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Legal Briefs
DEA Agents Sue Universal Over "American Gangster"
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Jan 20, 2008, 18:49

Three former special agents of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration filed a $50 million lawsuit against NBC Universal Inc. over the Denzel Washington-Russell Crowe film "American Gangster." The film tells the story real-life drug kingpin Frank Lucas who built up a heroin empire in Harlem in the early 1970s.  The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Manhattan, alleges that the movie falsely claims that three-quarters of "New York City's Drug Enforcement Agency," from 1973 to 1985, were convicted of a crime.  The lawsuit, which is seeking class-action status on behalf of 400 present and former DEA agents in New York.

In the suit, former DEA agents Louis Diaz, Gregory Korniloff and Jack Toal said NBC Universal, the owner of Universal Studios, falsely claimed the movie was based on a true story and misrepresented the events surrounding Lucas.

As the final credits roll on the film, a screen appears that states three-quarters of the drug enforcement agents assigned to New York were convicted as a result of Lucas' cooperation with police officer Richie Roberts (Crowe).  According to the DEA, there were no such convictions.

"With this utterly false and defamatory statement the defendant has ruined and impugned the reputations of these honest and courageous public servants in the eyes of million of people who have already been exposed to this defamation and damaged them in their current trades and professions, and, if not stopped by an injunction, will further ruin and impugn their reputations in the eyes of millions more who are about to be exposed to the defamation, and will further damage them in their current trades and professions," the lawsuit says.

The complaint also said the film falsely represented the role played by New Jersey detective Richard Roberts, who was portrayed by Crowe.  The suit is also seeking a restraining order against further distribution of the movie, $55 million in damages and punitive damages and profits from the box office.  The film has bought in more than $130 million.