>>> RICHARD WHITE BOY HAS WAIT ADD LONG TIME FOR THIS DAY. TOMORROW HE WALKS FREE FROM
PRISON AFTER MORE THAN 30
YEARS.
>> NOW HE IS NOT AN INNOCENT
VICTIM IN THIS STORY.
HE LONG AGO ADMITTED HE DID BAD
THINGS.
BUT THE SEVERITY OF HIS
PUNISHMENT HAS BAFFLED MOST
OBSERVERS.
WHO DID HE MAKE SO ANGRY THAT
THEY LOCKED HIM UP AND TOSSED
AWAY THE KEY?
IT’S 1984.
RICK IS A FRESHMAN IN HIGH
SCHOOL.
HE’S ALREADY CONNECTED IN THE
DRUG WORLD BY WAY OF HIS
FATHER.
A PAID INFORMANT FOR THE FBI.
THE FEDS PUT 14-YEAR-OLD RICK
TO WORK.
>> I WAS ASKED TO GO OUT THERE
AND GET INFORMATION ABOUT SOME
PEOPLE THAT WERE INVOLVED IN
THE DRUG TRADE AND THEIR
CONNECTIONS AND HOW THE DRUG
WERE HIS COMING IN.
>>Reporter: HE KNEW FACES AND
NAMES.
>> THEY SHOWED ME SOME PICTURES
AND ASKED ME WHO THIS PERSON
WAS.
WHO THAT PERSON WAS.
I BASICALLY IDENTIFIED THEM.
AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD BE IN
TOUCH.
RELATIONSHIP GREW FROM THERE.
IT WENT INTO THEM SENDING ME
INTO HOUSES TO PURCHASE DRUGS
AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
>>Reporter: YOUNG RICK WORKED
HIS WAY INTO A MAJOR DETROIT
DRUG RING.
RUN BY A GUY NAMED JOHNNY
CURRY.
>> I LET HIM COME IN YOU
UNDERSTAND BASICALLY BECAUSE HE
WAS CLOSE TO MY YOUNGEST
BROTHER.
HE CAME IN SO WE ALLOWED HIM TO
COME IN.
>>Reporter: CURRY DIDN’T KNOW
THAT RICK WAS IN FORM ANTI-FOR
THE FBI ALREADY.
HIGHLY PAID INFORMANT.
>> OVER THE COURSE OF TWO YEARS
I WOULD SAY PROBABLY SOMEWHERE
AROUND 30,000 DOLLARS MAYBE.
>>Reporter: HIS INFORMATION
WOULD SEND CURRY AND SEVERAL
MEMBERS OF HIS DRUG
ORGANIZATION TO PRISON.
RICK WAS NOW 16 YEARS OLD.
THE GOVERNMENT NO LONGER HAD A
USE FOR HIM.
SO THE CASH PAYMENTS STOPPED.
BUT THEY HAD GIVEN HIM A TASTE
FOR MONEY.
AND HE BEGAN SELLING DRUGS.
AT 17 HE GETS BUSTED FOR
SELLING 8 KILO OF COCAINE AND
GOES TO PRISON ON A LIFE
SENTENCE.
>> I WAS LED DOWN THIS PATH BY
LAW ENFORCEMENT.
I THINK ABOUT EVERY DAY IF I
WOULD HAVE I WAS A KID.
STUPID.
>>Reporter: AFTER 15 YEARS IN
PRISON MICHIGAN LAW CHANGED.
NO LONGER ALLOWING A LIFE
SENTENCE WITHOUT PAROLE FOR A
MINOR CONVICTED OF A DRUG
CHARGE.
RICK HAD A CHANCE FOR PAROLE.
HE HAD HELPED THE GOVERNMENT
CONVICT A LOT OF CRIMINALS
INCLUDING A DOZEN DIRTY COPS.
IT WAS TIME TO COLLECT ON THE
PROMISES TO HELP HIM.
>> THE GOVERNMENT CONVINCING ME
THAT WE ARE GOING TO DO
EVERYTHING FOR YOU. WE ARE
GOING TO HELP YOU.
YOU DON’T KNOW HOW MUCH THIS
MEANS TO US.
WE COULDN’T HAVE DONE THIS
WITHOUT YOU.
WE COULDN’T HAVE DONE THIS
WITHOUT YOU.
>>Reporter: BUT THE HELP THAT WAS PROMISED NEVER CAME. >> EVERYBODY TOLD ME I HAD
NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT.
THAT I COOPERATED.
THAT NO ONE WOULD OPPOSE MY
RELEASE THEN ALL AT ONCE
EVERYBODY HAD SOMETHING BAD TO
SAY ABOUT ME.
>>Reporter: HE AND MANY OTHERS
ARE CONVINCED HE STAYED LOCKED
UP BECAUSE HE TOOK DOWN SOME
POWERFUL PEOPLE.
>> I EMBARRASS ADD LOT OF
PEOPLE.
ALL DIFFICULT WAS WHAT I WAS
ASKED AND ALL DIFFICULT WAS
TELL THE TRUTH.
>>Reporter: WHO WERE THOSE
POWERFUL PEOPLE?
