The. The sentence received Monday was more lenient than prosecutors had urged for Damacio Diaz, a 17-year veteran of the Bakersfield Police Department. [LAUGHS]. Now college is very encouraged, but back in the dayI wouldnt say that a fifth of the folks in high school ended up [finishing], especially folks of our color and our culture. They appeared happy to be with us, and they enjoyed sharing their behind the scenes stories about the . Our third man, Jose, he just-. How did that impact your lives during high school to move on in the future? And so, its just a fun place to be. Oh, its more than an indiscretion, he said. Mara said that when he partnered up with Diaz in spring 2012, Diaz walked out of a bedroom and handed him a few hundred dollars, while he stuck a large amount of money into his own pockets, according to court papers. BAKERSFIELD, Calif., (KBAK/KBFX) Damacio Diaz, a former Detective for the Bakersfield Police Department, has been released from federal custody. -John Harte, Yes, and at times the White family paid for new shoes and clothing for the team out of their own pockets. Disney turned it into a. it was in various stages, because this was about a 15-year process for us, my wife and I . We were about seven or eight years old when all that began. DANNY DIAZ : You know, growing up in McFarland we didnt have much. Yes. Information from: The Bakersfield Californian, http://www.bakersfield.com. We don't know that anyone was physically injured as a result of it, fortunately. Right before interviewing Kevin Costner (see that here), we had the great privilege of interviewing the real life inspirations behind the new Disney film, McFarland, USA, Coach Jim White and the Diaz brothers, David, Damacio and Danny.They were so charming, and funny, and honest. I am excited to share with you another great interview from my McFarland, USA press trip. So , DANNY DIAZ : Mr. White never went back to Stockton never again. As well as accepting illegal bribes, Diaz engaged in drug trafficking while with the BPD. -Congressional Record, V. 146, Pt. 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 was released Friday from a halfway house in Sacramento, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Unlike most defendants sentenced to prison for drug trafficking and other serious crimes, Diaz, dressed in a dark suit, walked out of the courthouse Monday afternoon unshackled, temporarily a free man. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. BAKERSFIELD, Calif. A former Bakersfield Police detective, serving time in prison for his role in a drug ring, has been released. 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? The U.S. Attorneys Office had recommended a sentence of between roughly 17 and 22 years, but the judge had discretion. That was the only thing really that they had thats available to show that type of work [for the movie]. So I'd have two practices." Silvia died on October 27, Herlinda on October 28. Mara, a 13-year veteran, had 55 cases involving 70 defendants. Danny Diaz was not overweight, but he was the seventh runner on the team. For my son, it pushed him to go to college and do well while he was in high school. We [LAUGHS], we played basket. The legendary former McFarland The movie pushes up his arrival and coaching position at McFarland to 1987, the first year his cross country team attended and won the state championship (1987 was also the very first year that California had a state championship). Danny and Damacio run 3 to 5 miles a day to simply stay in shape. But the guys over here were in decent shape still. High 61F. The former BPD official apparently knew what he was doing wasnt right in any way, shape, or form, yet he couldnt find a way out as there was no one he could approach for help, as per the docuseries. DAMACIO DIAZ : And if I can add to that. As you pull into McFarland, you will know notice a silhouette of a runner running through an open field. However, he did rebuild the boys and girls cross country programs from the ground up. We have also done internal investigations on many allegations that were made and once again they have been unable to uncover anything. Diaz pleaded guilty last spring as part of a plea agreement that became public in May. She argued that her husband has learned from his mistakes and should not face any prison time at all. We signed with this one company. Damacio Diaz, 44, of McFarland, formerly a detective with the Bakersfield Police Department, was sentenced today to five years in prison for bribery . Is that how the last race happened? Under the circumstances, theres absolutely no issue of dual justice here, he said. His partner, Patrick Mara, admitted to selling methamphetamine. It depends on the circumstances. Yet his desire to always be at the front and center of action soon reached such an extent that he started blurring the line between right and wrong, resulting in his arrest in November 2015. 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. Diaz was a Tulare county sheriffs deputy years ago, but he's been at the Bakersfield police department for 17 years, the last four as a narcotics detective. A lot of us competed in college. So, for us it was normal. Chance of rain 40%. Were all a year apart. We maybe started school but hardly any of us finished. DANNY DIAZ : Running in the race, Mr. White and the rest of the guys were telling me Joses out of it. Coach White concurred and said their mom even asked why they didnt make her strict enough. DANNY DIAZ : east from McFarland, Mr. White here would take us to the hills. 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. They went back to the original first year that we won state. He is amazing. It reviewed 87 cases. His viewpoint of not changing too much from that aspect I see a definite change. And so, we have a great dad. But Mr. White was our second father. Yes. In 2016 Diaz was sentenced for crimes including federal. Jim White is to Thomas' right and Gary Adams is to White's right. CA. Newsweek has everything you need to know about what happened to Bakersfield cop Damacio Diaz and why he is featured on Killing County. Both men are currently in halfway houses, Diaz in the Sacramento area and Mara in the Long Beach area. And so, we have kids that are in high school and some that are in elementary school. Coach Jim White Interview & the Diaz Family Looks Back, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile. Though it is very close, Jim White likely wouldn't have had a clear view of it from his classroom window, as a street of homes separates the school's athletic fields from the prison grounds. Newsweek has everything you need to know about what happened to Bakersfield cop Damacio Diaz and why. But thats okay. Damacio Diaz features in new Hulu documentary "Killing County. Whether it be Burglary, Financial Crimes Detail, Homicide, Narcotics Investigations, Sexual Assault, Special Enforcement (Gang), or Vice, he worked in every department at one point or the other. pic.twitter.com/qKxl7i5dfn. This behavior became common, prosecutors said. McFarland, USA: Directed by Niki Caro. 