Rush (1991 Film) - Factual Basis

Factual Basis

This film is based on the real-life 1977 Tyler, Texas drug scandal, in which Wozencraft and her partner Creig Matthews (who was later her husband) were sent in undercover to try to arrest, and if necessary set up, a Tyler club owner by the name of Kenneth Bora (the Will Gaines character is based on him). Wozencraft and Matthews set up over 100 casual drug users that they bought or were given small amounts of drugs from, most of which they used themselves, and also eventually filed a false case against Bora as well, who spent almost 5 years of a 20 year sentence in prison before being exonerated. Wozencraft and Matthews finally admitted to the U.S. Attorney's office that they had falsely created most of the cases they had filed in Tyler, at the behest of the then Tyler police chief Willie Hardy, including the case that led to Boros conviction and imprisonment. While awaiting trial Wozencraft and Matthews married, and shortly thereafter pled guilty to federal deprivation of civil rights charges. Wozencraft served 3 years in federal prison and Matthews served almost 5. The lives of those that they falsely accused were also largely destroyed. The Tyler Police Department was cleaned up by court order in the early 1980s. Wozencraft is now an author and lecturer, but also remains a convicted felon. The Tyler Drug Scandal remains one of the earliest and highest profile police corruption scandals of its kind, and the scandal led to reforms in evidentiary procedures and other significant law changes.