A Michigan councilman who had his criminal record from his time as a drug dealer wiped clean thanks to a Democrat-backed law has been arrested for allegedly beating a woman. Leon El-Alamin, 44, a Democratic First Ward city councilman in the city of Flint, was taken into custody on July 10, 2025, and was charged with alleged domestic violence and assault.
Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton stated that the incident occurred after El-Alamin got angry with the woman because she was perusing her emails. “Shad had bruising on her face, which is consistent with being struck in the face,” Leyton revealed. “She had a mark on her neck, which is consistent with the allegation of being choked, and she claims she had been dragged out by her hair.”
Leyton also said investigators found some strands of the victim’s hair on the floor, which corroborated her story. Authorities also discovered a gun inside the house. Unsurprisingly, El-Alamin denied the allegations against him in a post published on the Facebook page for the M.A.D.E. Institute. “These recent allegations are both false and deeply disheartening, but I remain confident in the truth and in the legal process,” he stated in the post.
According to Fox News, El-Alamin is both the founder and executive director of the M.A.D.E. Institute, a nonprofit organization that stands for Money, Attitude, Direction, and Education. The city councilman was elected in November 2024 and has been featured in a number of photos with prominent Democratic leaders such as U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Michigan Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
After he graduated from high school, El-Alamin, Fox News reports, started dealing drugs and wound up in a coma for a month following a shootout, according to information contained in the biography section of his website. He was also arrested on various drug and weapons charges. He was let out of prison after serving only part of a 12-to-20- year sentence for his crimes.
El-Alamin made a living selling cocaine under his former name, Leon Wilson, according to the New York Post. While in prison, he converted to Islam and changed his name. Not long after, he formed the M.A.D.E. Institute. The organization’s mission is to help provide housing and additional support for at-risk youth and former prison inmates. El-Alamin also became a critic of the prison system following his release, writing in a LinkedIn post published in 2024, “Mass Incarceration is one of the greatest threats to our democracy in America.”
In 2021, El-Alamin’s criminal record was given a thorough washing under the Clean Slate Act, which expunged the records of many ex-convicts. El-Alamin spoke with local media at the time, saying, “I’m excited, I can’t really explain it. I’m overwhelmed with joy.” The city councilman’s bond was set at $7,500. His trial was recently moved from March to May 2026.
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The original trial date was March 11, 2026; however, the judge pushed the date back at the request of counsel. Judge Khary L. Hanible is presiding over the case. Judge Hanible also ordered El-Alamin’s tether to be removed, though the prosecution objected to the move. El-Alamin’s final pretrial hearing is now set for May 18. The jury trial will start two days later on May 20, according to a report from ABC 12 News.
Featured image: screenshot from embedded video