All language subtitles for Law and orer S12E21 - Foul Play

NARRATOR:
In the criminal justice system

the people are represented
by two separate
yet equally important groups,

the police
who investigate crime

and the district attorneys
who prosecute the offenders.

These are their stories.

I'm getting too old for this.

Sammie, 3 o'clock.

(CHATTING INDISTINCTLY)

Spring is sprung.

Tell me about it.

Oh, man.

SAMMIE: Anybody home?

Yeah, a dead guy.

ED: Who found him?

A couple of water-tank workers
said a ladder
slipped off their truck.

What? And it
bounced 40 feet?

Entry wound's
on the right side.

Singe marks on his shirt.
It must have been close range.

The M.E. say
when this happened?

Sometime last night.

They can give you
a better idea
after the prelim.

Ed, check this out.

He's wearing
a gold retirement ring.

Yeah. Once upon a time
the guy was on the job.

"Mike Drucker,
Private Investigator."

He's got an office
in Midtown.

So what's he doing
in a vacant apartment
in Washington Heights?

Holster's empty,

the entry wound
looks like a .38.

Yeah, we found a .38
on the floor over there.

Shot with his own gun?

We also found a .25
under the radiator.
It wasn't loaded.

And we haven't found
any slugs or shells.

All right,
let's get both weapons
down to Ballistics.

Let them sort it out.

Was this door locked
when you guys got here?

Yeah. Super had
to let us in.

No sign of forced entry.

The guy doesn't have a key,
so somebody let him in.

Yeah.
He had a little help
going out, too.

I've been the super here
almost 6 years.

Nothing like this
has ever happened.

Hear anything
unusual last night?

My apartment's
in the basement.

You ever see
this guy before?

No. Sorry.

Any idea how he might've
gotten into the building?

I keep fixing the deadbolt
on the front door.

A week later
it's broken again.

What about
the apartment door?

When our guys showed up
it was locked.

Yeah, I had to
let your men in.

Does anybody else
have a key?

Not as far as I know.

BRISCOE: How long has
that apartment been vacant?

Since August.

Did you get the keys back
from the last tenant?

That'd be a first.

The family moved out
nine months ago.

Last name was Sandoval.

They leave
a forwarding address?

Venezuela according
to the neighbors.

Cordova's running it down.

What about the victim,
Drucker?

Yeah, yeah.
He used to work for

the RIP unit at the 15.

He retired,
what five years ago.

He had a pretty decent
arrest record.

So, was he on a case
or up to no good?

Ah, the boys that worked
with him at the 15

say that he was
a stand up guy.

Current address is Brooklyn.
Divorced. No kids.
Ex moved to Sarasota.

How's the canvass going?

Oh, we got nothing so far.

But the M.E. puts the time
of death between
9:00 and 10:00 last night.

VAN BUREN:
What about the guns?

The .38 was
the murder weapon.

That was registered
to Drucker.

.25 wasn't loaded
and hadn't been
fired recently.

And the serial number's
been filed down.

Has Latent worked up
these weapons yet?

ED: We got a partial
on the .38.
Nothing on the other gun.

Well, someone walked
into the apartment
carrying that .25.

Why don't we
find out what
Drucker was doing

up in
Washington Heights
at that hour?

Like I said,
Mr. Drucker's hired
mostly by lawyers.

They don't like him
to keep many records.

You can't subpoena
a conversation.

Did he have
any troublesome cases?

Saul Mandelbaum, skip trace.

Frank Leahy,
a paper chase up
in Westchester.

Were any of these divorces
more hostile than others?

They're all pretty hostile.

Well, how about
something more recent?

There is one case,
the Shore divorce.

The wife calls here
all the time.

Matter of fact,
she called here
twice yesterday.

You know why?

She and Mr. D
never connected.

I called Mr. Drucker
because I was worried.

Kevin had called me
and left a message
to call him back.

Kevin's your ex?

From your mouth
to God's ears.

Anyway, he never calls.

He sounded angry
and I just had the feeling

he'd found out
about the investigator.

So did you end up
talking to him?

I never called him back.

What is this all about?
What's he done?

Well, your investigator,
Mr. Drucker?
He got killed last night.

Oh, my God.

Is there anything
we should know about
your husband, Mrs. Shore?

After five years of marriage,
he tells me about
this girl that he's seeing,

Rachel somebody.

He serves me with papers
the same day.

He expected me
to sign them right then.

ED: But you said no?

Drucker was looking into
your husband's finances?

Kevin's in real estate.

Most of his assets
are in partnerships
and holding companies.

Mr. Drucker was
helping us locate them.

Is there any reason
this investigation

would lead to a building
at 1512 Cabrini Boulevard
at 178th Street?

