I had never been the top five, and as you know the top five are the ones that score. The Feds arrested him at the department Friday morning and removed evidence. Primary filming took place in McFarland, California in 2013. Diaz, Damacio Diaz, David Diaz, Diego Coach Jim White Interview & the Diaz Family Looks Back, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile. The love they genuinely have for him was heartfelt and true. Diazs loyalty to Magallanes would be his downfall. var _ndnq = _ndnq || []; _ndnq.push([embed]); Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Map: Track this weekends rain in the Bay Area, McFarland USA runner gets prison for corruption as police detective. Like in the movie, Thomas Valles went to an overpass above Highway 99 one night after his parents got into a horrible fight. Matter of fact, he ordered us and he forced us and he made us play sports, because the way he saw it hes the first one, and so he learned it before us. And difficult to say what opportunities were missed or how much damage was done," said Benjamin Wagner, US Attorney. We then wanted to know, "How much, if any, input did you have to have on the filming and the making the movie?Damacio Diaz: Mr. White might have had more than us. That day I was fifth runner and I felt so much pressure, but you know, lucky we were able to pull it off. DANNY DIAZ : Absolutely. Girl, 13, Went Missing Last Week, and Suspect Is Arrested on . What about the children? Julie and Jami are depicted in the McFarland, USA movie. Former McFarland cross-country coach Jim White and his wife, Cheryl, leave the U.S. District Court in Fresno Monday after his one-time runner, former BPD detective Damacio Diaz, was sentenced. school and decides to put together a cross This hearing is not about telling someone they are no good, ONeill said. As he walked a Hollywood red carpet in February and talked to Action News anchor Graciela Moreno about McFarland USA, little did Diaz know his life was ready to unravel. The movie is based on the true story of a 1987 cross . Information from: The Bakersfield Californian, http://www.bakersfield.com. You have permission to edit this article. On October 3, 2016 Diaz was sentenced 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. More than 100 convictions were overturned as a result. JIM WHITE : From my aspect, I guess it was in various stages, because this was about a 15-year process for my wife and I. Disneys McFarland, USA, is helping to put the Diazs hometown on the map across the globe. My parents definitely pushed us to go that route and not thewide road most people go to is other than college. BAKERSFIELD, Calif., (KBAK/KBFX) Damacio Diaz, a former Detective for the Bakersfield Police Department, has been released from federal custody. Coach Jim White and his wife, Cheryl, with team member Thomas Valles at the 1987 California Southern Area cross country meet at Hart Park in Bakersfield. And he told me I want them to get their education, so I will go back and get my education. Let us send you our favorite posts and ideas once a week. You can read our Kevin Costner Interview about his role as Jim White in the McFarland, USA movie. Damacio stated that they were very proud of the way the movie portrayed their story their family. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Delaney speaks to the news media after former Bakersfield Police Department detective Damacio Diaz was sentenced Monday in U.S. District Court in Fresno to five years in federal prison. Damacio Diaz, portrayed in McFarland USA movie, Bakersfield PD officer Mara was released from a halfway house in April after serving a little less than four years in federal prison. and last updated 2016-10-03 21:34:05-04. Ray referred to Felicia Rosario as his "wife," though they were never married. But if it werent for sports our kids would be lost, because its either education and sports or the streets. [CHUCKLES] And about two years ago, Mr. White, you help me pull? MCFARLAND USA: An Interview with Legendary Coach Jim White We were very happy that that was going to take place. Gabriel Diaz, Damacio Diaz, David Diaz, Diego Diaz, and father and mother Paul and Juanita Diaz. He also committed serious, reprehensible crimes. McFarland, USA vs. the True Story of Coach Jim White's 1987 Team This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Juanita Diaz. Director Niki Caro chose to omit Luis Partida, who in the movie is replaced with David Diaz. Paul Fischer, 73, called the Inyo County . Richard Winton is an investigative crime writer for the Los Angeles Times and part of the team that won the Pulitzer Prize for public service in 2011. PrepCalTrack.com conducted this Jim White The sentence received Monday was more lenient than prosecutors had urged for Damacio Diaz, a 17-year veteran of the Bakersfield Police Department. Two misdemeanor prostitution cases in which Diaz as an undercover detective was the only witness have already been dismissed. My dad has 13 brothers and sisters. DAMACIO DIAZ : Yeah, we just run, Danny and I, just to stay in shape. With Kevin Costner, Ramiro Rodriguez, Carlos Pratts, Johnny Ortiz. Sentencing for Damacio Diaz continued to October - Yahoo! News Partly cloudy this evening followed by increasing clouds with showers developing after midnight. PE teacher in McFarland, an economically Posted on Published: February 18, 2015- Last updated: August 7, 2022. People Search What Happened to Damacio Diaz? Bakersfield Cop Seen in 'Killing County' Under the circumstances, theres absolutely no issue of dual justice here, he said. These I was able have aninterview 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. Thank you for reading! Police Corruption Scandal in Bakersfield Could Jeopardize Other Bakersfield, California, Police Narcotics Detective Charged with We run three, four, five miles a day just to stay in shape. Not exactly. Phillip A. Talbert