HE HAD GIVEN THE FBI
INFORMATION THAT LED TO THE
ARREST OF FAMILY AND FRIENDS OF
ONE TIME DETROIT MAYOR COLEMAN
YOUNG.
>> EXTREMELY UPSET MEAT FOR I
BELIEVE HE CALLED ME A STOOL
PIGEON FOR TURNING IN CORRUPT
COPS.
I THOUGHT ANY MAYOR WOULD LOVE
TO HAVE CORRUPT COPS OFF THEIR
FORCE BUT TO COLEMAN YOUNG I
WAS A STOOL PIGEON.
>>Reporter: IN 2003 RICK WAS
DENIED PAROLE.
>> SOME ONE OR SOMETHING
KEEPING ME IN PRISON AND IT’S
IT’S NOT THE CRIME I COMMITTED.
>>Reporter: IN 2017 THE LOCAL
4 DEFENDER SHINED THE SPOTLIGHT
ON RICK’S CASE.
STIRRED NATIONAL INTEREST IN
WHAT MANY PEOPLE SAW AS AN
INJUSTICE.
HE HAD SPENT NEARLY 30 YEARS IN
PRISON.
THE MAN KNOWN AS WHITE BOY RICK
WAS GRANTED PAROLE.
>> I KNOW.
HE’S COMING OUT.
I THINK IT WAS HIM ADDRESSING
THAT HE DID COMMIT A CRIME.
HE DID OWN UP TO IT AND THAT HE
IS SO ANTI-DRUG NOW THAT HE
COULD BE A PROSECUTOR.
HE WILL NOT COMMIT ANY CRIME.
>> IT’S ABOUT TIME.
JUST BEEN WAY TOO LONG.
HE DESERVES TO BE OUT LONG AGO.
>>Reporter: BUT PRISON TIME
WASN’T OVER FOR RICK.
BECAUSE BACK IN 2006 HE PLEADED
GUILTY TO BEING INVOLVED IN A
FLORIDA CAR THEFT RING FROM
BEHIND BARS.
SO HE MOVED FROM A MICHIGAN
PRISON TO A CELL IN FLORIDA.
TO SERVE AN ADDITIONAL 5 YEARS.
WHEN THE FLORIDA CLEMENCY BOARD
MET RETIRED FBI AGENT HERMAN
SPOKE FOR RICK ARGUING THAT HIS
THREE DECADES IN PRISON WAS OUT
OF PROPORTION TO HIS CRIME.
MANY OF THE MEMBERS OF THE
OCCUR ARE I DRUG ORGANIZATION
WERE ARRESTED.
PROSECUTED FEDERALLY AND
SENTENCED TO 20 YEARS IN
PRISON.
JOHNNY CURRY THE LEADER OF THE
GANG SERVED 13 YEARS.
HE IS OUT.
GANG SERVED 13 YEARS.
HE IS OUT.
>>Reporter: BUT FLORIDA GOVERNOR RICK DESANTIS SHOT DOWN ANY CHANCE FOR RICK’S
EARLY RELEASE.
>> WHEN HE DESCRIBED AS MODEL
PRISONER MODEL PRISONER DOESN’T
COMMITTED A NATIONAL FELONY IN
PRISON.
HE’S IT UNDERMINE THE CASE TO
SAY THAT.
>>Reporter: BUT NOW AFTER 32
YEARS RICK’S TIME IN PRISON IS
DONE.
>> GIVEN THE AMOUNT OF HOPE
THAT -- HELP THAT HE GAVE TO
THE GOVERNMENT.
GIVEN THE WAY THEY USED HIM.
AND THEN JUST BASICALLY
ABANDONED HIM.
NONE OF THIS SHOULD HAVE
HAPPENED.
>> I’M NOT WHITE BOY RICK.
I’M RICK.
I’M NOT THE PERSON I WAS MADE
OUT TO BE.
I DID SOME BAD THINGS IT WAS A
LIFE THAT I WAS PUSHED INTO AND
THE SECOND HALF OF MY LIFE I’M
GOING TO DO SOME GOOD WITH IT.
THE PEOPLE THAT FOUGHT SO HARD
FOR ME I’M NOT GOING TO LET
THEM DOWN.
>>Reporter: POLITICAL
PRISONER.
MAY ICK NO MISTAKE ABOUT IT.
IN THIS CASE THE GOOD GUYS WERE
WORSE THAN THE BAD GUYS.
YOU.
>>Reporter: SO THAT BRINGS THE
STORY TO TOMORROW.
RICK WILL BE RELEASED FROM A
HALFWAY HOUSE IN KISSIMMEE,
FLORIDA.
IT’S BELIEVED HE WILL RETURN TO
MICHIGAN TO BEGIN HIS NEW LIFE.
YOU CAN OF COURSE FOLLOW ALL
NEW DEVELOPMENTS HERE STARTING
TOMORROW ON LOCAL 4 AND OF
COURSE ON LINE AT CLICK ON
DETROIT.COM.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A
DEEP DIVE INTO THE TWISTING
TALE OF RICK, I INVITE TO YOU
CHECK OUT OUR POD CAST SERIES
SHATTERING WHITE.RICK.