McFarland USA, released in 2015and starring Kevin Costner, is based on the McFarland High School cross-country team that won the California championship in 1987. - 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. We didnt have that close to us. Our father never could ever go watch us race. Theres nothing to do in McFarland. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. These guys are amazing and it was a pleasure meeting them and listening to them. This this file photo, former Bakersfield Police Department Detective Damacio Diaz and his wife, Courtney, and other family members and friends leave the U.S. District Court in Fresno after he was sentenced to five years in federal prison. We were racing big races and trying to accomplish big things, so we looked at Mr. White as our dad. Diaz, who has been allowed to remain free throughout the process, cooperated fully with investigators, according to the prosecution. Thats why we had the sixth and seventh runner on a team. They talk about being So , DANNY DIAZ : Mr. White never went back to Stockton never again. The. Their stories were told in a beautiful way and they are excited Disney picked their tale to tell. 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Two misdemeanor prostitution cases in which Diaz as an undercover detective was the only witness have already been dismissed. But I also understand clearly that while he did not sell his soul, he certainly rented it out.. Director Niki Caro chose to omit Luis Partida, who in the movie is replaced with David Diaz. Like in the movie, Thomas Valles went to an overpass above Highway 99 one night after his parents got into a horrible fight. PrepCalTrack.com conducted this Jim White Posted on Published: February 18, 2015- Last updated: August 7, 2022. Former McFarland cross-country coach Jim White and his wife, Cheryl, leave the U.S. District Court in Fresno Monday after his one-time runner, former BPD detective Damacio Diaz, was sentenced. They all spend some time running with the cross country team, as well as with their own kids. However, he did rebuild the boys and girls cross country programs from the ground up. But his chief is ready to turn his back. You can read our Kevin Costner Interview about his role as Jim White in the McFarland, USA movie. 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 DIAZ : For us, I believe sports, in general, we were already tough kids and we were used to working hard and theyre seven of us in our family. Our third man, Jose, he just-. For my son, it pushed him to go to college and do well while he was in high school. Where are Damacio and Patrick now? He is amazing. Their city logo and motto have both been refreshed to express the new outlook of their community. They were sooo funny to chat with. A drug and corruption scandal has rocked the Bakersfield Police Department. Wife of California doctor who drove family off cliff in Tesla doesn't want him prosecuted . And so, I cant keep up with my kids in high school [CHUCKLES], but I go with my little seven-year-old. DANNY DIAZ : We, we love basketball. In the least, such scenes seem to have been exaggerated by the filmmakers. picking in the fields. PUBLISHED: October 4, 2016 at 7:44 a.m. | UPDATED: October 4, 2016 at 7:53 a.m. BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (AP) An ex-detective who was on the championship 1987 track team depicted in the movie . Fun fact: Rafael Martinez, who plays David Diaz in the movie, is one of my closest friends even to this day! All opinions expressed are my own. These men were the real life inspirations for McFarland USA. Diaz was a member of the team that won the state championship. 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. 12, The real Jim White and wife Cheryl White actually have three daughters, Tami, Julie and Jami. Both girls were on this trip to a meet in Santa Maria and the beachs, and these photos are from Silvia's album, which her family had saved. My dad has 13 brothers and sisters. A true crime thriller we made set in Kevin McCarthys district. [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.. 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. It was really an honor. But, yes, I did that. The hearing included impassioned appeals by Diazs brother, wife and daughter, with the two latter witnesses in tears through much of their statements. I notice a lot of you became teachers. Source: YouTube/KGET Article continues below advertisement Atty. Would they flee bargain the same way with non-police criminals? He was a fifth grade teacher and before he was a P.E. See Sites with Your Personal Info. But federal agents arrested him at work today. He gave them information to clean up the department, said his lawyer, David Torres, in an interview. Paul Fischer, 73, called the Inyo County . "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. . Damacio Diaz was a subject of the movie McFarland USA and became a Bakersfield police officer. So, that was a real good part of the movie though. DAMACIO DIAZ : Us training together, maam? Former McFarland cross-country coach Jim White and his wife, Cheryl, leave the U.S. District Court in Fresno Monday after his one-time runner, former BPD detective Damacio Diaz, was sentenced Monday to five years in federal prison. Diaz will be sentenced for three federal counts on October 3rd. . 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. Here's what we know. But Mr. White was our second father. We, we basically told our story, got interviewed for hours and hour and hours, and that was pretty much it. and last updated 2016-10-03 21:34:05-04. 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. 