Story by Ethan
On June 22nd, 2026, the arrests of Daniel Vern Joly (34), Daniel Joly (53), Johnny Philogene (37), and Deshawn Ross (55), were announced by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg Jr.. Daniel Vern Joy was charged with three counts of first-degree Criminal Sale of a Firearm as a class B felony, three counts of first-degree Criminal Possession of a Weapon as a class B felony, second-degree Criminal Sale of a Firearm as a class C felony, 44 counts of second-degree Criminal Possession of a Weapon, third-degree Criminal Sale of a Firearm as a Class D felony, and fourth-degree Conspiracy as a class E felony. Daniel Joly was charged with first-degree Criminal Sale of a Firearm as a class B felony, eight counts of second-degree Criminal Possession of a Weapon as a class C felony, second-degree Criminal Sale of a Firearm as a class C felony, third-degree Criminal Sale of a Firearm as a class D felony, and fourth-degree Conspiracy as a class E felony. Johnny Philogene was charged with second-degree Criminal Possession of a Weapon as a class C felony, third-degree Criminal Sale of a Firearm as a class D felony, and fourth-degree Conspiracy as a class E felony. Deshawn Ross was charged with second-degree Criminal Possession of a Weapon as a class C felony, and fourth-degree Conspiracy as a class E felony. The arrest and charges against Daniel Vern Joly, Daniel Joly, Johnny Philogene, and Deshawn Ross were a result of an investigation handled by the NYPD-ATF Joint Firearms Task Force, the NYPD Intel Field Intelligence Office Unit including Detective Michael Harkins, ATF Special Agent and Detective Daniel Gukelberger, and the Newton, Gwinnett, and Rockdale Sheriffs’ Departments in Georgia.
According to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, Daniel Vern Joly contacted an undercover officer via text messaging and video calling in order to advertise his firearm sales and arrange a meetup. Afterwards he communicated with the other three defendants to assist with conducting the sales. Deshawn Ross equipped some of the guns with attachments such as rapid-fire modification devices known as “forced reset triggers” or FRTs. At least two of the firearms sold contained these FRTs.
On April 1st, 2026, at approximately 6:36 p.m., Daniel Vern Joly informed the undercover officer that he was going to travel to New York on the 8th of the month and was planning on arriving on either the 9th or 10th. During these conversations the defendant sent numerous photos and videos brandishing firearms while discussing the attachments on them, including one with a “switch”.
At approximately 11:24 a.m. on April 9th, 2026, the undercover officer met with Daniel Vern Joly in Chinatown, New York, in the area of Canal Street and Forsyth Street. The two entered the officer’s vehicle at approximately 1:27 p.m. where the defendant sold him 10 firearms with their proper ammunition, including a semiautomatic pistol with a flashlight attachment and modified FRT. A few minutes after the sale Deshawn Ross called Daniel Vern Joly, who was still with the undercover officer, and in substance told him that they had acquired more firearms with FRTs and “switches”. The sale totaled to approximately $10,8000. The following week Daniel Vern Joly shared more images and videos of other firearms with the officer. The defendant told him on April 13th, 2026, that he would leave them at Daniel Joly’s residence until he returned to New York on April 21st.
On April 21st, 2026, at approximately 12:07 p.m., Daniel Vern Joly met again with the officer in his vehicle at the same location in Chinatown, New York. The sale was for 10 firearms with their corresponding ammunition, including a glock 23 .40 caliber pistol with a machinegun conversion device. The sale totalled to approximately $10,500, after which the defendant told the officer in detail how Daniel Joly would be conducting the next sale.
On April 23rd, 2026, at approximately 8:55 a.m., Daniel Joly dropped a box off in the area of East 21st Street and Woodruff Avenue in Brooklyn, New York. The box contained eight different firearms with their corresponding ammunition. The undercover officer retrieved the box, took it inside of his vehicle, removed the contents from inside, and then put the payment in cash inside the box before placing it back where it originally was on the street. The sale totaled to approximately $9,000.
On May 4th, 2026, Daniel Vern Joly contacted the officer again to notify of his return to New York with additional firearms. Two days later Daniel Vern Joly engaged in a series of phone calls with Jonny Philogene to organize the next transaction with the officer. On May 7th, 2026, at approximately 1:35 p.m. Johnny Philogene met with the officer in the area of East 87th Street and Avenue M in Brooklyn, New York. During this interaction the officer received one firearm with its corresponding ammunition. Later the same day at approximately 5:15 p.m. the officer met with Daniel Joly in the area of Ocean Avenue and Avenue L and paid him $1,000 in cash for the firearm.
On May 11th, 2026, at approximately 4:28 p.m. Daniel Vern Joly told the officer about returning to New York next week with more firearms. The next day the officer had also been present alongside Daniel Vern Joly and Deshawn Ross where Deshawn Ross explained how he went to a gunsmith to get the FRTs installed on certain weapons.
On May 19th, 2026, at approximately 10:05 a.m. the officer received a screenshot of the previous location of transactions in Chinatown, New York with the caption “It says 3 hours”. Later the same day at approximately 1:32 p.m. Daniel Vern Joly met with the officer and sold him 16 guns with their corresponding ammunition for a total of approximately $14,800.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office stated that the charges against Daniel Vern Joly, Daniel Joly, Johnny Philogene, and Deshawn Ross are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
