She writes narrative pieces with a strong emphasis on the Latino community and others that make up the diversity of L.A. and California. Broncos pick up Jeudy's 5th-year rookie option, Flames fire coach Sutter after three seasons, Bills ink vet Murray after passing on RBs in draft, College baseball player hit by stray bullet at game, USF RB facing charge for felony domestic battery, Panthers limit ticket sales to block Leafs fans, Kealia, J.J. Watt invest in PL-bound Burnley, LB Barrett's 2-year-old daughter drowns in pool, 'It's going to be epic': Stephen Curry and LeBron James face off -- again, Fantasy football rankings for 2023 season, 10 fantasy football breakout players for 2023. Dear Abby: I have a great life, so why have I fallen into this shameful behavior? And these moments form the cinematic story of "McFarland, USA," just as much as the actual running does. Diaz was a member of the team that won the state championship. Damacio Diaz (R) and guest attend the Bakersfield Special Screening of "McFarland, USA" in Bakersfield, CA on Feb. 15th, 2015. the chemistry you see on screen is exactly what we are in real life if not more. BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) Disgraced former Bakersfield police detective Damacio Diaz has been released from custody after serving a federal term for stealing drugs during the course of his police work and putting them back on the street. McFarland has about 12,000 people, 95 percent of whom are Latino -- migrants who have found their way to the Central Valley for more than 40 years to work in agriculture. The former narcotics officer is now known, however, for going to prison in 2016 for charges tied to drugs, bribery and tax fraud. We appreciate the support we have been given throughout this investigation and wish to thank the community for their patience and understanding., DEA Special Agent in Charge John J. Martin stated, Damacio Diaz committed crimes in a community he took an oath to serve and protect. Yvonne Gaide was sentenced today to 12 months and one day in prison and ordered to pay $472,717 in restitution for wire fraud in relation to a scheme to divert Sacramento Main Office While on duty on Sept. 20, 2012, Diaz stopped a vehicle operated by two people from Yakima, Wash., and used a police dog handler and police dog to search the car. Ramiro Rodriguez pictured with Rafael Martinez ("David Diaz) and Michael Aguero ("Damacio Diaz") at the McFarland USA press conference. Diaz, a former Bakersfield police detective, is interviewed on camera in Killing County. According toABC 23, Ramirez was shot at a parking lot near a hotel while working as an off-the-books police informant for the Bakersfield Police Department, attempting to gain information on felon Justin Harger. An official website of the United States government. 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The behavior and criminal activity that was exposed during this comprehensive investigation is in no way reflective of the commitment and remarkable public service the over 500 employees of the Bakersfield Police Department provide to our community on a consistent basis. After serving his sentence, Mara was sent to a halfway house in Long Beach before ultimately being released in April 2020. Suggest an edit or add missing content. Damacio Diaz one of the three Diaz brothers depicted in the 2015 Disney film about the victorious Central Valley team admitted to lying on his tax returns and accepting bribes from an . Diaz initially became well-known after the release of 2015 Disney movie, McFarland USA, starring Kevin Costner. BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (AP) An ex-detective who was on the championship 1987 track team depicted in the movie McFarland USA has been sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to bribery and drug charges. NFL Player Patrick Mahomes' Net, Is Patrick Gibson In A Relationship and Who Has He Dated?, Is YouTube Gaming Killing Twitch? Grant Thompson is a screenwriter based in Los Angeles. Their businessman associate, Noel Carter, was sentenced to seven years and five months in prison for his role in re-distributing the drugs, as well as defrauding customers to whom he leased space by embezzling checks into his personal bank account. Meet, Alyssa Diaz's Children: Who Is Alyssa Diaz Married To? When Diaz filed a joint income tax return that year, he omitted additional income of at least $97,900, according to the U.S. attorneys office. White -- played in the film by Kevin Costner -- wasn't from McFarland. Caro had a particularly hard time finding the right actor to play McFarland runner Danny Diaz. In fact, these 7 actorsspent so much time together that they built genuine relationships off the set. A week later, Diaz booked approximately one pound of methamphetamine from the vehicle stop into evidence. In addition to accepting illegal bribes, Diaz also engaged in drug trafficking while with the BPD. Where are BPD Officers Aaron Stringer and Rick Wimbish Now. Elsie Fisher. When Rodriguez arrived at the auditions, Caro got a call from the producer saying the right person . See agents for this cast & crew on IMDbPro Directed by . Doug Brien recalls doing it. They still believe in him, and so does his attorney, David A. Torres, who said, "He is and was a hero, in my opinion, and he is the same Damacio Diaz he is.". Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip Talbert said at the time of Diaz's sentencing: "Diaz had a life that afforded him many opportunities, including the opportunity to serve and protect his community as an officer of the law. Damacio Diaz was handed down a five-year sentence in federal prison for drug trafficking, bribery and other charges. Official websites use .gov McFarland, USA is already in theaters and doing well! February 18, 2015 By // by Coralie 6 Comments. Find Danny Mcfarland stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, and the Bakersfield Police Department. Actor known for playing Damacio Diaz in the 2015 sports drama film McFarland, USA. Menu. From left to right: Thomas Valles, Victor Puentes, Damacio Diaz, Johnny Samaniego, Jose Cardenas, Danny Diaz . THE Danny Diaz in McFarland, USA. As it turns out, Ramirez was an informant at the behest of Damacio Diaz and Patrick Mara. Along with fellow BPD Detective Patrick Mara, 40, the two were sentenced to five years in federal prison. As a documentary series that delves deep into the alleged corruption, cover-ups, and crimes within the Bakersfield Police Department over the years, Hulus Killing County is unlike any other. Diaz turned his back on those opportunities and broke the trust his community placed in him, violating the very laws he was sworn to enforce.. Once you watch McFarland, USA, I think you will be inspired to believe the same thing! Welcome to Killing County. What the longest game in MLB history says about baseball today, Which teams will reach the NBA conference finals? These I was able have an interview with Jim White and the Diaz brothers (David Diaz, Damacio Diaz and Danny Diaz) who are the real life inspirations behind the McFarland, USA film. The FBI and its federal law enforcement partners will continue to identify and investigate individuals who violate their oath of service and ignore the commitment they made to their communities.. He broke the chain because he didnt want to live that life or go down that path. This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, and the Bakersfield Police Department. Damacio Diaz is interviewed on camera inKilling County,which premieres on Feb. 3, 2023, on Hulu. Michael Aguero, who playsDamacio Diaz, was also a runner from the area. At least, that's where my head was at in the fall of 2010, when I was approached to write a movie about a high school cross-country team from the Central Valley of California, from the (literally) one-stoplight town of McFarland. The Diazes grew up with more than 10 family and extended family members all crammed into a small, two-bedroom, cinder-block house. Why is Frank McCourt really pushing it? Damacio Diaz is one of the subjects of new Hulu documentary Killing County. He did submit every kind of narcotics to evidence following each bust. She is inspired by her father's passion for running and works hard to be the best athlete she can be. On September 20, 2012, while on duty, Diaz stopped a vehicle operated by two individuals from Yakima, Washington and used a BPD dog handler and police dog to search the vehicle. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. Michael Aguero is known for McFarland, USA (2015) and Made in Hollywood (2005). The latest true crime docuseries from ABC News Studios isKilling County,whicharrives onHuluon Feb. 3. But his chief is ready to turn his back. Lock Diaz was one of the real-life members of the team. Diaz and Mara maintained possession of the remaining nine pounds of methamphetamine, and they ultimately sold it for their own personal gain. Diaz and his two brothers were members of the cross-country team that won the . The 2004 Red Sox "idiots," Gregg Popovich's San Antonio Spurs dynasty, or the European Ryder Cup squads -- all of these championship teams have won more than individual player valuation suggested that they should. A South Valley legend so popular he became the subject of a Disney movie has taken a hard fall. Vida en el Valle file Daniel Casarez. Report an . Photo by RON PHILLIPS -- From left, Johnny Sameniego (Hector Duran), Victor Puentes (Sergio Avelar), Damacio Diaz (Michael Aguero), Danny Diaz (Ramiro Rodriguez), Coach Jim White (Kevin Costner . The primary subject of the documentary is the victim, Jorge Ramirez, Jr. Where are Damacio and Patrick now? Why did he share it? According to court documents, between April 2012 and February 2015, while employed as a police officer with the Bakersfield Police Department (BPD), Diaz handled a criminal informant who was involved in the large-scale sale and distribution of methamphetamine. Copyright 2020 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Diaz and Mara maintained possession of the remaining nine pounds of methamphetamine, and they ultimately sold it for their own personal gain. They just did so at night, after seven hours of school and seven more hours of backbreaking work in the fields. Despite the possible life sentence, a federal judge ruled Diaz can be released. BAKERSFIELD, Calif. A former Bakersfield Police detective, serving time in prison for his role in a drug ring, has been released. Three suspects in custody following fatal shooting in South L.A. Man who set five wildfires in San Diegos back-country gets 9 years in prison, Man serving life sentence for raping and killing San Bernardino 9-year-old charged with murder in second cold case. According to court documents, between April 2012 and February 2015, while employed as a police officer with the Bakersfield Police Department (BPD), Diaz handled a criminal informant who was involved in the large-scale sale and distribution of methamphetamine. FRESNO, Calif. Damacio Diaz, 44, of McFarland, formerly a detective with the Bakersfield Police Department, was sentenced today to five years in prison for bribery, possession and attempted possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, and making and subscribing a false income tax return, Acting United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. Because maybe, just maybe, the community of McFarland didn't just influence White to finally lay down his own family's roots there. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. They were running close to 12 hours a day for shooting. We would like your email. Their foreman was also their father, but their true taskmaster was their mother. But the boys were committed to the fledgling running program, and White was a good enough salesman that they still made it to cross-country practice. Can street race king Perez challenge Verstappen for the title? Julie is a smart, determined young girl who loves running. Jim White moves his family after losing his last job as a football coach, and at his new school he turns seven disappointing students into one of the best cross-country teams in the region. Over the years, the Diazes used that work ethic to put one foot in front of the other long enough to achieve success in agriculture, law enforcement and education. If you've played any sport at any level, then you've probably sacrificed to a certain extent -- running suicides in basketball, Oklahoma drills in football. Julie is one of the main characters in the 2015 Disney sports drama McFarland, USA. Learn more about the full cast of McFarland, USA with news, photos, videos and more at TV Guide . Brittny Mejia is a Metro reporter who joined the Los Angeles Times in 2014. For each of them, watching their small town suddenly be on the map has been a blessing. Principal Camillo: Danny Mora . Our experts predict every series, Memphis wasn't 'fine in the West' -- getting there hinges on massive culture questions, Why the Lakers' real test begins now, after dispatching the No. Times staff writer Matt Hamilton contributed to this report. Kevin Costner. Damacio Diaz, whose story was told in a Disney movie about a high school cross-country team, admitted to accepting bribes and drug offenses, federal prosecutors said. He's a former 20-year veteran of the Bakersfield Police Department and was . This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Damacio Diaz was a Bakersfield police detective who was sentenced to five years in prison in October 2016 for stealing drugs to put back onto the street. There used to be a lot of crime back then, like gangsters and stuff, but now its really holding down its spot for the national spotlight. Former detective Patrick Mara was also implicated in the same crime. Family is especially important in McFarland, as it is in many ethnic cultures in this country. During this time, Diaz received bribes from the informant in return for intelligence on law enforcement activities as well as protection from investigation and arrest. A true crime thriller we made set in Kevin McCarthys district. Follow these guys to see where they are headed next! This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. She is the daughter of the lead character, Jim White, and his wife, Cheryl. People are now proud to say theyre from McFarland. He refused to let it end in Game 7, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. "The embarrassment is just going to keep growing over this," Laura Harth, the campaign director at Safeguard Defenders, told Newsweek. Since then, from what we can tell, the 50-year-old has chosen to retire and lead a comfortable yet quiet life in his home county of Kern; he hasnt moved anywhere. "McFarland, USA" is inspired by a 1987 true story, in which an unlikely band of inexperienced, under-equipped, young Latino runners with exceptional determination rise to become cross-country state champions under the leadership of their coach, Jim White. Mara was released from a halfway house in April after serving a little less than four years in federal prison. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! Workingwith him was one of the best experiences of mylife.. The film tells a fictionalized version of the McFarland High School cross-country team's 1987 race to victory. For more California news, follow @brittny_mejia. TheCalifornia Department of Justicenotes that Damacio Diaz and Patrick Mara conspired with businessman Noel Carter, where they deliberately failed to submit the seized drugs into the BPD evidence room, and instead provided the stolen narcotics to Carter so Carter could sell those narcotics for profit.. Diaz was one of the real-life members of the team. Former detective Patrick Mara was also implicated in the same crime. Damacio Diaz sentenced to 5 years for drug charge. Diaz was charged with assisting a drug dealer and providing him with names of police informants, and with trafficking drugs that had been seized for evidence. In 2016, one of the real-life McFarland runners, Damacio Diaz, was sentenced to five years in prison for taking bribes and selling drugs while he was a Bakersfield police detective. Dear Abby: Am I overreacting to my European daughter-in-law's behavior? The Bakersfield Police Department is committed to building and maintaining public trust by holding our employees accountable for their actions and we will continue to provide quality service to our community. Damacio