Matter of fact, he ordered us and he forced us and he made us play sports, because the way he saw it hes the first one, and so he learned it before us. director of photography Film Editing by David Coulson Casting By Sheila Jaffe Production Design by Richard Hoover JIM WHITE : From my aspect, I guess it was in various stages, because this was about a 15-year process for my wife and I. What about the children? Those are the two extremes and those are the two options that are there for our community. pic.twitter.com/qKxl7i5dfn. The Feds arrested him at the. 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 . Mara, a 13-year veteran, had 55 cases involving 70 defendants. But Mr. White was our second father. Some, like David Diaz, became teachers themselves. Write by: 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. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. They investigated every name that came up, uncovered every rock, and no one elses name came to light in their scandal, the chief said. Copyright 2023 KFSN-TV. Although, David did add that his mom is actually much more strict than she is made to bein the movie. They were cross country state champs in 1987, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2000 and 2001. [LAUGHS], Kevin Costner and Carlos Pratts in McFarland, USA. 12, The real Jim White and wife Cheryl White actually have three daughters, Tami, Julie and Jami. Thanks! Damacio stated that they were very proud of the way the movie portrayed their story their family. 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. And we were part of the Royal Rangers andwe did that on Tuesday nights at our local church. 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. 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. [LAUGHS] Much worse. DAVID DIAZ : Uh, we donttrain. On one occasion, Mrs. Diaz made 200 dozen tamales to send the team to Asia. I notice a lot of you became teachers. The real Jim White and wife Cheryl White actually have three daughters, Tami, Julie and Jami. As stated above, the real Jim White started teaching in the McFarland School District straight out of college in 1964. Diaz, a former Bakersfield police detective, is interviewed on camera in Killing County. 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. According to the California Department of Justice, Diaz and Mara conspired with another man, Noel Carter, 46. 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. Defendants could seek motions for a new trial or to withdraw pleas in some cases. Is that how the last race happened? FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The charges against Damacio Diaz have people in his hometown in disbelief. So hes a very knowledgeable guy. JIM WHITE : Let me add a little bit of that. -John Harte, Yes, and at times the White family paid for new shoes and clothing for the team out of their own pockets. Our third man, Jose, he just-. Four years ago on a sweltering afternoon, Bakersfield Police Det. Coach White concurred and said their mom even asked why they didn't make her strict enough. He must report to federal authorities before 2 p.m. Dec. 5 to begin serving his sentence. We hope that you continue to enjoy our free content. Disneys McFarland, USA, is helping to put the Diazs hometown on the map across the globe. 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] We would like your email. We shouldve had first. 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. They threw it out. Its a poor community. We, we basically told our story, got interviewed for hours and hour and hours, and that was pretty much it. A previous version of this article said the district attorneys office reviewed 108 cases involving the detectives. Talbert said that we concluded no officers were complicit in joining Diaz and Mara, and that no further prosecutions were planned at this time. "It was damaging. If they took statements, seized evidence or wrote reports, we will be sending letters to defense attorneys or defendants that represented themselves, she said. But thats okay. So, that was a real good part of the movie though. They have also lived in Mc Farland, CA and Delano, CA. Were all a year apart. The corruption scandal broke in November 2015 when federal agents arrested Bakersfield Police Detective Damacio Diaz for helping traffic methamphetamines. We were raised in the field, it was our life. 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. When the informant left, the narcotics detective found just under $1,000 in the passenger-side door pocket. It was such a great experience. Eguenia was best described by many that [LAUGHS]. DAMACIO DIAZ : Yeah, we just run, Danny and I, just to stay in shape. And it didnt. We [LAUGHS], we played basket. Damacio seemingly prefers to stay well away from the spotlight these days, but we do know the family man tied the knot with his long-term partner, teacher Courtney Diaz, on January 26, 2021. But I also understand clearly that while he did not sell his soul, he certainly rented it out.. And he told me I want them to get their education, so I will go back and get my education. Mr. White had a lot more influence in how this script was written. 