In 1984, Rick Wershe is a struggling single father living in
Detroit during the height of the
crack epidemic and the
war on drugs. His dissatisfied daughter, Dawn, leaves their home, leaving Rick alone with his son,
Ricky. Rick manufactures gun parts and sells guns illegally to make ends meet, involving his son in the sale of a pair of
silenced Egyptian
Kalashnikov rifles to local gangster Johnny Curry. Ricky becomes good friends with Johnny's brother, Boo, which earns him the favor of Johnny and his crew. Rick's activity attracts the attention of the
FBI, and he is questioned by two agents, Alex Snyder and Frank Byrd, who see Ricky as a potential
asset due to his connections with the
criminal underworld. They convince Ricky to become an undercover
informant behind Rick's back in exchange for money and
immunity for his father. Ricky is asked to sell drugs to keep up appearances. He becomes captivated by his extravagant new lifestyle and gains credibility as a drug supplier. Rick is suspicious of his son and confronts Ricky when he finds thousands of dollars in illicit cash underneath his bed, causing a rift between them. While Ricky is meeting with Dawn at a diner one evening, his grandfather's car is stolen, and the two shoot at the fleeing car. They are arrested but bailed out by Ricky's
handlers, which arouses suspicion from Johnny. At a party following a boxing match in
Las Vegas, Johnny beats his rival's friend, Black Ed, within an inch of his life with a bottle of champagne. Afterwards, he orders a
drive-by on the home of his rival, Leon Lucas, killing one of his young nephews. Ricky learns that the weapons used were the same AKs he had sold to Johnny. Devastated by his involvement in the murder of a child, he keeps a low profile and mends his relationship with his father. Johnny suspects Ricky is an informant and sends a crew member to his house, who shoots him in the stomach. While at the hospital, Snyder informs Ricky that they have enough evidence to raid all of Johnny's
safe houses, and asks him to forget about the shooting in exchange for dropping all charges on his father. In 1986, a little boy tells Ricky that his former girlfriend had a daughter named Keisha and that Ricky is the father. Rick and Ricky come over to see the child, who wins over the affection of both of them. Later on, they find Dawn at a drug den and forcibly take her home to detox. One year later, Ricky goes back to selling crack and assumes the role that Johnny left behind, even going so far as having sex with his wife, Cathy. Ricky discovers he has earned more than enough money to make his father's dream of opening up a
video store come true. However, FBI agents arrest Ricky and he is held on drug possession with intent to distribute, which could land him a potential
life sentence. Ricky's former handlers deny their relationship with him but promise they will try to get his sentence reduced if he cooperates on one last bust. Ricky has Cathy help him out with a large shipment of drugs, and the FBI raids the deal, arresting everyone involved. Ricky is found guilty and is sentenced to life in prison. Rick confronts the two agents about their deal, but they feign ignorance. After another year, Dawn, Rick, and Keisha visit Ricky in prison. Rick tries to give his son hope, but Ricky laments that his life is over. Rick tears up and apologizes for not being able to give him an easy life like he wanted. An epilogue reveals that Ricky was imprisoned for over 30 years, holding the record for the longest prison term for a non-violent offender in the state of
Michigan. He was finally released on
parole in 2017. His father died in 2014. His daughter, Keisha, is now happily married with two sons. A voice recording of the real Ricky Wershe Jr. plays in the background, saying that nobody thought he should really be in prison, but that he was feeling happy and hopeful. ==Cast==