BY LINDA BENTLEY | OCTOBER 5, 2011
Wilcox and boxing establishment called out for fraud and corruption
‘This runaway train started on May 8, 2004, and continues speeding uncontrolled down the tracks today’
PHOENIX – Boxing trainer Joe Diaz (l) and his fighter Luis Ramon “Yory Boy” Campas filed a civil complaint in Maricopa County Superior Court on Sept. 30 against a number of players in Arizona’s boxing establishment, accusing them of political corruption.
Diaz and Campas were all but destroyed for standing up to the boxing establishment, which defendant Peter McKinn, III, a Top Rank, Inc. boxing promoter, said “has its own rules.”
Others named in the suit include Governor Janet Napolitano; Earl Edward Wilcox, special assistant to Napolitano and husband of Mary Rose Wilcox (Wilcox); the Arizona Boxing Commission; Wilcox, individually and in her capacities as boxing commission chair and Maricopa County Supervisor for the Fifth District; Executive Director of Boxing John Montano; the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors; Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, including former acting County Attorney Richard M. Romley, Top Rank, Inc., and its employees Gabriel Esqueda, Bruce Trampler and Bob Arum.
Diaz, a small business owner licensed by the state of Arizona as a boxing trainer, and Campas, a professional fighter from Mexico who is licensed by the state of Arizona, claim to be the victims of a series of acts that include theft, perjury, fraud, forgery, retaliation, defamation, conspiracy, RICO (Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organization) violations, tortuous interference with a contract, violations of certain constitutional rights and numerous other malicious acts committed by those named above.
This all started back in May 2004 when Campas participated in a boxing match promoted by McKinn and, as part of the purse, McKinn wrote Campas a nonsufficient funds check for $5,000. Despite numerous attempts to cash the check, it was never honored by the bank and the account upon which it was written was eventually closed.
When Diaz and Campas obtained records that eventually uncovered a pattern of defrauding Mexican fighters, defrauding fighters in Arizona fights, fraudulent medical examinations, and improperly controlling boxing through the boxing commission and the executive director of the boxing commission, the boxing establishment decided to take retaliatory action against Diaz and Campas.
The boxing establishment, run by Wilcox and Montano, acting in concert with other defendants, were successful in this retaliation, whereas they leveled false charges against Diaz and Campas, conducted retaliatory investigations, held sham hearings and then held sham appellate hearings of their own rulings.
Wilcox was the hearing examiner reviewing a decision she participated in making while Montano acted in the role of prosecutor.
Then, during the appeals process, Wilcox was the lead person hearing the appeal while Montano defended the appeal.
Wilcox was instrumental in the decisions to not renewal Campas’ license for a year during his prime and Diaz’s license for five years, although she had no problem renewing McKinn’s license despite a documented history of bouncing checks to fighters and others.
The complaint points out, that it wasn’t until after McKinn was charged with five felonies, pled guilty and was finally sentenced on May 6, 2011 that the facts were fully known and provable, and therefore the suit was filed in a timely fashion.
It states, “This continued invasion of the rights of Diaz and Campas, starting in 2004 and continuing to the present day, has resulted in irreparable damages to both plaintiffs, and damage to the entire boxing industry in Arizona,” adding, “It has awarded the defendants permission to lie cheat and steal. It has destroyed the plaintiffs.”
The lawsuit asserts defendants’ conduct “paved the way to get support from public power brokers intent on making a clear track for their friends and preferred associates, while not caring for the train of truth, and not caring who or what they ran over with the runaway train of lies, and who or what is destroyed in the process.”
It goes on to say, “This runaway train started on May 8, 2004, and continues speeding uncontrolled down the tracks today. The time to stop this runaway train is now.”
Various defendants are charged with theft, perjury, fraud, forgery, retaliatory conduct, abuse of process, abuse of power, violations of equal protection, defamation, conspiracy, conflict of interest, vindictive and/or selective prosecution, intentional infliction of emotional distress, tortuous interference with contract and business relations, aiding and abetting, tampering with evidence, negligence, fraudulent schemes and more, with Wilcox standing out as a major player.
Much has happened in Diaz’s life between the time he and Campas filed their $43 million joint notice of claim in November 2010 and this past Friday when the complaint was filed.
As a result of losing his livelihood as a boxing trainer for five years, Diaz, currently in his 70s, lost his home, moved into his downtown gym and went back to work as a plumber.
Shortly thereafter, he suffered a heart attack, which set off a new chain of financial woes for Diaz, including medical expenses, loss of income, and, as a result, the loss of his gym.
However, Diaz, was in good spirits on Sunday after moving into a new place on Friday.
Diaz is a fighter and said, “I’m not going anywhere until justice is served and Arizona rids itself of corrupt politicians like Wilcox, who have held court in Arizona for far too long.”