Diaz, who was featured in the movie McFarland, USA and is currently a detective with the Bakersfield Police Department, has been arrested on bribery and drug trafficking charges. But federal agents arrested him at work today. Acting U.S. Attorney Talbert stated: Diaz had a life that afforded him many opportunities, including the opportunity to serve and protect his community as an officer of the law. It was at the Bakersfield Police Department that Damacio was able to rise the ranks in the way hed always desired going from patrol operations to serving at several high-profile units. Greed was a major motivation for Diaz to begin making unfortunate decisions that brought him to conspire with drug dealers and accept bribes for money. McFarland USA, released in 2015and starring Kevin Costner, is based on the McFarland High School cross-country team that won the California championship in 1987. They are the real-deal and its inspiringto see their interactions even when they are not on camera together. Earlier this year, Diaz one of the three Diaz brothers depicted in the 2015 Disney film about the Central Valley team that won the state championship admitted to lying on his tax returns and accepting bribes from a criminal informant in return for information about police during a three-year period starting in 2012, according to the U.S. attorneys office. U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of California, Domestic Violence, Child Exploitation, and Human Trafficking Prevention, Former Bakersfield Police Department Detective Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Bribery, Drug Trafficking, and Filing a False Tax Return, Former State Employee Sentenced to 12 months in Prison for Role in $2 Million Scheme to Defraud the Office of AIDS, Eastern District of California Completes Prosecution of 20 Defendants in DMV Corruption Cases, Bay Area Men Charged with Bribing a Vallejo City Official. Imagine a movie being made about your small town. This means in April 2023, Damacio and Courtney will be celebrating their 17th wedding anniversary. Damacio Diaz was a subject of the movie McFarland USA and became a Bakersfield police officer. Full court documents of who Diaz is as well as Diaz's final statements before sentencing. Damacio Diaz, a former Bakersfield, Calif., detective, speaks after his federal sentencing in a bribery and narcotics case in Fresno, Calif., Monday, Oct. 3, 2016. But talking to the Diaz brothers, and every runner for McFarland, I saw something deeper: a type of bond that forms only when people are pushed to their physical and mental limits. HOLLYWOOD, CA - FEBRUARY 09: Damacio Diaz attends the world premiere of "McFarland, USA" at The El Capitan Theatre on February 9, 2015 in Hollywood, California. But you will learn that he, and the other 6 runners, are actually much more than that. There's a reason for that. The BPD dog handler did not seize any of the drugs from the vehicle, but turned the scene over to Diaz and Mara to secure the methamphetamine and oversee the investigation of the incident. The former police officer was subsequently sentenced to five years in federal prison, just to be released days early from a halfway house in Sacramento, California, on May 8, 2020. This case is finally over, and we are extremely blessed and happy to announce that we are victorious, Diaz said. Damacio Diaz (R) and guest attend the Bakersfield Special Screening of "McFarland, USA" in Bakersfield, CA on Feb. 15th, 2015. The 44-year-old Damacio Diaz was a 17-year veteran of the department Associated Press. David, Damacio and Danny Diaz all ran for coach Jim White on McFarland High's first state championship team in 1987, a journey portrayed in the film, "McFarland, USA." Yes, the McFarland High boys did win a team title at the first CIF-State Cross . Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. For the Diazes, that often was their literal brother. U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. ONeill ordered Diaz to begin serving his sentence on December 5, 2016. Carter would then could sell those narcotics for profit. Rafael was also probably the most soft-spoken and polite young man on the panel (not that they werent all polite). The Bakersfield Police Department is committed to building and maintaining public trust by holding our employees accountable for their actions and we will continue to provide quality service to our community. The highest homicide rate The most crime. Family Life It's worth noting that when I interviewed the entire Diaz family, I did so in their large, comfortable house that was built by hand, on land that the family now owns. . photo. . The only thing that separates us is the color of our skin, so we should try to treat each other equally., For Johnny, he wants people to take away these four ideals when they walk out of the theater:motivation, dedication, inspiration, and anythings possible.. Nightly family dinners, Sunday church, festive quinceaeras -- these are vital community experiences to be celebrated and celebrated together. That's food off our table.". Keep an eye on your inbox for updates. A true crime thriller we made set in Kevin McCarthys district. Mara pleaded guilty to related charges in June and is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 17. Find where to watch movies online now! Ramiro Rodriguez had no intention of auditioning when he agreed to . Find where to watch movies online now!

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