A convicted murderer, whom law enforcement suspects is an active member of one of the largest street gangs in Los Angeles while being paid by the city to work as a violence-prevention “peace ambassador,” is expected to be arraigned Tuesday on a federal charge.
Michael Angel Alvarez, 41, of Westlake, is charged in Los Angeles federal court with possession of body armor by a violent felon.
Body armor is an item of reinforced clothing designed to protect the wearer against a variety of attacks. It is considered unlawful when owned by someone previously convicted of a violent felony.
According to an affidavit, Alvarez is a convicted murderer who represents himself as working for Healing Urban Barrios, a Lincoln Heights-based organization that contracted with the city for its Peace Ambassador program in the city’s Council District 1, which includes MacArthur Park.
An administrator of the organization did not immediately respond to a request from City News Service for comment.
The Peace Ambassador program is described on a city website as “a new initiative to prevent violence before it starts and to support Angelenos in moments of crisis.”
Each Peace Ambassador team “consists of two unarmed workers who have lived experience in the justice or gang systems and are trained in violence prevention and trauma-informed care,” according to a city website.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office contends HUB paid Alvarez a total of $58,156 last year.
Alvarez’s 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, and an April 2025 felony conviction for being a prisoner in possession of a weapon, federal prosecutors said.
Law enforcement believes Alvarez is still involved in gang activity because of jail telephone calls in which he allegedly discussed assaulting people for breaking gang rules, court papers show.
“The hardworking tax payers of Los Angeles deserve better than to see their money shelled out to a convicted gang murderer,” First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said in a post on X after Alvarez was charged.
Prosecutors said that on May 18, two uniformed police officers responded to a call for backup related to a stolen vehicle investigation near MacArthur Park. As the officers were leaving, they noticed Alvarez, whom they believed might be a wanted person, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office
Officers detained Alvarez, who allegedly later told them he was a “CRT,” which the officers believed was a reference to the Los Angeles Mayor’s Crisis Response Team. Prosecutors contend a search of Alvarez’s car resulted in the seizure of two body armor plates in the trunk.
Alvarez told authorities he acquired the body armor plates as part of an art project for local youth, court papers show.
The plates are from Las Vegas and are marketed as “the highest protection level available on the civilian market,” the affidavit states.
If convicted, Alvarez would face a potential sentence of up to five years in federal prison, prosecutors noted.