A true crime thriller we made set in Kevin McCarthys district. 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. They still hang out and text each other. Damacio Diaz, 43, of McFarland, California, a detective with the Bakersfield, California, Police Department (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 U.S. Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner of the Eastern District of California . 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.. The Diazes grew up with more than 10 family and extended family members all crammed into a small, two-bedroom, cinder-block house. Brittny Mejia is a Metro reporter who joined the Los Angeles Times in 2014. 95814, Telephone:(916) 554-2700 Ramiro Rodriguez pictured with Rafael Martinez ("David Diaz) and Michael Aguero ("Damacio Diaz") at the McFarland USA press conference. The most police executions. Copyright 2020 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. 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. Diaz was released from prison in May 2020. gun violence, officer-involved homicides and other crime, Colin Kaepernick is an executive producer, SCOTUS Now Just Another Congressional Committee, Secret Chinese Police Stations in Europe Are 'Tip of the Iceberg', Trump's Attorney Just Blew Carroll Rape Case, King Charles Says Royals Require 'Acting Ability', Ukraine Will Regain 'Significant Territory' From Russia, Florida GOP Paves the Way to Help Ron DeSantis Challenge Trump. Jim White . The highest homicide rate The most crime. Damacio Diaz was released Friday from a halfway house in Sacramento. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. "It was damaging. It was back in 1987 when Damacio Diaz inadvertently became a local celebrity of sorts owing to the way he built McFarland High School's winning cross-country dynasty alongside his two brothers. Based on the true story of a 1987 cross country team from a mainly Latino high . An official website of the United States government. Their feet are in the fertile soil, their gaze is forward, and they run shoulder-to-shoulder -- right next to one another. Both had their sentences reduced. Former detective Patrick Mara was also implicated in the same crime. Amongst those to feature in this three-part original is law enforcement official turned convicted felon Damacio Diaz so now, if you wish to learn more about him, weve got you covered. In doing so, he betrayed the trust of the public and his fellow officers., Damacio Diaz used his lawful authority as a sworn peace officer with the Bakersfield Police Department to illegally enrich his self-interests, said Michael T. Batdorf, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation. Its really coming together and being a community[the way]it should be.. Date Ideas Marriage Affirmations Affirmations for Him Marriage Tips Real Life Marriage DIY Marriage Retreat, Baby Activities for Kids Affirmations for Kids Parenting Teens Communication is Key Spreading Their Wings, Curriculum Preschool Elementary Most Asked Questions Things You Didn't Know Tips for Success, First Grandchild Role of Grandparents Getting Started Big Shoes to Fill They Say Your Name Grandparent Adventures. 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. Diaz violated not only the trust of this organization but that of this community. Kevin Costner arrives at the world premiere of "McFarland, USA" held at the El Capitan Theatre on February 9, 2015 in Hollywood, California. February 18, 2015 By // by Coralie 6 Comments. His attorney says he should be home for the holidays and then back in court in Fresno in January. Select from premium Danny Mcfarlane of the highest quality. 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. Thanks! He's a former 20-year veteran of the Bakersfield Police Department and was . Newsweek has everything you need to know about what happened to Bakersfield cop Damacio Diaz and why he is featured on Killing County. Actor 59 Credits. 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. . The "Law & Order", Who Are Rooney Mara's Parents and What Do They Do For A. Jamie White. Similar to Diaz, Mara pled guilty to stealing narcotics such as methamphetamine and marijuana to give to Noel Carter for profit. 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.". Mara pleaded guilty to related charges in June and is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 17. Former Bakersfield Police officers Damacio Diaz, 48, and Patrick Mara, 40, have been released from federal custody, according to the Board of Prison's website. Damacio Diaz: Diana Maria Riva . 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. Along with fellow BPD Detective Patrick Mara, 40, the two were sentenced to five years in federal prison. The town has changed for the better. 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 . But federal agents arrested him at work today. Just ask Danny, David or Damacio Diaz, who, along with their 1987 cross country teammates are portrayed in the new movie, "McFarland, USA," about the unlikely rise of a high school cross . All of that, plus the number of takes to get a shot, added up to much more than an actual 5K for these guys. As it turns out, Ramirez was an informant at the behest of Damacio Diaz and Patrick Mara. 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.. Cop depicted in movie 'McFarland USA' pleads guilty to bribery, drug charges. Thats because it comprises not only archival footage but also first-hand accounts of individuals closest to the matter to truly uncover this Californian citys merciless, violence-driven justice system. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Have a question about Government Services? 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. McFarland, USA (2015) Full Cast & Crew. Because, as their father told him in a line of dialogue that ended up in the movie, "Every hour my boys train with you is an hour they don't work with me. Damacio Diaz is one of the subjects of new Hulu documentary Killing County. Damacio was actually indicted on 16 federal counts related to bribery, drug trafficking, and filing a false tax return on the grounds he resold a lot of the drugs he confiscated during his police work. Where are BPD Officers Aaron Stringer and Rick Wimbish Now. . 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." He was in a 2015 episode of Made in Hollywood. Diaz was a member of the team that won the state championship. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - An ex-detective who was on the championship 1987 track team depicted in the movie "McFarland USA" has been sentenced to . Diaz pleaded guilty to the charges on May 31, 2016. Diaz continued to operate the informant even though he was fully aware of the informants ongoing criminal activity. Family is especially important in McFarland, as it is in many ethnic cultures in this country. The former narcotics officer is now known, however, for going to prison in 2016 for charges tied to drugs, bribery and tax fraud. Diaz, 48, was a member of the famed McFarland cross-country teams of the 1980's. He was portrayed in the movie Damacio Diaz, a former Detective for the Bakersfield Police Department, has been . 501 I Street, Suite 10-100 Public corruption takes a heavy toll on our communities, and our office remains committed to prosecuting such conduct., Bakersfield Chief of Police Williams stated: I appreciate the efforts of all agencies involved in this lengthy and exhaustive investigation and I am thoroughly satisfied with the ultimate conviction of Damacio Diaz. The film tells a fictionalized version of the McFarland High School cross-country team's 1987 race to victory. Diaz, a former Bakersfield police detective, is interviewed on camera in Killing County. 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. 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.". Did that come from cardiovascular endurance, muscle strength, proper running form? Yes, McFarland is an inspirational story. "The embarrassment is just going to keep growing over this," Laura Harth, the campaign director at Safeguard Defenders, told Newsweek. the chemistry you see on screen is exactly what we are in real life if not more. Speaking of being off camera, what did each of these young men take away from the movie? It was back in 1987 when Damacio Diaz inadvertently became a local celebrity of sorts owing to the way he built McFarland High Schools winning cross-country dynasty alongside his two brothers. The highest homicide rate The most crime. 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. Welcome to Killing County. Dear Abby: I have a great life, so why have I fallen into this shameful behavior? Then something changed, Most of Yosemite Valley is closed due to potentially perilous snowpack and flooding, Four dead in apparent mass shooting in Mojave, What was behind the protest against an archaeologist at last weeks L.A. Times Book Festival, Column: If not cops or guns, what will it take to make us feel safe? Find where to watch movies online now! 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. A week later, Diaz booked approximately one pound of methamphetamine from the vehicle stop into evidence. They just did so at night, after seven hours of school and seven more hours of backbreaking work in the fields. The trio honestly had an unwavering determination in their efforts despite being mere teenagers at the time, and thats what eventually inspired the 2015 Disney sports drama film McFarland, USA. However, the former chose to pursue General Education as a field of study instead of focusing on his athleticism upon graduation because he apparently hoped to establish his career as a teacher. There's a reason for that. He actually skipped school to make the audition but has no regrets about it. As well as accepting illegal bribes, Diaz engaged in drug trafficking while with the BPD. Damacio Diaz, right, shakes hands with Tomas Valles as the team readies for the start of the Southern section championships in the 1987 season. Find where to watch movies online now! What the longest game in MLB history says about baseball today, Which teams will reach the NBA conference finals? Not to mention, he has become one of my familys best friends! She was the one who drove them to the fields at 5 a.m., where they picked fruit right up until the school bell rang, and then again in the afternoons after school. Damacio Diaz (R) and guest attend the Bakersfield Special Screening of "McFarland, USA" in Bakersfield, CA on Feb. 15th, 2015. He broke the chain because he didnt want to live that life or go down that path. 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. Once you watch McFarland, USA, I think you will be inspired to believe the same thing! ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. streaming McFarland, USA? He was a student from the Bakersfield area. Hectorbelieved that the film reinforced the idea of equality and not judging a book by its cover., That once you get deeper into whats real and all the values that are there, you see that everybodys equal. Lock 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. This football coach arrived in town and figured out that the work ethic and stamina forged in the fields would translate better to distance running. Johnny Samaniego ended up coaching cross-country for 10 years, before coaching the girls' basketball team at McFarland High School. Diaz and his brother Danny were on the championship team; a third brother, David, had graduated by then but was included in the movie version. Three out of the seven young McFarland USA cast actors on the team in the movie are from the McFarland areaSergio Avelar who plays Victor Puentes and Michael Aguero, cast as Damacio Diaz, are actual runners and Ramiro Rodriguez, as Danny Diaz, was a champion soccer player. Official websites use .gov Actor: McFarland, USA. IRS-CI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners and the United States Attorneys Office to investigate these types of crimes that have a negative impact on our communities and the American Taxpayer., Diaz's illegal activity caused irreparable damage to his reputation, put the lives of others at risk, undermined public trust in the Bakersfield Police Department, and facilitated criminal activity, said Special Agent in Charge Monica M. Miller of the FBI Sacramento field office. Hes that person. 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. After sentencing, Diaz spoke with reporters outside the federal courthouse in Fresno. Seor Diaz: Valente Rodriguez . The series explores how his family was affected by the corruption, but it also focuses on a former police detective named Damacio Diaz. During the defense's cross-examination of E. Jean Carroll, Trump's attorney asked the writer why she "did not scream" when she was "supposedly raped. Sure. How Palm Springs ran out Black and Latino families to build a fantasy for rich, white people, 17 SoCal hiking trails that are blooming with wildflowers (but probably not for long! For more California news, follow @brittny_mejia. The Bakersfield Californian says (http://bit.ly/2dGESLb) the U.S. Attorneys Office recommended between 17 and 22 years. If you follow them on social media, you can see it even more. He ran one year of cross-country in high school in Gainesville, Florida; he wasn't particularly fast. victorian bikepacking routes,
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