Diazs attorney, David Torres, was clearly relieved by the judges decision. We basically told our story, got interviewed for hours and hour and hours, and that was pretty much it. He would beat us up all the time. Facebook gives people the power to. DANNY DIAZ : Im trying to be nice here. Copyright 2023 KFSN-TV. Diaz was active as a youth coach, and as a cop he rose quickly through the ranks before, as he said, he was seduced by the lure of easy money, by stealing and selling methamphetamine for personal profit, the very drugs he was being paid to get off the streets. But thats okay. And so, we were just happy that Disney stuck with that first year and were lucky to be in the movie. But even prosecutor Brian Delaney of the U.S. Attorneys Office seemed satisfied with Diazs ultimate sentence, a dozen years fewer than the minimum he had recommended. director of photography Film Editing by David Coulson Casting By Sheila Jaffe Production Design by Richard Hoover Damacio Diaz features in new Hulu documentary "Killing County. It reviewed 87 cases. 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. [LAUGHS] We all, all of us are basketball players. We were raised in the field, it was our life. I still race competitively even though youre not as good as you once were. [LAUGHS] Theymade me, uh . Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters, (L-R) David Diaz, Danny Diaz and Damacio Diaz attend the premiere of Disney's "McFarland, USA" at the El Capitan Theatre on February 9, 2015 in Hollywood, California. That streak ended while the movie was in production, after the small school was elevated to Division I status, a byproduct of their success. The hearing included impassioned appeals by Diazs brother, wife and daughter, with the two latter witnesses in tears through much of their statements. See Who's Searching for You. About $15,000 stuck out of Magallanes shorts. He had to take off to Stockton to, to be with his family with a family situation and he left us there to, to train on our own. Their city logo and motto have both been refreshed to express the new outlook of their community. What Happened to Damacio Diaz? In April 2019, Carter was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison for conspiring with Diaz and Mara to sell the seized drugs. Diaz, a former Bakersfield police detective, is interviewed on camera in Killing County. We have also done internal investigations on many allegations that were made and once again they have been unable to uncover anything. Delaney acknowledged that Diaz provided information that was helpful in bringing charges against his former police partner, Patrick Mara, whose own sentencing is scheduled Oct. 17. Juanita Diaz. He advised her to first trust in God, as the Almighty, he said, is not subject to the weaknesses and failings of humankind. She was amazing in the movie. They are portrayed to be 15 and 10, a few years younger than they actually were at the time of the first state title in 1987 (the girls were in college at the time). Select this result to view Damacio Diaz's phone number, address, and more. He pleaded guilty earlier this year to charges he. Damacio stated that they were very proud of the way the movie portrayed their story their family. Their mom and dad worked hard and pushed the boys even harder to succeed and do well. And, uh, low and behold, Mr. White, during Thanksgiving break, uh, when we have no school, he had an emergency. I notice a lot of you became teachers. 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, Damacio Diaz, David Diaz, Diego "McFarland's Family of Champions," are Keep an eye on your inbox for updates. The highest homicide rate The most crime. It reviewed 87 cases. Learn how your comment data is processed. FRESNO Disgraced former Bakersfield Police Department detective Damacio Diaz was sentenced Monday in U.S. District Court to five years in federal prison a far more lenient sentence than prosecutors had urged for offenses including drug trafficking, taking bribes and lying on his tax return. under Coach Jim White at McFarland High Were all a year apart. 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. People Search 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. Greens office reviewed 87 cases of the detectives involving 123 defendants before deciding to send the letters. it was in various stages, because this was about a 15-year process for us, my wife and I . She argued that her husband has learned from his mistakes and should not face any prison time at all. (I am in the red in the back betweenDamacio and Danny). They went back to the original first year that we won state. Some, like David Diaz, became teachers themselves. Carter would then could sell those narcotics for profit. I cannot thank all of the people involved enough for bringing this story to us. The student thus enrolled at California State University-Fresno while changing his major to Criminology as well as Military Science (1992-1996) before deciding to acquire training on the job. We all feel grateful and the whole communitys just embracing it. This included members of the Bakersfield High Drillers. Newsweek has everything you need to know about what happened to Bakersfield cop Damacio Diaz and why he is featured on Killing County. We love our dad. Source: YouTube/KGET Article continues below advertisement Defendant reserves the . Then to keep him on the narrow road or that straight road is tough. He gave them information to clean up the department, said his lawyer, David Torres, in an interview. picking in the fields. No foul language or nudity - just fresh air. JIM WHITE : Thomas. Assistant U.S. Atty Brian Delaney said Magallanes was arrested in a separate case and told officials about Diaz. Lisa Green is sending letters to defendants in 64 potentially tainted criminal convictions after her office examined scores of convictions involving the work of the disgraced pair. [LAUGHS] Much worse. Therefore, Damacio pleaded guilty to bribery, possession, attempted possession with the intent to distribute, and false income tax returns on May 31, 2016 hed resigned from BPD months prior. potential at the predominantly Latino high Diaz this summer pleaded guilty to bribery, drug trafficking and tax evasion, and Mara admitted to selling methamphetamine. 