interview. Yes. He retired in 2003 after 23 years of coaching boys cross country. People Search FEMALE : How McFarland had changed, um, now that the movies gone? He told me to take my wife out on a date or buy my kids something, Diaz would later recall in court papers. However, he had been a teacher in the McFarland School District since 1964, following his graduation from Pepperdine University. He is portrayed by Kevin Costner. . In our case, you know, theres seven and my dad worked a lot of hours. We have changed our city logo. He did submit every kind of narcotics to evidence following each bust. It is a day I truly regret and a decision that has changed my entire life.. But federal agents arrested him at work today. . Damacio stated that they were very proud of the way the movie portrayed their story their family. A 1997 LA Times article described it as a rickety, worn bicycle, but did not state that it was a girl's bicycle like in the movie. Vida en el Valle file Daniel Casarez. They have also lived in Mc Farland, CA and Delano, CA. 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 . He is amazing. Two years later, we signed with another one, not quite that often, but it took a long process. When the informant left, the narcotics detective found just under $1,000 in the passenger-side door pocket. 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. DANNY DIAZ : You know, growing up in McFarland we didnt have much. But U.S. Atty. 1972 March 9 - Damacio Diaz birth date 1973 April 17 - Noel Carter birth date 1980 March 16 - Noel Carter birth date 1982 July 15 - Derrick Penney birth date 1986 August 7 - Logan August birth date 1996 August - Damacio Diaz hired by the Tulare Police Department. And he told me I want them to get their education, so I will go back and get my education. Four years ago on a sweltering afternoon, Bakersfield Police Det. Damacio Diaz, 44, of McFarland, formerly a detective with the Bakersfield Police Department, was sentenced today to five years in prison for bribery . Chance of rain 40%. Diaz pleaded guilty last spring as part of a plea agreement that became public in May. They came from a large family where faith,educationand hard work were important. We are no longer theHeartbeat of Agriculture. (I am in the red in the back betweenDamacio and Danny). Since we have a newborn we weren't able to see the pre-screening in theaters but I hope to see it as soon as it comes out on DVD. DANNY DIAZ : Running in the race, Mr. White and the rest of the guys were telling me Joses out of it. - 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. Likely not. challenged town in California's farm-rich Its hard to understand how he could do both.. Los Angeles, Downtown L.A stabbing sends six to hospital; 1 arrested, San Diego Roman Catholic diocese facing yet another lawsuit from its insurance company, K-Pop isnt the only hot ticket in Koreatown how trot is captivating immigrants, Los Angeles is suddenly awash in waterfalls, Officials unprepared for epic mountain blizzard, leaving many trapped and desperate. Damacio Diaz. But thats okay. 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. And, wow, those hills are its not rolling hills. We signed with this one company. DAMACIO DIAZ : Our kids all compete. 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. All of us went to college. But he encouraged us to play sports. Go see it with your family! The. 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. Former NFL player Colin Kaepernick is an executive producer on new Hulu documentary "Killing County," which explores the story of Damacio Diaz. Back then, McFarland was largely white demographically. Yes. 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. Coach White called Thomas over. DAVID DIAZ : He was a very inspirational part. Juanita Diaz. Youre driving on 99, the freeway, and you blink and youll miss it. Thank you for reading! Diaz will be sentenced for three federal counts on October 3rd. As, as hes retired. They work in the school system and believe in. Thats what they wanted to do and Im just excited to be included in the movie. Diaz, Damacio Diaz, David Diaz, Diego Yeah, yeah, yeah. Along with fellow BPD Detective Patrick Mara, 40, the two were sentenced to five years in federal prison. 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. The three Diaz brothers featured in the new Disney movie, David, Damacio and Danny, all speak highly of both of their parents. The Bakersfield Californian says (http://bit.ly/2dGESLb) the U.S. Attorneys Office recommended between 17 and 22 years. 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. 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. Sunny to partly cloudy. Defendants could seek motions for a new trial or to withdraw pleas in some cases. Theyre looking out for my kids and were trying to police each other, because its very easy to get distracted and go way off course. White retired in 2002 afterteaching in McFarland schools for 40 years and coaching for 25 years. In the least, such scenes seem to have been exaggerated by the filmmakers. 