Former FDNY firefighter-turned-OnlyFans model Michael Pena was thrown behind bars Thursday in a stunning courtroom twist, following a fatal drunk-driving crash that killed 23-year-old airport worker Justin Diaz earlier this year.
The dramatic moment unfolded in Queens Supreme Court, where over 50 members of Diaz’s family and supporters packed the gallery. When Pena’s bail was revoked, cheers erupted and someone even shouted, “Put the cuffs on him!”
Michael Pena, 28, who once moonlighted as a hunky OnlyFans model under the handle “I’m Mike LV”, is now facing a 14-count indictment, including manslaughter charges, stemming from the February 26 collision.
According to prosecutors, Pena was driving his silver Mercedes S63 Coupe at a shocking 83 mph in a 25 mph zone, when he sped through a red light and T-boned Diaz’s BMW at around 4 a.m. Surveillance footage and dashcam videos captured the horrifying impact.
Authorities revealed that Pena had been bar-hopping for hours before the crash and had alcohol, cocaine, and marijuana in his system. His blood-alcohol level remained well above the legal limit even five hours after the crash.
“I ran the light. I hit him. I’m a firefighter,” Pena allegedly admitted to police at the scene.
Dressed sharply in a charcoal suit, crisp white shirt, and gold tie, Pena appeared stunned as the judge ordered him into custody. Previously out on a $50,000 cash bail (or $100,000 bond), prosecutors argued successfully that Pena was now a flight risk, facing up to 15 years in prison if convicted.
His defense attorney, Marvin Kornberg, pleaded for leniency, arguing,
“He has ties to the community… There is absolutely no need to change the bail.”
But Judge Michael Hartofilis sided with the prosecution, citing the severity of the crime. The decision was met with emotional applause from Diaz’s family, who said Pena had shown “no regard for human life.”
“This was a heinous crime,” said Franklin Diaz Jr., the victim’s older brother. “He tried to use his firefighter status to lessen what he did to my brother.”
Michael Pena’s troubled history includes multiple prior arrests across Queens, Nassau County, and New Jersey, including for flashing a phony ID, as well as 25 traffic violations, primarily for speeding between 2023 and early 2025.
Pena’s OnlyFans account had built a notable following, where he frequently posted shirtless selfies, flexing his toned physique and teasing “private content” for an extra fee.
“Feelin real fresh got some new content for y’all; message me to unlock the goods,” he wrote on social media in mid-2023.
Tragically, Justin Diaz, the victim of the crash, had recently graduated from college with a degree in aeronautics and was on his way to work at LaGuardia Airport when his life was cut short.
For Diaz’s grieving family, Pena’s flashy OnlyFans fame and firefighter title were no shield against justice.
“He lost his job,” Franklin Diaz Jr. said. “Now he’s going to lose his freedom, too.”