'White Boy' Rick Wershe's sister 'confident' ahead of parole board decision

DETROIT – As "White Boy" Rick Wershe awaits a decision from the Michigan parole board, his sister joined Local 4 to talk about her brother and his case.

"I feel confident that they're going to parole him," Dawn Wershe said.

Wershe has spent nearly 30 years behind bars since being caught May 22, 1987, with 8 kilos of cocaine and a bag of cash. He was pulled over by police and ran into his grandmother's house.

His sister said that while her brother made mistakes, the family believes enough is enough.

"I feel that he's done more than his fair share," Dawn Wershe said. "I feel he's being punished for underlying reasons."

You can watch the full interview with Dawn Wershe in the video posted above.

Wershe met with two members of the parole board and Assistant Attorney General Scott Rothermel for a hearing on June 8. He came away from the meeting feeling "cautiously optimistic."

Dawn Wershe said her brother is "more anti-drug than the prosecutor is."

Rick Wershe was 17 years old when he was thrown in prison. He's now 47.

"He's a changed man," Dawn Wershe said. "Rick's never murdered. He's never raped. He's never robbed."

Wershe worked as an informant for the FBI, helping federal officials round up corrupt police officers in Detroit.

"I think there are people in the city who probably have bad feelings because of what he did," Dawn Wershe said.

The parole board will announce its decision sometime today. Stay with Local 4 News and ClickOnDetroit.com for all the breaking updates.

You can watch the full webcast below.