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. So, Danny youre talking about they made you a little different. 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. 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. DAVID DIAZ : Not at all. DAVID DIAZ : Uh, we donttrain. [CHUCKLES] Same thing happened back in the day when we were kids. Although, David did add that his mom is actually much more strict than she is made to bein the movie. 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. Eguenia was best described by many that The corruption scandal broke in November 2015 when federal agents arrested Bakersfield Police Detective Damacio Diaz for helping traffic methamphetamines. Diaz, a former Bakersfield police detective, is interviewed on camera in Killing County. If one or two of those boys couldn't make practice at four o'clock 'cause they're just gettin' in from work, then I might practice at 6 or 7 o'clock with those boys. Members of McFarland's Diaz family reflect They spoke often of God and their church, as well as the work they do there. Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. And then Disney resigned us and got a better script writer. 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The former NFL player is an executive producer on Hulu's "Killing County.". Defendants could seek motions for a new trial or to withdraw pleas in some cases. When I found out that it was Christian driven (truth !) It was fat. It gave you character. Posted on Published: February 18, 2015- Last updated: August 7, 2022. Their stories were told in a beautiful way and they are excited Disney picked their tale to tell. -LA Times. Diaz this summer pleaded guilty to bribery, drug trafficking and tax evasion, and Mara admitted to selling methamphetamine. DIAZEugenia Vasquez Diaz loving wife, mother, grandmother passed away on August 1, 2012 at the age of 94. My parents definitely pushed us to go that route and not thewide road most people go to is other than college. Then the following season, we were ranked number one for the entire season. . The DOJ said Diaz and Mara deliberately failed to submit seized drugs as evidence and instead provided the stolen narcotics to Carter. McFarland, USA comes to theaters on Friday, February 20th. PrepCalTrack.com conducted this Jim White They couldve chosen any other team, because we have nine state titles. In other words, he joined the Tulare Police Department as a low-level officer in August 1996 just to work hard and be able to move on to Bakersfield as a detective precisely two years later. Damacio is related to Elizabeth Z Diaz and Delia G Garza as well as 3 additional people. Thank you for reading! 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. Under it you read three words:Tradition, Unity, and Excellence. - 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. 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. Yes. Its grown a little bit in the last two, three years but not much has changed. The film is based on a true story, about how American cross country coach James "Jim" White coached the team of Hispanic kids at McFarland High School, from nobodies to mysteries to the racing community. 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. Central Valley. Its grapes and its oranges and its almonds and its cotton and stuff in our area, but those werent available. Former detective Patrick Mara was also implicated in the same crime. So the only way I could get some of them into some of the fields that I had to do the work with them. He will have about two months to think about what comes next. Would they flee bargain the same way with non-police criminals? He was a fifth grade teacher and before he was a P.E. DAMACIO DIAZ : He was our seventh man actually. 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. Damacio Diaz, 48, is scheduled for release on May 10 while Patrick Mara, 40, is expected to be free on April 20, according to Federal Bureau of Prisons records. 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. He gave them information to clean up the department, said his lawyer, David Torres, in an interview. cross country coach talks about what it Delaney was the prosecutor in the case. 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. The 16-count indictment against the 17-year police veteran includes bribery and trafficking methamphetamine. Plus I am a big Kevin Costner fan, I dont think I have ever not liked one of his movies. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. And sports is what kind of helped us get out of that. He told me to take my wife out on a date or buy my kids something, Diaz would later recall in court papers. So, thats a big change. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. [CHUCKLES] When we were growing up, maybe seven, eight, nine, ten thousand people is the population. Although, the brothers did say that the town hasnt really changed much, Coach White has noticed one big change. All seven Diaz children ran for Jim White and all seven went on to . Damacio Diaz, former BPD detective who stole drugs and put them back on the street, released from custody In our case, you know, theres seven and my dad worked a lot of hours. Assistant U.S. Atty Brian Delaney said Magallanes was arrested in a separate case and told officials about Diaz. 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. Damacio Diaz said he doesn't recognize the man he was three years ago when he was a detective working for Bakersfield police. All the notoriety that theyre getting and what this man over here, Mr. White, our coach, has brought to not just our program but to our community. The district attorneys office is prepared to retry the cases if necessary, Assistant Dist. DAVID DIAZ : So, just to go back and let you know how my mother was depicted in previous scripts [LAUGHS] was probably a more accurate [CHUCKLES] version. They were very respectful and well-mannered towards him, treating him with much respect as we talked. Now that he's cooperating with authorities, he has allegedly implicated others in the department, including his former partner . Phillip A. Talbert said the two detectives were specially selected for a joint drug task force in a region plagued by methamphetamine. to know what it feels like to be Im a runner. If you havent seen a trailer yet, here you go, Follow McFARLAND, USA on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mcfarlandusa, Follow Disney Pictures on Twitter: https://twitter.com/disneypictures. 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. Calif. Julie and Jami are depicted in the McFarland, USA movie. [LAUGHS] And we dont have the big grocery stores. 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.".