Damacio Diaz, right, shakes hands with Tomas Valles as the team readies for the start of the Southern section championships in the 1987 season. Report an . A $300-million (minimum) gondola to Dodger Stadium? U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of California, Domestic Violence, Child Exploitation, and Human Trafficking Prevention, Former Bakersfield Police Department Detective Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Bribery, Drug Trafficking, and Filing a False Tax Return, Former State Employee Sentenced to 12 months in Prison for Role in $2 Million Scheme to Defraud the Office of AIDS, Eastern District of California Completes Prosecution of 20 Defendants in DMV Corruption Cases, Bay Area Men Charged with Bribing a Vallejo City Official. A former Bakersfield Police Department detective and member of the famed McFarland High School cross-country team depicted in the Disney film McFarland, USA was sentenced this week to five years in prison. Family Life As a detective in Bakersfield, Calif., Damacio Diaz rose to national attention after the film McFarland, USA, was released in 2015.The film tells a fictionalized version of the McFarland High . But even worse, they say he tipped off the drug dealer when police might be coming his way, even giving the guy information from a secret wiretap. It has been life-changing for these young men. The 44-year-old Damacio Diaz was a 17-year veteran of the department. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. We love each other as brothers and we never lost that connection. Damacio Diaz was released Friday from a halfway house in Sacramento, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Diaz and his two brothers were members of the cross-country team that won the . And these moments form the cinematic story of "McFarland, USA," just as much as the actual running does. Read More: Where are BPD Officers Aaron Stringer and Rick Wimbish Now? That's food off our table.". Diaz violated not only the trust of this organization but that of this community. What Happened to Damacio Diaz? 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. In their races, when they'd hit a wall on that last uphill climb, the McFarland runners consistently dug deeper than their opponent. 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. Diaz and his brothers were members of the . In 2016, one of the real-life McFarland runners, Damacio Diaz, was sentenced to five years in prison for taking bribes and selling drugs while he was a Bakersfield police detective. Along with fellow BPD Detective Patrick Mara, 40, the two were sentenced to five years in federal prison. Following Diaz and Maras indictment in October 2016, Damacio was released from a halfway house in Sacramento in May 2020, perKGET. 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. Michael Aguero is known for McFarland, USA (2015) and Made in Hollywood (2005). 2 Grizzlies, LIVE Transfer Talk: Man United, PSG to battle for Abraham, Bayern back in charge, Yamal makes history, Napoli's party spoiled: Weekend Review. Damacio Diaz features in new Hulu documentary "Killing County. 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.". Diaz continued to operate the informant even though he was fully aware of the informants ongoing criminal activity. Rooney Mara's Children: Who Is Rooney Mara Married To? Additionally, Diaz admitted to stealing nine pounds of methamphetamine, which he and his former partner, Patrick Mara, then sold for personal gain, prosecutors said. But it also came from a burning desire not to let their teammates down -- their literal and their figurative brothers. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. Meet, Alyssa Diaz's Children: Who Is Alyssa Diaz Married To? 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. U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. ONeill ordered Diaz to begin serving his sentence on December 5, 2016. Diaz had a life that afforded him many opportunities, including the opportunity to serve and protect his community as an officer of the law, said Phillip A. Talbert, the acting U.S. attorney for Californias eastern district. But talking to the Diaz . streaming McFarland, USA? Yvonne Gaide was sentenced today to 12 months and one day in prison and ordered to pay $472,717 in restitution for wire fraud in relation to a scheme to divert Sacramento Main Office Michael Aguero, who playsDamacio Diaz, was also a runner from the area. Find where to watch movies online now! According to the plea agreement, Diaz also filed a joint income tax return for the calendar year 2012 that falsely reported total income of $168,485 and did not include additional income of at least $97,900. Before Fame. Similar to Diaz, Mara pled guilty to stealing narcotics such as methamphetamine and marijuana to give to Noel Carter for profit. Copyright 2020 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. He actually skipped school to make the audition but has no regrets about it. 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. Talbert announced. Mr. Ortiz believes that if he can do it anyone can. Diaz initially became well-known after the release of 2015 Disney movie, McFarland USA, starring Kevin Costner. Nightly family dinners, Sunday church, festive quinceaeras -- these are vital community experiences to be celebrated and celebrated together. In fact, these 7 actorsspent so much time together that they built genuine relationships off the set. The most police executions. But his chief is ready to turn his back. Damacio Diaz was released Friday from a halfway house in Sacramento. Damacio Diaz, whose story was told in a Disney movie about a high school cross-country team, admitted to accepting bribes and drug offenses, federal prosecutors said. As a detective in Bakersfield, Calif., Damacio Diaz rose to national attention after the film McFarland, USA, was released in 2015. 