A fired firefighter behind the wheel during a drug-fueled drunk driving crash that killed a Queens airport worker last year faces to up to 12 years in jail after pleading guilty Wednesday to a pair of manslaughter charges.
Michael Peña’s admission of guilt in a plea deal — after having maintained his innocence — finally brought some long-awaited closure to the family of Justin Diaz, 23. The victim was on his way to his LaGuardia Airport baggage-handling job when the off-duty, drunk firefighter blew through a red light in East Elmhurst at 83 mph and T-boned his BMW.
A blood test later revealed that Peña was under the influence of cocaine and marijuana. His blood-alcohol content tested at 0.156 percent, nearly twice the legal threshold of 0.08, prosecutors said.
Supreme Court Justice Michael Hartofilis remanded Pena and ordered him to return to court July 16, when he will face four to 12 years in prison on the manslaughter charge and 16 months to seven years on the vehicular manslaughter charge, to run concurrently.
“Today, justice was finally served,” the victim’s father, Franklin Diaz, said outside Queens Criminal Court.
“We’re content with the sentence that he received. No matter how many years Michael Peña serves in prison, it’s still not going to bring my son Justin Diaz back.”
Prosecutors said Peña, 29, was driving his Mercedes through the intersection at 107th St. and Northern Blvd. nearly 60 mph over the speed limit on Feb. 26, 2025 after a night of drinking at a Bayside, Queens, bar.
Surveillance footage from the bar showed him having his first drink around 6 p.m. — nearly 11 hours before the crash.
“The defendant’s choices that morning irrevocably changed the lives of every family member, friend, neighbor and co-worker who loved Justin Diaz,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said in a statement.
“Justice demands that Michael Peña be held accountable for his actions, and through this plea, my office has ensured that Justin Diaz’s death did not go unpunished.”
His family said Diaz “was an incredible young man with a bright future.”
Diaz, who loaded baggage for Delta, was studying for an aeronautics degree at Vaughn College in Flushing, and had just earned his degree, his family said.
The diploma arrived at his home days after he died. At his funeral, his family placed the degree in his bronze casket before it was closed.