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. Damacio Diaz (R) and guest attend the Bakersfield Special Screening of "McFarland, USA" in Bakersfield, CA on Feb. 15th, 2015. The district attorneys office is prepared to retry the cases if necessary, Assistant Dist. We have also done internal investigations on many allegations that were made and once again they have been unable to uncover anything. Diaz initially became well-known after the release of 2015 Disney movie, McFarland USA, starring Kevin Costner.. Both are about to begin five-year federal prison sentences for their crimes. Federal authorities say 43-year-old Damacio Diaz took bribes from a narcotics dealer, and, in exchange, provided the names of police informants, gave details of law enforcement investigations, and tried to protect him from arrest. 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. Former NFL player Colin Kaepernick is an executive producer on new Hulu documentary "Killing County," which explores the story of Damacio Diaz. They became the drug traffickers themselves, he said. As well as accepting illegal bribes, Diaz engaged in drug trafficking while with the BPD. Damacio is related to Elizabeth Z Diaz and Delia G Garza as well as 3 additional people. 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. I feel safe knowing he is in my corner.. 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. Their parents are also highly regarded by each of them and they obviously have a deep love for the family unit. JIM WHITE : Thomas. The DOJ said Diaz and Mara deliberately failed to submit seized drugs as evidence and instead provided the stolen narcotics to Carter. Local photojournalist John Harte, who followed the team at the time, says that he witnessed opposing teams offer genuine handshakes of good luck. The assistant U.S. attorney used the word paradox to describe Diaz, one of seven siblings raised in the northern Kern County farming community of McFarland in a religious family, and one that seemed the epitome of the American dream. Now that he's cooperating with authorities, he has allegedly implicated others in the department, including his former partner . Davids the oldest and he was a bully. Did that change how you ran in future races? His attorney says he should be home for the holidays and then back in court in Fresno in January. But the guys over here were in decent shape still. The best result we found for your search is Damacio Diaz age 50s in Bakersfield, CA. The disgraceful and criminal behavior of Diaz and Mara has gravely impacted the Bakersfield Police Department as well as our community as a whole, she said. The Bakersfield Californian says (http://bit.ly/2dGESLb) the U.S. Attorneys Office recommended between 17 and 22 years. Interview with Big Hero 6 Directors Don Hall and Chris Williams, Behind the scenes of Big Hero 6 Bonus Content with FEAST Director Patrick Osborne. He will then be subject to three years of supervised release. school and decides to put together a cross [LAUGHS] Theymade me, uh . to know what it feels like to be [LAUGHS] And we dont have the big grocery stores. You know we are a God-fearing folks, so we were teaching in Sunday school on Sundays. There are no shopping malls or large grocery stores. experience coaching the team. The former narcotics officer is now known, however, for going to prison in 2016 for charges tied to drugs, bribery and tax fraud. They threw it out. 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. The ramifications of the corruption scandal could be large. DAMACIO DIAZ : They said youre fat. Then they can do whatever they want. I even performed the wedding service for Damacio Diaz . He also committed serious, reprehensible crimes. [LAUGHS]. Diaz pleaded guilty last spring as part of a plea agreement that became public in May. teacher. Is that still happening in McFarland? 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." Girl, 13, Went Missing Last Week, and Suspect Is Arrested on . Diazs attorney, David Torres, was clearly relieved by the judges decision. DAMACIO DIAZ : Yeah, we just run, Danny and I, just to stay in shape. The community of McFarland still works as a village to raise their youth. According to the California Department of Justice, Diaz and Mara conspired with another man, Noel Carter, 46. And so, we were just happy that Disney stuck with that first year and were lucky to be in the movie. 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. Ray referred to Felicia Rosario as his "wife," though they were never married. That is why it was so amazing and cool that I got to interview Jim White, David Diaz, Damacio Diaz, and Danny Diaz. DAVID DIAZ : And just to let you know, um, Gods good and we own almonds now. . And sports is what kind of helped us get out of that. Eliu Garza, also a McFarland High runner, is . If I could beat their third, fourth, fifth man, sixth man whatever, I would add more points to them. It was indeed the first time that many of the kids ever saw the ocean. It was such a great experience. BAKERSFIELD, Calif. A former Bakersfield Police detective, serving time in prison for his role in a drug ring, has been released. That day I was fifth runner and I felt so much pressure, but you know, lucky we were able to pull it off. We run once in a whileamongst, DAVID DIAZ : ourselves. Tom Sizemore dead at 61 after suffering brain aneurysm, Crews helping residents stranded by snow in Mariposa County, Home catches fire in snow-covered neighborhood in North Fork. In 2016 Diaz was sentenced for crimes including federal. under Coach Jim White at McFarland High 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.