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. Defense attorneys compared the Bakersfield situation to the Los Angeles Police Departments Rampart scandal in the late 1990s, in which corrupt officers tainted cases. DANNY DIAZ : You know, growing up in McFarland we didnt have much. He says that 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. On that day, Leopoldo became a man. Fun fact: Rafael Martinez, who plays David Diaz in the movie, is one of my closest friends even to this day! 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. Where are BPD Officers Aaron Stringer and Rick Wimbish Now. And so, I cant keep up with my kids in high school [CHUCKLES], but I go with my little seven-year-old. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Delaney, who prosecuted the case against former Bakersfield Police Department Detective Damacio Diaz, is shown here in this file photo following the Oct. 3 sentencingat U.S. District Court in Fresno. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. We were racing big races and trying to accomplish big things, so we looked at Mr. White as our dad. The best result we found for your search is Damacio Diaz age 50s in Bakersfield, CA. Public corruption takes a heavy toll on our communities, and our office remains committed to prosecuting such conduct.". Plus I love Kevin Costner! Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. The Diaz brothers represent 3 of the 7 runners from the McFarland Cross Country team of 1987. experience coaching the team. Copyright 2020 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. 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,. 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. Damacio Diaz, former BPD detective who stole drugs and put them back on the street, released from custody 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). "I think it goes to show that sometimes the portrayal of images, and good work that has happened in the past, sometimes comes to what we see today and that people aren't always what they seem," said Greg Williamson, Bakersfield police chief. In 2018, another man, Noel Carter, from Bakersfield, pleaded guilty to conspiring with Diaz and Mara to distribute drugs, according to federal prosecutors. Mr. White was there as a person that we can rely on. But [LAUGHS], as far as wanting to be a teacher he wasnt the only reason why we got into the education, but he was one of the two or three maybe. As you pull into McFarland, you will know notice a silhouette of a runner running through an open field. February 27, 2023 new bill passed in nj for inmates 2022 No Comments . DAMACIO DIAZ : Mr. White might have more than us. For my son, it pushed him to go to college and do well while he was in high school. Greens office reviewed 87 cases of the detectives involving 123 defendants before deciding to send the letters. We didnt have that close to us. 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. We have changed our city logo. Updated: May 11, 2020 / 06:23 PM PDT BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) Disgraced former Bakersfield police detective Damacio Diaz has been released from custody after serving a federal term for stealing drugs during the course of his police work and putting them back on the street. A true crime thriller we made set in Kevin McCarthys district. Magallanes then told another drug dealer to dump his phone. Former Bakersfield police detective Damacio Diaz was sentenced Monday in federal court to five years in prison.He pleaded guilty earlier this year to charges. The DOJ said Diaz and Mara deliberately failed to submit seized drugs as evidence and instead provided the stolen narcotics to Carter. on their time as cross country runners DAMACIO DIAZ : Yeah, were very, very proud of the way the movie portrayed us, our family. That is definitely true. You can read our Kevin Costner Interview about his role as Jim White in the McFarland, USA 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). Their actions risked their fellow officers safety for greed.. And Johnny was with him. Both men are currently in halfway houses, Diaz in the Sacramento area and Mara in the Long Beach area. "McFarland's Family of Champions," are We signed with this one company. Theres nothing to do in McFarland. They also plan to seize about $50,000 in cash and a home in an exclusive McFarland neighborhood. He retired in 2003 after 23 years of coaching boys cross country. When one of Diazs attorneys used the word indiscretion to describe Diazs misdeeds, ONeill interrupted. Thats why we had the sixth and seventh runner on a team. 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. That was something that we did since we were third, fourth, fifth graders and by the time we got to college and were now training and, and running and living our lives with Mr. White some of us traveled out of the state, out of the country with Mr. White it became something that was gonna help us get out of our environment, and it did. However, it was later revealed that BPD Detectives Damacio Diaz and Patrick Mara were involved in making Ramirez an informant.