{"id":206,"date":"2026-06-01T19:16:19","date_gmt":"2026-06-01T19:16:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/urbaneconomynews.com\/?p=206"},"modified":"2026-06-01T19:16:19","modified_gmt":"2026-06-01T19:16:19","slug":"feds-allege-taxpayer-funded-los-angeles-peace-ambassador-was-active-member-of-street-gang","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/urbaneconomynews.com\/?p=206","title":{"rendered":"Feds Allege Taxpayer-Funded Los Angeles \u2018Peace Ambassador\u2019 Was Active Member of Street Gang"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

A convicted murderer who federal authorities say was on the Los Angeles city payroll as a \u201cPeace Ambassador\u201d was arrested Friday on a federal criminal complaint for illegally possessing body armor.<\/p>\n

Read more Judge Orders Trump Name Removed From Kennedy Center<\/a><\/p>\n

The Daily Caller reports that Michael Angel Alvarez, nicknamed \u201cDiablo,\u201d was arrested Friday and charged with possession of body armor by a violent felon.<\/p>\n

According to a Department of Justice (DOJ) press release, Alvarez is a convicted gang murderer who claims to work for Healing Urban Barrios, an organization that contracted with the city for its Peace Ambassador program in the city\u2019s Council District 1.<\/p>\n

\n

\ud83d\udea8Federal Agent\u2019s arrest a @MayorOfLA \u201cPeace Ambassador\u201d known as \u201cDiablo\u201d for packing illegal military-grade body armor, guns.<\/p>\n

Michael Angel Alvarez a.k.a. \u201cDiablo,\u201d is an active 18th Street gang member & convicted murderer\u2014paid $58K with L.A. taxpayer dollars. pic.twitter.com\/sp4wjwBNhL<\/p>\n

\u2014 Dapper Detective (@Dapper_Det) May 31, 2026<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\nKTLA reports that the Peace Ambassador strategy is described by the city as a violence prevention program staffed by \u201ctwo unarmed workers who have lived experience in the justice or gang systems and are trained in violence prevention and trauma-informed care.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to the Daily Caller, the DOJ\u00a0released an image\u00a0of paperwork purportedly showing Alvarez\u2019s Peace Ambassador title.<\/p>\n

Read more Study Finds Faculty Political Donations at Top Universities Heavily Tilted Left<\/a><\/p>\n

The DOJ alleges that Alvarez made $58,156 from Healing Urban Barrios in 2025 after Los Angeles allocated $450,000 toward the group\u2019s services for a three-year period.<\/p>\n

Alvarez\u2019s criminal history includes a 2002 conviction for first-degree murder for which he was sentenced to 50 years to life in state prison, but was released after serving 24 years\u2019 imprisonment, and an April 2025 felony conviction for being a prisoner in possession of a weapon.<\/p>\n

In a statement posted to X, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli criticized the city-funded program, saying \u201cthe hardworking tax payers of Los Angeles deserve better than to see their money shelled out to a convicted gang murderer.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

MacArthur Park Update<\/p>\n

This morning, @FBILosAngeles arrested Michael Angel Alvarez, 41, a.k.a. \u201cDiablo,\u201d an active 18th Street gang member, convicted murderer, and Los Angeles \u201cPeace Ambassador\u201d who is being paid with L.A. city taxpayer dollars.<\/p>\n

According to Councilwoman\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/zXMMoItNIq<\/p>\n

\u2014 F.A. United States Attorney Bill Essayli (@USAttyEssayli) May 29, 2026<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\nKTLA reports that federal agents said officers encountered Alvarez on May 18 near MacArthur Park while responding to a stolen vehicle investigation and discovered two body armor plates in the trunk when officers searched his vehicle due to his probation conditions.<\/p>\n

If convicted, Alvarez would face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.<\/p>\n

Read more NYT Reports Leftist, Progressive Lawyers Flee Trump Administration<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A convicted murderer who federal authorities say was on the Los Angeles city payroll as a \u201cPeace Ambassador\u201d was arrested Friday on a federal criminal complaint\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":205,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-206","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-california-craziness"],"yoast_head":"\nFeds Allege Taxpayer-Funded Los Angeles \u2018Peace Ambassador\u2019 Was Active Member of Street Gang - Urban Economy news<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/urbaneconomynews.com\/?p=206\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Feds Allege Taxpayer-Funded Los Angeles \u2018Peace Ambassador\u2019 Was Active Member of Street Gang - 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