Retired Drug Agents Sue Movie Producers For Defamation

NEW YORK (AP) — Some retired federal drug enforcement agents are suing over how they were depicted in the movie “American Gangster.”

The film tells the story of a 1970s New York City drug kingpin played by Denzel Washington who became a government informant and provided tips that led to the prosecutions of fellow drug dealers.

The agents are seeking $50 million from NBC Universal over the film’s claim that those tips “led to the convictions of three-quarters of New York City’s Drug Enforcement Agency.”

The suit contends no DEA agents or New York City police officers were ever convicted based on the information. The DEA and NYPD say they’re also unaware of any convictions.

A spokesman for the movie studio calls the suit “entirely without merit.”