said the two detectives were specially selected for a joint drug task force in a region plagued by methamphetamine. Disney turned it into a. 17 Damacio Diaz Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images FILTERS CREATIVE EDITORIAL VIDEO 17 Damacio Diaz Premium High Res Photos Browse 17 damacio diaz stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. We have also done internal investigations on many allegations that were made and once again they have been unable to uncover anything. McFarland, USA - Wikipedia A full house of over three hundred gave a rousing standing ovation to Jim and his wife, Cheryl. I was just running to, to displace other runners and add them more points. Former McFarland cross-country coach Jim White and his wife, Cheryl, leave the U.S. District Court in Fresno Monday after his one-time runner, former BPD detective Damacio Diaz, was sentenced Monday to five years in federal prison. under Coach Jim White at McFarland High Mara was released from a halfway house a month before Diaz, in April 2020, after serving just under four years in federal prison. That decision also rocked the Kern County criminal justice system, marking the beginning of an ugly police corruption scandal involving cash, drugs and protection. The United States Attorney's Office said Diaz continued to operate the informant "even though he was fully aware of the informant's ongoing criminal activity and, 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.". Newsweek has everything you need to know about what happened to Bakersfield cop Damacio Diaz and why. His viewpoint of not changing too much from that aspect I see a definite change. The highest homicide rate The most crime. Yes. Federal authorities say 43-year-old Damacio Diaz took bribes from a narcotics dealer, and, in exchange, provided the names of police informants, gave details of law enforcement investigations, and tried to protect him from arrest. They were very respectful and well-mannered towards him, treating him with much respect as we talked. See Who's Searching for You. Damacio stated that they were very proud of the way the movie portrayed their story their family. Plus, David still runs competitively and coaches. He would beat us up all the time. Many of the citizens of McFarland were extras in the movie. And Johnny was with him. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Diaz did a lot of good things, Delaney said. He retired in 2003 after 23 years of coaching boys cross country. The Department of Justice said Diaz and Mara would deliberately fail to submit seized drugs as evidence and instead would give them to Carter, who would sell them for profit. I wanna know what your guyss first reaction was when you heard that not only was your story going to be a movie but specifically this movie and knowing what these true life, inspirational movies become? Would they flee bargain the same way with non-police criminals? "It was damaging. Danny and Damacio run 3 to 5 miles a day to simply stay in shape. Damacio Diaz was sitting in his car alongside informant Guillermo Memo Magallanes. pic.twitter.com/qKxl7i5dfn. She argued that her husband has learned from his mistakes and should not face any prison time at all. Former detective depicted in 'McFarland, USA' is sentenced to five Known as @lacrimes on Twitter, during almost 30 years at The Times he also has been part of the breaking news staff that won Pulitzers in 1998, 2004 and 2016. I understand he did a lot of good before this criminal activity. The. Tom Sizemore dead at 61 after suffering brain aneurysm, Crews helping residents stranded by snow in Mariposa County, Home catches fire in snow-covered neighborhood in North Fork. 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. Former detective Patrick Mara was also implicated in the same crime. Acting U.S. Atty. As stated above, the real Jim White started teaching in the McFarland School District straight out of college in 1964. All Rights Reserved. After nearly three decades as a defense attorney, Torres said, he has seen people charged with trafficking in narcotics sentenced to much less prison time, and hes seen the reverse. They couldve chosen any other team, because we have nine state titles. Mr. White had a lot more influence in how this script was written. Youre driving on 99, the freeway, and you blink and youll miss it. Inspired by the irony of his last name, "Blanco" was one of the nicknames that the kids and their families gave Jim White. Mr. Diaz, their dad Paul, he pushed education real hard, too. DAMACIO DIAZ : He was our seventh man actually. No. So , DANNY DIAZ : Mr. White never went back to Stockton never again. The assistant U.S. attorney used the word paradox to describe Diaz, one of seven siblings raised in the northern Kern County farming community of McFarland in a religious family, and one that seemed the epitome of the American dream. A couple weeks later, the Bakersfield Police Department put him on leave after a federal investigation started to reveal an alleged connection to a major meth dealer. Davids the oldest and he was a bully. In a tweet promoting the documentary, the star mentioned the high homicide and crime rates in Bakersfield, calling the series a "thriller set in Kevin McCarthy's district," in reference to House Speaker McCarthy, whose congressional district includes parts of Bakersfield. View the profiles of people named Damacio Diaz. But the guys over here were in decent shape still. The multi-part documentary is coming to the streaming platform on February 3 and includes first-person interviews with individuals and families plagued by gun violence, officer-involved homicides and other crimes in Bakersfield and Kern County, California. All three girls graduated with degrees in education from Lubbock Christian University in Lubbock, Texas; Tami in 1985, Julie in 1988, and Jami in 1991. It was a huge fall from grace for Diaz, who was well known in the Central Valley as being a member of the high school cross-country running team portrayed in the 2015 Disney movie McFarland, USA.. Damacio Diaz said he doesn't recognize the man he was three years ago when he was a detective working for Bakersfield police. Its grapes and its oranges and its almonds and its cotton and stuff in our area, but those werent available. Jim White | Heroes Wiki | Fandom So, with myself, they [CHUCKLES] made me chubby in the movie. DAMACIO DIAZ, by and through his counsel, DAVID A. TORRES, hereby submits Damacio Diaz' Statement in Mitigation for the court's consideration. 