My lawyer mentioned something
about my husband
owning buildings in that area.

It's possible
he owns that building.

Mr. Shore is very good
at hiding his assets
from my client.

How much are we
talking about?

Shore listed
his net worth
at 4.5 million.

But I'm guessing
he's worth
twice that much.

And once Drucker
uncovered those assets,

you were gonna
take him to the cleaners.

Sounds like you've been
around the block, Detective.

Much smaller neighborhood.

Mrs. Shore seemed to think
her husband was aware
of Drucker's investigation.

Could be. We'd pierced
some of the husband's
holding companies.

Drucker had a connection
at a bank where his
financing came from.

A man named
Chris Sowlakis.

Do you think it's
possible that Sowlakis
tipped Mr. Shore off?

I don't even know if Drucker
ever met with the guy.

They were supposed to
talk Friday.

Two days before he was killed.

Drucker came by with questions
about Mr. Shore's holdings,

but I never told
Mr. Shore about him.

So, someone you don't know
comes in asking
about a client's accounts

and you don't mention it
to the client?

Basic questions.
I didn't see the harm.

BRISCOE: How much did he
pay you, Mr. Sowlakis?

I'm sorry?

Information is currency.

And in Drucker's business
it usually takes some
to get it.

What you're suggesting
is outrageous.

Calm down, did you know
this guy Drucker
got killed the other night?

What are you talking about?
BRISCOE: He was shot.

ED: And if it
turns out you're
withholding information,

accessory to murder
makes bribery
seem pretty innocuous.

Look, I've already told
the FHA everything I know.

The Federal Housing Authority
was here investigating some
of Shore's transactions too.

Did you tell Drucker
about this?

I didn't know
the details myself

but I pointed him
in the right direction.

It's called flipping.

Basically a developer
purchases a cheap property,

makes superficial
repairs on it

then flips it by reselling
at a vastly inflated price.

I thought that was
the American way.

Not when the sale's based
on a fraudulent appraisal.

The FHA insures the buyer
based on the bogus appraisal.

Then the buyer
gets in over his head,

fixing what the developer
should have, loses his home.

And Uncle Sam foots the bill.

And developers like Shore
walk away with all the money.

You recognize him?

Yeah, he was in here
last week.

Said he was working
for Mrs. Shore.

He asked a lot of questions
I wouldn't answer.

Then wanted to
see the appraisals.

BRISCOE: The ones
you thought were bogus.

ED: You mind if we
take a look?

Matter of public record.

Did Drucker know
about the flipping?

I didn't tell him about it,
but I got the feeling
he knew something was hinky.

There's over two dozen
appraisals here.

They're all done
by the same person.

Seems Mr. Shore
found himself
a friendly appraiser.

Rachel Glick.

Wasn't his
girlfriend's name Rachel?

Friendly appraiser is right.

Sorry, I don't recognize him.

So if I asked
around your office,

we wouldn't find anybody
who's ever seen him before?

Hey! We know
about your relationship
with Kevin Shore.

And about the appraisals
you did for him.

I know he works
for Kevin's wife.

So I didn't meet with him.

Worked for.

He was killed
three days ago.

What?

Right after he found out
about some of those
creative real estate deals

you and Mr. Shore
put together.

ED: Did you tell him about
Mr. Drucker's visit,
Rachel?

I had nothing to do
with anyone being killed.

Well, do you think
your boyfriend might?

I told Kevin this guy came by
asking a lot of questions.

BRISCOE: What did he say?
He got furious.

I told him
I might lose my license.

But then Kevin said...

ED: Kevin said what?

That he'd take care of it.

Kevin Shore?

Yeah, can I help you?

We need to talk to you
about Mike Drucker.

Can we talk about this
somewhere else?

Yeah, why don't we
go to our place?

We'll finish this up later,
okay?

Much later.

Yes, I thought
this guy was
hired by my wife.

And yes, I called her
to find out about him.

But I didn't shoot him.

Well, the way we
understand it, there were
millions of dollars at stake.

I don't have as much money
as my wife thinks.

Yeah? What about
your little flipping scam?

Maybe I should
call my lawyer.
Well, good.

Then both of y'all
can tell us where
you were on Monday night.

Yeah, and meantime,
we can book you for murder.

Of course, the DA ain't
gonna be as interested
in what you got to say

as we are.

I was home by myself.

What about Rachel?

I don't see her every night.

Yeah, especially the nights
when you shoot somebody.

Look, I told you
I didn't shoot anyone.

Wait, that night
a cop car
pulled over an SUV

across the street
from my building.

So?

I saw it from my window.

It was about 9:30.
They had this guy
in handcuffs.

