James "Jimmy" Hagovitch was a detective in the Broward County Police Department, as well as a secret leak to the Miguel Manolo drug cartel, supplying them with information on ongoing operations, preventing Broward from busting him. In 1988, Hagovitch discovered that a recent employee to Manolo's cartel, enforcer Sonny Burnett was in reality James "Sonny" Crockett, a Metro-Dade Detective, though he doesn't know why Crockett/Burnett was doing what he was, as it was outside normal police practices. Hagovitch also blew Ricardo "Rico" Tubbs's cover, forcing Burnett to prove himself by attempting to kill Tubbs, his partner. Hagovitch then arranged to meet with Burnett, but Burnett shot Hagovitch to death and fled in a boat after Hagovitch drew his gun on who he thought was Crockett.