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. The real Coach Jim White took both the boys and girls cross country teams to the California central coast beach at Cayucos during the 1985 season (not the 1987 season). The community of McFarland still works as a village to raise their youth. DANNY DIAZ : You know, growing up in McFarland we didnt have much. [LAUGHS] And we dont have the big grocery stores. I didn't want to go home," says Thomas. They investigated every name that came up, uncovered every rock, and no one elses name came to light in their scandal, the chief said. The McFarland, USA true story supports that McFarland High School won nine CIF California State Championships in cross country (including five in a row) and held a streak of attending the state championship meet 24 years in a row. -LCU.edu, Yes. Damacio Diaz was a subject of the movie McFarland USA and became a Bakersfield police officer. David is represented in the McFarland, USA movie along with two of his brothers, Damacio and Danny. DAVID DIAZ : Yeah, so just to let you know: I think Hollywood did a, a very good job of depicting and not making it look too guilty as regarding CPS. Former NFL player Colin Kaepernick is an executive producer on the project, and says in the trailer that it "is one of the most powerful projects I've ever been involved with.". I used to take Damacio and some of hispeers. Patrick Mara, center, speaks while flanked by attorney Fred Gagliardini. Our father never could ever go watch us race. It taught you how to accept losing or winning. It was really an honor. Members of McFarland's Diaz family reflect Did you ever do that again? The real Jim White and wife Cheryl White actually have three daughters, Tami, Julie and Jami. DAMACIO DIAZ : Yeah, we just run, Danny and I, just to stay in shape. This one looks awesome, can't wait to see it. All Rights Reserved. He got into the truck and began to talk with Coach White about his difficulties at home. Mr. Diaz, their dad Paul, he pushed education real hard, too. Damacio Diaz, 44, was sentenced Monday for bribery, possession and attempted possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and making and subscribing a false income tax return,. You have permission to edit this article. ONeill instructed Delaney to directly telephone the warden of the prison assigned to receive Diaz in order to help ensure the safety of the former cop who will soon find himself behind bars. Damacio Diaz. So, Danny youre talking about they made you a little different. And theres not much to do there. BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) Damacio Diaz found himself on the other side of the law when he was convicted and sentenced for his role in selling drugs stolen from a Bakersfield Police Department evidence room. But U.S. Atty. The DOJ said Diaz and Mara deliberately failed to submit seized drugs as evidence and instead provided the stolen narcotics to Carter. 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. The 16-count indictment against the 17-year police veteran includes bribery and trafficking methamphetamine. -LA Times. So, at that point I was running the sixth man and so I became fifth man and I was, for the first time in my life in the top five. JIM WHITE : Let me add a little bit of that. But I still do that and I coach. If it were ethical, I would pay to have you go to UCLA, he said, noting that it clearly was not. His attorney says he should be home for the holidays and then back in court in Fresno in January. [Asking Danny referring to the last race of the first year]. Second former BPD cop could receive up to 27 years, but Deputies agree to plead guilty to drug charge in case connected to disgraced BPD cop, VIDEO: Christmas wonderland featuring the Grinch Mobile, Graphic Content: 2014 homicide of Abel Trujillo, Kern County Public Health Services Department, Mansion's $3M sale tops high-end price trend, California community colleges rely too much on part-time faculty and misspend funds, audit finds, Frontier's Estrada repeats as 145-pound state boys wrestling champion; Golden Valley's Roby is runner-up in girls 189, Aera sells to German energy investor, Canadian pension fund, Home prices still under pressure as Bakersfields median skids, PHOTO GALLERY: Day 3 of the 3-day CIF State Wrestling Championships, PHOTO GALLERY: Day 2 of the 3-day CIF State Wrestling Championships, PHOTO GALLERY: Day 1 of March Meet at Famoso Raceway, PHOTO GALLERY: Opening day of the 3-day CIF State Wrestling Championships, PHOTO GALLERY: Kennedy hosts Delano in the Central Section Division V boys soccer championship, PHOTO GALLERY: 'It keeps them wanting to come to school': Shirley Lane Elementary celebrates Read Across America, PHOTO GALLERY: 'A beautiful Black History Month party', PHOTO GALLERY: Cold snap causes snow, road closures near Frazier Park, PHOTO GALLERY: CALM's black bear Cid makes Super Bowl pick. In Boise, Idaho, 1987, Jim White and his title of coach is signifying his status as a . BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - - Damacio Diaz, 43, of McFarland, a detective with the Bakersfield Police (BPD) was arrested today, 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, announced United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner, FBI Special Agent in Charge Monica M. Miller . But federal agents arrested him at work today. All seven Diaz children ran for Jim White and all seven went on to . That year, Mara filed for bankruptcy and said he was drinking heavily. Coach Jim White (Kevin Costner) is the new DAVID DIAZ : He was a very inspirational part. When the informant left, the narcotics detective found just under $1,000 in the passenger-side door pocket. 