Gun Thief Daniel Johnson Back Behind Bars for Heroin Sale

Daniel Johnson, a resident of New Kensington, Pa., is back behind federal bars — again — after selling heroin while under court supervision for an armed gun heist. The 2009 burglary at Jolar Gun Dealership, where Johnson and accomplices smashed the front window and stole three AR-15 type assault rifles and 11 pistols, set off a criminal spiral that federal prosecutors say shows no sign of ending.

On Dec. 14, 2009, Johnson and others broke into the Jolar dealership, making off with a deadly arsenal. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives launched a full investigation, leading to Johnson’s first federal conviction. In 2011, Senior United States District Court Judge Alan Bloch sentenced him to 24 months in prison, followed by three years of supervision by the U.S. Probation Office.

Johnson didn’t stay clean. In 2014, Judge Bloch found he’d violated the terms of his supervision and handed down a second sentence: nine months in prison and 27 months of supervised release. That should’ve been a warning. It wasn’t.

While living in a halfway house after serving that second sentence, Johnson was caught selling heroin. Federal agents moved fast. At a hearing on Dec. 8, 2016, Judge Bloch ruled the drug sale a serious breach of supervision. The result? Another 24 months in federal prison, followed by 19 months of supervision — if he stays out of trouble this time.

Assistant United States Attorney Ross E. Lenhardt, from the Violent Crime Section, prosecuted the case, pushing for accountability in what has become a recurring saga of crime and failed rehabilitation. Acting United States Attorney Soo C. Song praised the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General Task Force for their relentless work in tracking Johnson’s violations and securing the third federal conviction.

The task force, made up of local officers collaborating on drug investigations, continues to target repeat offenders like Johnson. But with each re-arrest, the question grows louder: how many chances does a gun thief turned drug dealer get before the system runs out of patience?