And I remember
there was a ski rack
on top of the car.

So that gets me
off the hook, right?

I put a call
into the 23.

They got someone looking
into that traffic stop.

If Drucker knew
about this flipping scam,

it would've given
Shore's wife some heavy
leverage in the divorce.

Good old fashioned blackmail.

Yeah, and it gives Shore
a solid motive
for shutting Drucker up.

But it wouldn't
get the FHA
off his back.

Well, he didn't
know about that.

The FHA kept
that under the radar.

So, Shore thought
if he took care of Drucker
before he turned up anything,

no one would find out.

Any way to connect him
to this vacant apartment?

None of his holding companies
have any ownership interest
in the building.

Well, he had
to get a key somewhere.

Well, we'll go back
and talk to the Super.

Find out
who handled the rentals.

We're the exclusive agent

for several rental properties
in Washington Heights,
including 1512 Cabrini.

Who's your client?

Building's owned by
a small group of investors.

Would one of them be
a guy named Kevin Shore?

I've never heard of him.

ED: He's a developer.

Any prospective buyers looking
at the building lately?

No, just people
looking to rent.

BRISCOE: Is it possible
one of them might have
gotten hold of a key?

We never hand out
a key to anyone,

one of my agents is
always present.

Lennie, check this out.

"Thanks for your support,
Frank Leahy, Director."

As in Frank Leahy
from Drucker's files.

We sponsor a team
in his league every year.

(CELL PHONE RINGING)
Excuse me.

A Little League team?

No, YBL
Youth Baseball League.

We get some
cheap advertising
on the kid's jerseys.

Pulls in some business
from the families
in the league.

Anybody from the league
rent in that building?

Not that I know of.

Okay, thanks for your help.

Shore's story
about the SUV
checked out.

Which means he
was probably home
like he said.

Well, this guy Leahy's
got a connection to
the building, and to Drucker.

Well, maybe
we were looking
at the wrong file?

Drucker's secretary
told me when I called.
That's really too bad.

So you hired him
to investigate
a guy named Frank Leahy?

Jason, choke up
and lower your shoulder.

Yeah, I coach
the all-star team
here in Harrison.

Drucker was looking
into some of the
competition for us.

You hired a Pl
to do your scouting?

Well, we saw
a kid play at one
of our sectional games.

First base.
Man, this kid
was a monster.

He could hit the ball
a country mile.

I mean, it just seemed
too good to be true.

You thought he was a ringer?

Well, every time
he came up to the plate
someone would yell,

"Hey, you dropped
your car keys."
Stuff like that.

And chances are we'll have to
face this kid in the
state tournament this year.

So you figure
you get rid of the monster,
it gives you a little edge.

Look, my kids practice
their asses off all season

for a chance to go
to Nationals.

For some Spanish kid
to show up out of nowhere
I mean, it just isn't right.

Some Spanish kid?

Well, I don't know
if he's Puerto Rican
or Mexican or what.

You know,
half the kids on Leahy's team
they don't even speak English.

As opposed to the Majors.

Look, we all have to
play by the rules.
Poor kids or not.

ED: You mean, like the rules
where you buy your kid

his own personal
pitching machine?

BRISCOE: So, did Drucker
find out anything out for you?

Yeah, he called me a week ago.

He said he thought
we were right on target.

BRISCOE: "Good luck
to the YBL. Manny Ramirez."

Yeah, he gave me that
in '97 when I first
took over the League.

Back then I had four teams
playing on a blacktop.

Now I got 32 teams
in four age divisions.

Mr. Leahy?

Do you recognize this man?

No. Why?

He's a private investigator.

He was hired to look into
one of your players.

This is the guy
they found
over on Cabrini?

So you knew who he was.

I just read the paper.

Any of your players
live over there?

I don't think so.

Wait. You think what happened
had something to do
with one of my kids?

Just because they're from
the neighborhood, huh?

We heard he was interested
in the first baseman
on your all-star team.

Ramiro Benitez.

Those people from Harrison.

How'd you know that?

'Cause they don't
like to lose.

Especially to city kids,
if you catch my drift.

You know,
a couple of years ago,

Scarsdale had a lefty
throwing screwballs,
cut sliders.

Nobody said boo.

How much money
they paying this Pl?

$8,000.

Like I said,
they don't like to lose.

BRISCOE: And what about you?

Ramiro's birth certificate's
on file with the League.

Where'd that come from?

His father, Victor,
gave it to me.

He must've brought it with him
from Honduras
when he came in February.

Now where we can find him?

His coach is
running a practice today.

Victor likes to watch
Ramiro work out.

High Bridge Park,
171st Street.

(SPEAKING SPANISH)

I got it!

