Richard "White Boy Rick" Wershe Jr.
It has been 27 years since RIchard "White Boy Rick" Wershe Jr., 46, was locked up as a teen after his conviction in Detroit on drug trafficking.
He's had FBI agents and federal prosecutors try to get him paroled over the years, with no luck. He unsuccessfully tried to get Gov. Jennifer Granholm to release him. And he's had no luck convincing the state parole board to give him a break and set him free.
Now, comes the latest.
Kevin Dietz of WDIV reports that Wershe's lawyer has asked Gov. Rick Snyder to look at the case and consider a commutation so Wershe can go free. The lawyer, Ralph Musilli, says that the parole board has a biase against Wershe and won't give him a fair hearing. Wershe last had a hearing in 2003, and hasn't had one since.
Snyder's legal department acknowledged receiving the request and has said it will now go before the parole board for a recommendation.
Musilli believes that the parole board has been adamant about not letting Wershe go.
So, news that Snyder was going to defer to the parole board did not sit well.
"The last time (Wershe) was up for consideration was 2012. They refused him a hearing, "Musilli told WDIV. "They said we will see you in 2017. Well, this is ridiculous."
In a recent phone interview from prison, Wershe told Dietz he has no faith in the parole board.
"At this point, Kevin, I don't know what else I can add," said Wershe. "It is what it is. These people ... there is someone or something keeping me in prison and it's not the crime I committed. Why has everyone else been released?