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. BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (AP) 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. College football reporters' NFL draft takeaways, Rangers-Devils Game 7: Key players, matchups and final score predictions, 'This is probably his best shot': Why the time is now for Harden and the 76ers, Ranking the fights at UFC 288: Why Henry Cejudo's return tops the list, Man United in pole position for top four, but can't take their eyes off Liverpool, The VAR Review: Red cards for Jota, Skipp; Richarlison penalty claim, Zags, Vols have gained spots in men's WTE Top 25, Will Levis opens up about emotional draft day, After hoopla of going No. L.A. has a new answer, Epic snowpack upends rhythms of life for many species in Sierra Nevada range, Decades of failures leave L.A. County facing up to $3 billion in sex abuse claims. Diaz turned his back on those opportunities and broke the trust his community placed in him, violating the very laws he was sworn to enforce. 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.". THE Danny Diaz in McFarland, USA. Damacio Diaz was a subject of the movie McFarland USA and became a Bakersfield police officer. 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. Doug Brien recalls doing it. Let us send you our favorite posts and ideas once a week. 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. 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." But while researching the project, I sat down with the Diaz family. Newsweek has everything you need to know about what happened to Bakersfield cop Damacio Diaz and why he is featured on Killing County. Damacio Diaz, a former Bakersfield, Calif., detective, speaks after his federal sentencing in a bribery and narcotics case in Fresno, Calif., Monday, Oct. 3, 2016. 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 . 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. Synopsis. Damacio Diaz. 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. The series explores how his family was affected by the corruption, but it also focuses on a former police detective named Damacio Diaz. On September 20, 2012, while on duty, Diaz stopped a vehicle operated by two individuals from Yakima, Washington and used a BPD dog handler and police dog to search the vehicle. Assistant United States Attorneys Brian K. Delaney and Angela Scott prosecuted the case. At least, that's where my head was at in the fall of 2010, when I was approached to write a movie about a high school cross-country team from the Central Valley of California, from the (literally) one-stoplight town of McFarland. The highest homicide rate The most crime. It actually helped him put up the championship banners that crowd the front of the school's gymnasium, just a few hundred yards from that one stoplight. Diaz initially became well-known after the release of 2015 Disney movie, McFarland USA, starring Kevin Costner.. 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. Actor Jeremy . Michael Aguero (Damacio Diaz) In fact, these 7 actors spent so much time together that they built genuine relationships off the set. A week later, Diaz booked approximately one pound of methamphetamine from the vehicle stop into evidence. 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. 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. Its amazing. 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. Disgraced former Bakersfield Police Department detective Damacio Diaz, one of the real-life heroes of the movie "McFarland USA," was sentenced Monday in U . 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. Over the years, the Diazes used that work ethic to put one foot in front of the other long enough to achieve success in agriculture, law enforcement and education. 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." But as the McFarland Cougars continued to train, and then started to win, and then kept winning, every runner in White's program became a figurative brother. Diaz and Mara maintained possession of the remaining nine pounds of methamphetamine, and they ultimately sold it for their own personal gain. Movies. Official websites use .gov Yosemite Valley fully reopens after forecasted flooding falls short, 19 people displaced after apartment fire in SE Fresno, American Airlines pilots vote to authorize strike. Mara was released from a halfway house a month before Diaz, in April 2020, after serving just under four years in federal prison. 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. Learn more about the full cast of McFarland, USA with news, photos, videos and more at TV Guide . One of the things that take the full movie circle is that this was more than a group of actors, three out of the seven young 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. Cop depicted in movie 'McFarland USA' pleads guilty to bribery, drug charges. Where are BPD Officers Aaron Stringer and Rick Wimbish Now. Diaz turned his back on those opportunities and broke the trust his community placed in him, violating the very laws he was sworn to enforce. 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 .
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