ED: He's your son?

Yes.

He's got some pop in that bat.

Gracias.

You mind answering
a few questions?

What kind of questions?

You come to this country
for work, Mr. Benitez?

So my son
can play baseball
and to visit my cousin.

Your son looks a little old
to be in this league.

He's 12.
He's big for his age.

You recognize this man?

No.

Are you sure
he wasn't at one of
your kid's games?

I did not see him.

You mind telling us
where you were
Monday night?

I was home.

ED: Do you have anybody
that can verify that?

My son.

Well, he might be a little
too young for us to just
take his word for it.

If we have
any more questions
we'll be in touch.

This guy Victor
brought his kid

all the way from Honduras
to play for this team.

Another team
forked over eight grand
to try and stop him.

Eight grand?

It sounds like these people
have a little too much time
on their hands.

Hey, there's gold
at the end of the rainbow.

Giambi signed with the Yanks
for nearly 20 mil a year.

You know,
Leahy told us that

this kid's birth
certificate was on file
at the league's office.

So, to prove the father
had motive,

we gotta prove the kid's
birth certificate's fake.

Which is what Drucker
must have been trying to do.

Shades of Danny Almonte.

Except there
no one was murdered.

You know,
Drucker's file on Leahy

lists a contact
at the Honduran Consulate.

Well, the first time
Mr. Drucker came here

he requested
the boy's original
Honduran birth certificate.

Did you get it for him?

Well, I ordered him
a certified copy

from Registro Nacional
de las Personae.

Then he came in to pick it up?

Like a week later.

He seemed very concerned
with its authenticity.

But the document was
properly stamped with
all the necessary signatures.

So Drucker left satisfied?

No, not exactly,

I wasn't able to help him
with the other boy.

Which other boy?

All he had was a name.

Here. Miguel Soto.

He wanted information
about the boy's visa
and current address.

Did he tell you
what the other kid had to do
with Ramiro Benitez?

No. But I explained
to him that

we don't keep track
of Honduran nationals
once they're here.

That he would have to
check with the INS.

Miguel Soto, age 14,
arrived in the US

from San Marcos, Honduras
on a standard visa,
February 1st.

That's the same month
Ramiro Benitez came here.

Yeah, you mind
running that name too?

I already did.

He arrived the same day,
from the same town.

You have a local address
for Miguel?

Aliens are required
to inform us where
they'll be staying in the US.

989 West 185th Street.

Wait a minute.
You sure about that?

That's what he wrote
on his I-94.

Well, that puts
his apartment in the
middle of the Hudson River.

Obviously Miguel Soto
didn't want anybody
to find him.

They both come
from the same town.

We could try
calling around
down there,

see if we find anybody
with a legit address.

Or we can let Cordova
do the walking.

(KNOCKING ON DOOR)

Mr. Benitez?

We're looking for Miguel Soto.

I'm sorry. Who is that?

I'll give you a hint.

According to his aunt
in San Marcos,
this is his apartment.

You must have
the wrong address.

Yeah, and just by coincidence,
you happen to open the door.

Miguel!

Please,
there is no one here.

Miguel, ven aqui.

(MIGUEL ANSWERING IN SPANISH)

You want to tell us
what's going on here?

Who's the boy?

This is my son Ramiro.

ED: Who just answered
to the name Miguel?

BRISCOE: I don't know.
Third base.

I don't understand.

Yeah. Neither did Costello.

How old is your son, Victor?

Twelve.

If he's 12, how come
he's using another kid's name
to play baseball?

What do you mean?

See, you're a bad liar.

Your son is 14,
which makes him too old
to play in the YBL.

He switched identities
with a 12 year-old.

No. My son is 12.

Let's talk about
your real problem, Victor.

Your fingerprints were found
in the apartment
where Mike Drucker was killed.

ED: He found out
about your son, Victor?
What happened?

He ask you for money?

(KNOCKING ON DOOR)

Tom Kelly, from Legal Aid.

I've been assigned
to represent Mr. Benitez.

No more questions, Detectives.

What questions?
We're talking baseball.

My office also represents
his son Ramiro.

You mean Miguel.

Whatever you want
to call him, he's off limits.

A passport we found
in the father's apartment

gives us dad's real name,
Victor Soto.

He and his son
were both using
the same last name, Benitez.

What else did we find?

We got six rounds
of .25 caliber ammunition.

That's the same caliber
as the second gun that
we found at the crime scene.

Any other forensics?

VAN BUREN: His prints
are on the doorknob.

So our theory is that
he killed this guy
over his kid's baseball team?

I know it might not seem
like much,

but a team in the
Westchester League,

paid Drucker $8,000
to investigate the kid's age.