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. [LAUGHS] And we dont have the big grocery stores. Then to keep him on the narrow road or that straight road is tough. A sentence of five years is less than what we expected, but its still a strong sentence, he said outside the courtroom after the hearing. Convicted former officer Damacio Diaz says corruption was from the top Theres nothing to do in McFarland. Their stories were told in a beautiful way and they are excited Disney picked their tale to tell. He was a fifth grade teacher and before he was a P.E. That was something that we did since we were third, fourth, fifth graders and by the time we got to college and were now training and, and running and living our lives with Mr. White some of us traveled out of the state, out of the country with Mr. White it became something that was gonna help us get out of our environment, and it did. And sports is what kind of helped us get out of that. No foul language or nudity - just fresh air. If they took statements, seized evidence or wrote reports, we will be sending letters to defense attorneys or defendants that represented themselves, she said. All seven Diaz children went to college and all seven returned to McFarland where they live today. Both are about to begin five-year federal prison sentences for their crimes. -LA Times. Here's what we know. May God BLESS you all richly. If its not for the help of our cousins and our uncles and our friends and our church its really difficult during these times to raise a child. Right now our community is excited obviously with the movie and rightfully so. We were about seven or eight years old when all that began. BAKERSFIELD, Calif. A former Bakersfield Police detective, serving time in prison for his role in a drug ring, has been released. picking in the fields. Coach Jim White (Kevin Costner) is the new McFarland, USA (2015) Full Cast & Crew See agents for this cast & crew on IMDbPro Directed by Niki Caro Writing Credits Cast (in credits order) verified as complete Produced by Music by Antonio Pinto Cinematography by Adam Arkapaw . Im a runner. A lot of us competed in college. Damacio Diaz was sitting in his car alongside informant Guillermo "Memo" Magallanes. Diaz this summer pleaded guilty to bribery, drug trafficking and tax evasion, and Mara admitted to selling methamphetamine. DANNY DIAZ : We didnt train. Carter was also ordered to pay $70,513 in restitution to his former employerwho he admitted to embezzling money fromand to forfeit $286,251 in proceeds from drug trafficking, according to federal prosecutors. About $15,000 stuck out of Magallanes'. The disgraceful and criminal behavior of Diaz and Mara has gravely impacted the Bakersfield Police Department as well as our community as a whole, she said. Now, local prosecutors say the scandal jeopardizes other criminal cases. Five years is much better than 17, from their point of view, and while prison time will be an ordeal for the one-time cop, everyone knew they had won something at least resembling a victory. Defendant reserves the . 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. Diaz was released from prison in May 2020. gun violence, officer-involved homicides and other crime, Colin Kaepernick is an executive producer, Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion. DANNY DIAZ : east from McFarland, Mr. White here would take us to the hills. The real Jim White and wife Cheryl White actually have three daughters, Tami, Julie and Jami. DAMACIO DIAZ : Mr. White might have more than us. Both men are currently in halfway houses, Diaz in the Sacramento area and Mara in the Long Beach area. Colin Kaepernick releases trailer for new true crime docuseries Were all a year apart. 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. Their city logo and motto have both been refreshed to express the new outlook of their community. In May 2020, Diaz was released from a halfway house in Sacramento, where he was staying after serving his time. He did a lot of things for us that our dad couldnt, becauseit financially just wasnt available. cross country coach talks about what it His attorney says he should be home for the holidays and then back in court in Fresno in January. But Bakersfield Police Chief Greg Williamson said the federal and internal inquiries after 18 months cleared them all. country team. 'McFarland USA' runner Damacio Diaz gets prison - The Mercury News This behavior became common, prosecutors said. All seven Diaz children ran for Jim White and all seven went on to . In 2018, another man, Noel Carter, from Bakersfield, pleaded guilty to conspiring with Diaz and Mara to distribute drugs, according to federal prosecutors. In the least, such scenes seem to have been exaggerated by the filmmakers. Wife of public defender who died at Mexico resort speaks out. Copyright 2020 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Damacio Diaz, 43, was arrested on November 20, 2015 and charged with abusing his position of trust as a police detective when he conspired with and assisted a narcotics dealer in the operation of the dealer's drug organization. High 61F. But federal agents arrested him at work today. There are no shopping malls or large grocery stores.
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