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. 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. The drugs were seized by Bakersfield police officers Damacio Diaz and Patrick Mara before being given to Noel Carter, 45, so he could sell them, according to federal prosecutors. Diazs loyalty to Magallanes would be his downfall. But Bakersfield Police Chief Greg Williamson said the federal and internal inquiries after 18 months cleared them all. So, for us it was normal. In 2016, Diaz, 48, was sentenced for "federal programs bribery, possession and attempted possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, and making and subscribing a false income tax return." It depends on the circumstances. In May 2020, Diaz was released from a halfway house in Sacramento, where he was staying after serving his time. it all made sense. Now we are a runner running through the field, a figure silhouette of a runner. The Feds said Diaz was cheating the system in several ways -- for one, by stealing cash for drug buys or stealing the drugs from drug buys. Is that how the last race happened? Did Coach White encourage you to use any of his style when youre teaching or coaching? Damacio stated that they were very proud of the way the movie portrayed their story their family. "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. So, my dad worked ten, twelve, thirteen, fourteen hours a day sometimes and both of them [his parents] come from large families. My mom has 12. Their actions risked their fellow officers safety for greed.. Jim White restarted the program in 1980 after it had been dropped for a year. That decision also rocked the Kern County criminal justice system, marking the beginning of an ugly police corruption scandal involving cash, drugs and protection. [CHUCKLES] And, and we didnt train and we got fifth that year. White and many other family members and friends were in court to support Diaz. Damacio Diaz (R) and guest attend the Bakersfield Special Screening of "McFarland, USA" in Bakersfield, CA on Feb. 15th, 2015. I've watched "McFarland" probably more than 200 times. Clovis PD investigating woman's death, asking public to avoid area. You pick up any type of bug or any type of leaf, he knows what it is. What Happened to Damacio Diaz? Keep an eye on your inbox for updates. 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. 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. He says that However, it happened a little differently than in the movie. . There are no shopping malls or large grocery stores. They investigated every name that came up, uncovered every rock, and no one elses name came to light in their scandal, the chief said. Diaz said that his time as a narcotics detective drove him to a life of drinking and that Magallanes, a drug dealer and a prominent member of the Mexican Mafia, became more friend than informant. Inspired by the irony of his last name, "Blanco" was one of the nicknames that the kids and their families gave Jim White. Like in the movie, Thomas Valles went to an overpass above Highway 99 one night after his parents got into a horrible fight. Davids the oldest and he was a bully. DANNY DIAZ : Absolutely. -LA Times. 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. We would like your email. All Rights Reserved. February 3, 2023, 11:49 PM Part of the docu-series focuses on former Bakersfield Police Officers Damacio Diaz and Patrick Mara. Newsweek has everything you need to know about what happened to Bakersfield cop Damacio Diaz and why. So Im always looking out for their kids. View Others. Join Facebook to connect with Damacio Diaz and others you may know. I was just running to, to displace other runners and add them more points. According to the National Park Service, citing law enforcement officials, the husband and wife were discovered on Jan. 13. on their time as cross country runners Although, David did add that his mom is actually much more strict than she is made to bein the movie. And when it was suggested Diaz could help rebuild the communitys trust in the police department if only he were allowed the freedom to do so, the judge pounced again, saying he didnt believe that trust damaged so severely by a person given such extraordinary powers could be fully restored. The 16-count indictment against the 17-year police veteran includes bribery and trafficking methamphetamine. [LAUGHS], JIM WHITE : Let, let me answer that, cause when Mrs. Diaz saw this film the first time, she came out and she said I love the film, but they didnt make me strict enough.. They were sooo funny to chat with. I never had pressure. DAMACIO DIAZ : He was our seventh man actually. We were racing big races and trying to accomplish big things, so we looked at Mr. White as our dad. As you pull into McFarland, you will know notice a silhouette of a runner running through an open field. And we were part of the Royal Rangers andwe did that on Tuesday nights at our local church. DAVID DIAZ : So, it helps you running wise and mentally wise, as well, because you have to endure that steepness, if you will.
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