This isn't nickels and dimes.

Some of these kids are already
being looked at by pro scouts.

A Little League team
was on the cover of
Sports Illustrated last year.

Can we prove
Soto actually switched
the two boys' identities?

Well, we can't find
the kid's passport.

And we can't talk to him.
He shares counsel
with his father.

What about the kid
he traded places with?

The real Ramiro Benitez.

We're still tracking him down.

SERENA:
I'll take care of that.

In the meantime,
let's send the father
down to Immigration

while we put
the pieces together.

We actually have
three Miguel Soto's
registered in the district.

But the ninth grader
who goes here

is the only one
who's not a US citizen.

How's he doing at school?

Struggling-

Odds are he'll be held back.

Did you contact
his guardian here?

He lives with his grandmother,
but she doesn't have a phone.

Miguel, I'm Serena Southerlyn.

Mr. Wilson tells me that
you're having some trouble
with your school work.

I think I know the reason.

What?

Because you're two grades
ahead of where you should be.

And to tell you the truth,
you don't look like
you belong in ninth grade.

I'm 14.

I don't think you are.

And I don't think
your name's Miguel.

Miguel Soto is being held
at an INS facility
right now.

Why did you
let another boy
use your name?

You could be
in a lot of trouble
too, Ramiro.

(SIGHS)

He's my cousin.

Victor Soto's your uncle?
Yes.

He took me
here with Miguel.

To use
your name
and passport?

So Miguel could
play baseball.

Did your uncle
force you to do this?

No.

Everyone said
Miguel could play
baseball in America.

They said
he could make
a lot of money,

then he can
send it back
to Honduras.

I wanted
to help him.

JACK:
This kid gave up
his own identity

so his cousin
could play
in a Little League?

There's nothing
little about it.

His entire family saw
this kid's talent as their
ticket out of poverty.

Pro teams are drafting
16-year-olds now,

with significant
signing bonuses.

If you hit it,
they will come.

Even to a dirt field
in Washington Heights.

And, when Drucker
was about to uncover
what Soto was doing,

Soto shot him.

Except Drucker was shot
with his own gun.

And the fingerprints
place Soto
outside the apartment.

DD five indicates
the apartment
had an automatic lock.

How'd they get inside?

Well, Drucker
didn't have a key.

But, the realtor
for the building

did sponsor a team
in the league.

Maybe the father
got the key through one
of his son's teammates.

Briscoe and Green
asked the agent
about that.

She said
they aren't renting
to anyone in the league.

Ever?

Did any
of the previous
tenants have kids?

Well, um, the last
woman who lived
here had a son.

How old?

Twelve, 13.

Did he play
Youth League
baseball?

Yeah, he did.

Tore up his leg
real bad playing ball.

I think that's why
they left. It's too bad.

The guy who used
to pick him up said

the kid had
a cannon
for an arm.

Would you recognize
this man if you
saw him again?

Yeah, he usually had
a baseball hat on,
and a Jersey.

Then once
the Sandoval kid got hurt,
I never saw him again.

Catcher...
Switch hitter.

Kid could throw a B.B.
from the crouch.

You know how
hard that is?

I can imagine.

Then one day,
he's blocking the plate
on a throw home.

The runner slides...
Bang, just like that,

the kid's not
a catcher anymore.

His career
is over at 13?

No high school
or college coach

wants to have a kid
with a reconstructed knee.

And no one
even pretends he
needs an education.

Did you help
Ricky Sandoval's mother
find their apartment?

I'm not
in the real estate
business.

No, but one
of your sponsors is.

Did Mrs. Sandoval
give you a key
to their apartment?

You think because
the kid's Latino,
he's gotta be cheating.

You don't think he
can beat these suburban
kids fair and square?

Did you know what
Victor Soto was planning,
Mr. Leahy?

I'm sorry.
But, I don't know
nobody by that name.

Victor Benitez, then.

Look, the kid I know
is 12 years old.

His birth certificate
and name is on file
with the league office.

Only they weren't his.

The kid who plays first base
for your all-star team
is Miguel Soto,

not Ramiro Benitez.

He used his
cousin's documents
to pretend he was 12.

Look, all I can go by
is what's given to me
by the parent.

And what was given was to me
was a birth certificate
and the name "Ramiro Benitez."

I got nothing more
to say about the subject.

(INDISTINCT)

(WHISTLE BLOWING)
Oh, come on!

What's the score?

Legal Aid's up by six.
All free throws.

You know
defense attorneys,

they like to claim
they've been fouled
every chance they get.

How've you been
making out?

You know,
I'm starting to think

that Victor Soto may
have had help getting
into that apartment.

The man who runs the YBL
is named Frank Leahy.