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. View Public Details & Court Records. Though according to Damacios own account in the Hulu production, his dreams and aspirations took a complete turn once he witnessed some adrenaline-pumping, actual police work first-hand. The movie is based on the true story of a 1987 cross country team, that Diaz was a member of, from a mainly Latino high school in McFarland, California, that won a state championship. Read More: Where are BPD Officers Aaron Stringer and Rick Wimbish Now? Now that he's cooperating with authorities, he has allegedly implicated others in the department, including his former partner . Then the following season, we were ranked number one for the entire season. This was an all expense paid trip provided by Disney. country team. [LAUGHS], Kevin Costner and Carlos Pratts in McFarland, USA. Silvia died on October 27, Herlinda on October 28. And he did. All of a sudden I saw these headlights and it was Mr. White in his '59 Chevy." Diaz may be a free man later tonight, but he's facing life in prison for allegedly helping a meth dealer get drugs and stay undetected, all while he was supposed to be a narcotics detective. February 3, 2023, 11:49 PM Part of the docu-series focuses on former Bakersfield Police Officers Damacio Diaz and Patrick Mara. So Im always looking out for their kids. Do you feel like the movie does a good job of describing that culture (of family and pickers)? On that day, Leopoldo became a man. When I found out that it was Christian driven (truth !) "Niki Caro wanted to show more family in the movie so they chose me," says the real David Diaz, who actually graduated during the school year before the first state title win. . Like in the movie, Thomas Valles went to an overpass above Highway 99 one night after his parents got into a horrible fight. Everyone there is excited about the movie and thenotoriety they have been receiving from it. I never had pressure. But this is gonna be a family movie, so it is okay. . Welcome to Killing County. Along with fellow BPD Detective Patrick Mara, 40, the two were sentenced to five years in federal prison. We don't know that anyone was physically injured as a result of it, fortunately. Former narcotics detective Damacio Diaz has accepted a plea deal in connection with federal charges that could send him to prison for life. 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. It is a day I truly regret and a decision that has changed my entire life.. DANNY DIAZ : And we played basketball the entire week. The Bakersfield Californian says (http://bit.ly/2dGESLb) the U.S. Attorneys Office recommended between 17 and 22 years. I understand he did a lot of good before this criminal activity. DAVID DIAZ : Uh, we donttrain. Diaz became well-known after being portrayed in the 2015 Disney movie, McFarland USA, starring Kevin Costner, about the transformation of a running team in McFarland. DAMACIO DIAZ : Yeah, were very, very proud of the way the movie portrayed us, our family. Both girls were on this trip to a meet in Santa Maria and the beachs, and these photos are from Silvia's album, which her family had saved. Raul was also a runner on the team when his sister was killed. Diaz, a former Bakersfield police detective, is interviewed on camera in Killing County. Im a runner. In an extraordinary statement, Judge ONeill spoke directly to Diazs daughter, Caroline. pic.twitter.com/qKxl7i5dfn. He says that But, no, they made me chubby or overweight [CHUCKLES] and hecka hella slow [LAUGHS] when you watch the movie. Thats a long time in jail for someone who once wore a badge.. What about the children? Overall though, they agreed that the picker lifestyle and Latino culture of the community was perfectly captured. Four years ago on a sweltering afternoon, Bakersfield Police Det. Michael Aguero as Damacio Diaz Rafael Martinez as David Diaz Ramiro Rodriguez as Danny Diaz Diana-Maria Riva as Seora Diaz Vanessa Martnez as Maria Marsol Martha Higareda as Lupe Valente Rodriguez as Principal Camillo Chris Ellis as Coach Jenks Eloy Casados as Dale Padilla Natalia Cordova-Buckley as Seora Valles Production [ edit] Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Desperate mountain residents trapped by snow beg for help; We are coming, sheriff says, Hidden, illegal casinos are booming in L.A., with organized crime reaping big profits, Look up: The 32 most spectacular ceilings in Los Angeles, This fabled orchid breeder loves to chat just not about Trader Joes orchids, Elliott: Kings use their heads over hearts in trading Jonathan Quick, 19 cafes that make L.A. a world-class coffee destination, Newsom, IRS give Californians until October to file tax returns, 12 reasons why Sycamore Avenue is L.A.s coolest new hangout, Best coffee city in the world? They pocketed 4 pounds and turned in just a pound as evidence, officials said. Damacio Diaz, former BPD detective who stole drugs and put them back on the street, released from custody Disneys McFarland, USA, is helping to put the Diazs hometown on the map across the globe.