMENTARY ON AIR BY
THE END OF THE YEAR.
AND HOLLYWOOD IS ALSO MAKING A
MOVIE.
BUT RICK WERSHE'S FASTEST WAY