The last kid
that lived there
also played in his league.

You think Leahy's the one
who got the father the key?

Well, the Super can
ID him as having
been around the building.

You think Leahy
knew what the father
was planning?

He'd certainly know
the apartment was vacant.

Any chance
we can track down
this former player?

He and his mother
moved back to Venezuela.
We can't find them.

Well, we can't leverage
the father's cooperation
with a witness we don't have.

But, maybe we can
with one who is here.

His son.

Won't matter
if he can hit
the long ball

if the only place
he's gonna be
taking his cuts

is in Honduras.

You want to try
and get the father
to talk to us

by threatening
to deport his son?

The boy participated
in an immigration fraud,

we can ask the INS
to permanently exclude him
from the United States.

First, his father
uses him as a pawn
and now you want to.

He's 14, old enough
to understand what
he was doing was wrong.

An immigration exclusion
is intended to keep out
serious felons,

not a child
cheating in baseball.

We're not the ones who
decided he was ready
to play in the big leagues.

(WHISTLE BLOWS)
(PLAYERS CHEER)

By the way, I thought only
Trial Bureau D.A.'s
were eligible for this team.

When did Danny Washington
transfer over
from Investigations?

(SIGHING)

KELLY: Plea bargain?
His fingerprints were found
outside the crime scene.

The gun you say
is his isn't even
the murder weapon.

SERENA: Immigration Fraud.

KELLY: We're not too
worried about that.

JACK: No. I'm sure Mr. Soto
would be anxious
to return to his own country

if it meant avoiding
prison time here.

Only I'm not so sure
his son would feel
the same way.

Please, do not
make trouble
for Miguel.

I'd like not to, Mr. Soto,

but if you don't cooperate,

I can have your son
permanently excluded
from the United States.

No YBL,
no national tournaments,
no scouts.

You're trying
to blackmail him
with his own son?

What I'm doing
is offering leniency
to both of them

in exchange
for his cooperation.

His cooperation
with what?

We believe your client
may have had some assistance
in this crime.

KELLY: From who?

From the man who runs
his son's baseball league.

I think what I'm offering
is more than fair, Mr. Soto.

A son's future,
for his father's confession.

If I help you,

do you promise
not to do anything
against Miguel?

You have my word.

Victor, I strongly
advise against...

What I did,
I did for Miguel.

If he cannot play here,
it will be for nothing.

Mr. Leahy said
a man would say Miguel
was too old to play.

What did he ask
you to do?

He gave me a gun.

He said I had
to stop this man.

All I wanted was
a better life for my son.

He says
the shooting
was accidental,

and that's
corroborated
by the fact

that he went
to see Drucker
with an empty gun.

So, all we have on him
is a menacing charge.

And possession of bullets
he left in his apartment.
Both misdemeanors.

But, there's no reason
Leahy should
walk away from this.

Just because, Victor Soto
had a change of heart.

Leahy's state of mind
was to have
Drucker killed,

and that's exactly
what happened.

Can we prove
that Leahy set up
the meeting with Drucker?

JACK: Phone records
came up empty.

Is there any hard evidence
that Leahy's involved?

Just his connection
to the murder scene
through prior tenants.

JACK: Leahy's prints aren't
on the gun the father
says Leahy gave him.

So, our case
would be based
almost entirely

on the shooter's
own testimony.

On a shooter
who we're not gonna
prosecute for the homicide.

Which means
we better be
crystal clear

about why
Leahy was involved
in this whole thing.

I ran the league till '98.
Leahy's people pushed me out.

"Leahy's people"?

Frank convinced
some of the parents

that their kids
were underachieving
in the tournament.

Any truth to that?

I thought
the priorities

were for the kids
to learn some baseball,
have some fun.

But, Leahy
didn't see it
that way?

Leahy and the parents.

I heard they had to pull
a couple of fathers
off an umpire last week.

Yeah, my office
prosecuted a hockey dad
not too long ago.

So, I take it
his teams are more
successful now?

Sure.

You play a few kids
who don't live
in the district,

fly in a few players
from out of the country.

The league officials
claim they don't know
about any of that.

They don't
want to know.

They got too much
to lose to acknowledge
the corruption.

Like what?

Television commitments,

endorsements for the kids
to wear logos
on their uniforms.

Does any of this
filter down to Leahy?

His league gets some
corporate sponsorships.

For operating
expenses, equipment?

Traveling around the world
to find ballplayers,

slipping the parents
a few bucks.

You don't think
the guy that finds
the next Sammy Sosa

isn't gonna get
a major payday?

I mean, some of these guys
are breaking the bank.

Maybe part of it
is about Frank's ego.

The other part
is about the money.

So, all he has to do
to get lucky
is to find one kid.

Yeah, it's not just baseball.

I mean, look at Sara Hughes
one day she's a 16-year-old
amateur from Long Island,

the next day
she's on the cover
of a Wheaties box.

Pretty good business to be in,
especially if you get
in on the ground floor.

Good business.

He exploited
this father's desperation.

SERENA: He'll portray himself
as a do-gooder to the jury.

Because even if the kids he
finds never play an inning
of professional baseball,

a small signing bonus
could change their lives.

Yeah, but what
about the kids
who are left behind?

What about the kids
who trade in their textbooks
for baseball gloves

and then they have
nothing to show for it?

The American Dream
has to mean something
more than winning a lottery.

Well, we may be
swimming against the tide.

Since when has that
ever stopped us?

UMPIRE: Ball!
Good eye, Jordy!

Good eye!
Wait for your pitch!

Frank Leahy?
Yeah?

We have a warrant
for your arrest.

A warrant?
For what?

It's not
for stealing home.

(INDISTINCT SHOUTING)

MIGUEL: Mr. Leahy
saw me play baseball
in Honduras last year.

JACK: Who were you
playing for there?

Just a little team.
It's not like here.

I guess I played good.

He came
to see my father.

What about
your mother?

She was killed
in Hurricane Mitch.

Were you present
when Mr. Leahy
spoke to your father?

Yes.

What did he
tell him?

He said I can come
to America and play
for his team.

He said he would pay
for the airplane
to New York.

JACK: That's all he said?

MIGUEL: He said I can play
in the minor league too.

That they can
pay me a bonus,

and maybe
I will be good enough
to make the Majors.

Did Mr. Leahy tell you
that you had to be 12
to play for him?

Yes. I told him I was 14.

He told my father
to think of a way
to get me into the league.

So, what did you do?

My father said my cousin,
Ramiro, would come
with us to New York.

He said for me
to change names with him.

Did you realize
if you did that,

you'd never be
Miguel Soto again?

My father fixed
cars in my town.

He worked all of the time.
Baseball was a chance for us.

Even if I could not be
Miguel Soto anymore.

(CLEARS THROAT)

You, um...

You're old enough
to understand what cheating
is, aren't you, Miguel?

Yes.

And you and your father
decided to cheat,

to make up
this lie to advance
your baseball career?

Mr. Leahy said
it was how
to get a contract.

So you blame
this whole thing
on him?

He said for us
to come here.

Now, we might get deported
because we listened
to Mr. Leahy.

Isn't the only reason
you might get deported

because you were both
caught cheating?

Mr. Drucker came to see
one of Miguel's games.

He was asking
many questions
about my boy.

JACK: What
kind of questions?

The name of our town,
the name of Miguel's mother.

Frank said
he would soon know,

he would find out
Miguel was too old.

JACK: What, if anything,
did Mr. Leahy do next?

VICTOR: Two days after,
he came to my house.

He took a gun
out of a bag.

He put it on the table.

I show you
what has been
previously marked

as "People's Exhibit
Number Eight."

Yes, that is the gun.

Frank gave me
a key, also,
to the apartment.

(SIGHING)

He said he made a plan
for Mr. Drucker
to go there

to get information
about Miguel.

Then he pushed
the gun to me.

He said, "You have
to stop him, Victor."

Did he say why?

If Miguel cannot
play baseball for him,

he will not pay
for us to live here.

He will take away
my job to give it
to another father.

We will have
to go back to Honduras.

And, as a result of that
conversation with Mr. Leahy,
what did you do?

Before I went there,
I took the bullets out,

so I could just
scare Mr. Drucker
with the gun.

JACK: What happened
when you got there?

Mr. Drucker came in.

So, I point
the gun at him.

I said if he tell
anyone about my boy,
I would hurt him.

But, he got his gun.

And then,
we start to fight.

I hear a gun shoot.

There was blood on his hand,
on the side of his shirt.

JACK: Did you ever
tell Mr. Leahy
what had happened?

VICTOR: The same night.

Frank said,
"Everything will be okay.

"If I do not
tell what I did."

No one forced you
to come to America,
did they, Mr. Soto?

VICTOR: No.

You came here
because you
wanted to?

I came to give
my family a better life.

That is what
a father does.

And what a father
doesn't do,

is bring his son
into this country
under a false name,

let him lie and cheat
to play baseball,
threaten a man with a gun...

Mr. Leahy told me
to do all this.

Did the D.A.
ever charge you
with murder?

VICTOR: No.

He said if I testify,
they will not charge me.

Oh? Did he make
any other promises
for your testimony?

He promised

not to stop Miguel
to play baseball
in America.

Forever?

Because he lied
to immigration?

Yes.

Ooh. Had to twist your arm
to get you on the stand, huh,
Mr. Soto?

I never gave
Victor a gun.

And I certainly never
told him to kill anyone.

Well, then why
would he say you did?

Victor lied to me.

I was given
a birth certificate
by a boy's father.

Why shouldn't
I be able
to trust that?

COLLINS: There was a time,
though, when you
questioned it?

There were rumors,

someone's checking,
you know, Miguel's age.
I asked Victor about it.

What did he tell you?

Well, he got
very nervous.

But he said
it wasn't true.

And you continued
to believe him?

I stayed in the city
where I was born in,
so I could work with kids,

help them
achieve their dreams.

I wouldn't have done that
if I didn't believe in people.

You don't just stay
in the city though,
do you, Mr. Leahy?

Fact is, besides
going to Honduras,

you travel the world
looking for these kids.

Nicaragua, Venezuela,
Taiwan...

I go where the kids are.

And who pays for it?

My league has
a few corporate sponsors.

Isn't that money
supposed to buy
baseball helmets and bats?

Some of it does.

And the rest of it
went to finance

your international
talent search?

Victor Soto isn't the only
person who stood to gain
from Miguel's success,

was he, Mr. Leahy?

I give to the community,
I'm entitled to get
something back.

And part of what you
get back is a feeling
of self-importance,

of being a big man
in the community?

I work hard.
What's wrong with
a little recognition?

And aside from recognition,
you stood to get a windfall

if one of the players
you recruited
became a star?

I invest time
in these kids, okay?

Just like some
of you lawyers
take contingency fees.

But, I wouldn't
want to see
a man dead over it.

Even if he
threatened
to expose you?

I already said,
I didn't know
Miguel was 14.

But if it
was discovered
that you did,

you'd lose your little
power base in the neighborhood
wouldn't you?

You'd be a nobody,
unable to garner
any media exposure,

unable to recruit
young ballplayers

with the potential
to make millions of dollars!

FRANK: I just said,
I didn't know.

Even though
Miguel was clearly better
than the other boys?

When I see
a player's got game,

I suspect talent,
not cheating.

A head taller than the others,
faster than them,
stronger than them!

That's all part
of the talent.

This isn't about talent,
Mr. Leahy.

It's about
exploiting their dreams.

These kids and their families
wanted them to play
big-time baseball.

Nobody put a gun
to their head.

Not until you
gave them one.

Victor Soto
dreamed of his son
playing in the Major Leagues.

And based
on his track record,

he'd do or say
absolutely anything
to attain that dream.

He deceived the INS,
the Board of Education,

the Youth Baseball league
and, when his dream
was threatened,

it was Victor Soto,
not my client,

who went to confront
Mike Drucker with a gun.

And when Mr. McCoy's
arm-twisting

put his son's
entire baseball career
in jeopardy,

he lied in this
courtroom to you.

Now, who had
the most to lose here,
ladies and gentlemen?

If Mr. Soto's son
had stayed in the YBL,

Frank Leahy might have
won another trophy

a few handshakes
in his neighborhood.

Not the pie in the sky
the prosecution
would have you believe.

But, the Sotos,

they'd be one step closer
to the American Dream.

Many of us
played youth sports
in a time

before television
turned the 12-year-old
down the street

into an instant commodity.

We played to learn teamwork,
and good sportsmanship
and to have a good time.

Still, rather than wring our
hands over our lost innocence,
let's open our eyes.

Let's appreciate
that when the stakes
are raised exponentially,

as they are
in sports today,

so is the desperation.

Frank Leahy,
on paper, looks like
a youth baseball volunteer,

like a local hero, even.

But Mr. Leahy
was in the business

of exploiting poor,
and talented prospects

with promises
that could rarely
be fulfilled.

He used Miguel
and Victor Soto,

he used
their desperation.

He dangled the carrot
of the American Dream
in front of them

to attain his own
selfish goals.

And it came to be
that one of those
selfish goals

was the murder
of Mike Drucker!

He isn't the one
who pulled the trigger.

But he's the one
who deserves
to be punished.

JUDGE: Has the jury
reached a verdict?

We have, your Honor.

On the sole count
of murder in the second
degree, how do you find?

We find
the defendant guilty.

(MURMURING IN COURTROOM)

Miguel Soto's
on his way
back to Honduras.

No more baseball here?

After everything
that's happened,

his father just wanted
to take him home.

You know, we did
play hard ball with
his kid's immigration status.

Don't worry,
he'll be back.

Four years until
he can play pro ball.

A lot can happen to a kid.

If he doesn't get his hands
on an 18-year-old's
birth certificate.