On the afternoon of September 22, 2014, 30-year-old Dean Artis Daniels was shot and killed in Mount Vernon, New York. Daniels, a resident of Harrison, was visiting a friend in the vicinity of Park Avenue and East Prospect Avenue when the incident occurred around 6 p.m. According to reports, individuals approached him and shot him twice in the back. He was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries, which included a pierced lung.
Investigators believed from the outset that Daniels was specifically targeted.
The investigation into the murder of Dean Artis Daniels was part of a larger effort by the FBI Westchester County Safe Streets Gang Task Force and the Mount Vernon Police Department to solve a series of homicides in the city. A reward of up to $5,000 was offered by the FBI for information leading to an arrest in his case. The investigation eventually revealed that members of the 'Goonies' street gang were responsible for his death.
The motive for the murder was determined to be retaliation for Daniels allegedly robbing a member of the Goonies of his car. In the afternoon of the shooting, Markel Overton, also known as 'Kellz,' and Raheem Jones, also known as 'Trigga,' accompanied two other associates of the gang to find Daniels. While Overton and Jones remained in the vehicle, the two associates confronted and shot Daniels.
In December 2017, a superseding indictment charged twelve members and associates of the Goonies street gang with various crimes, including the murder of Dean Daniels. Among those charged in connection to the murder was Ernest Webb, also known as 'Ern' or 'Ern Millz.' Subsequently, Raheem Jones and Markel Overton pled guilty to charges related to their involvement. In November 2021, Markel Overton was sentenced to 20 years in prison for his participation in the murder and other gang-related activities. In January 2022, Raheem Jones received a sentence of 25 years in prison for his role in the murder of Dean Daniels and his involvement in multiple other shootings. Jones pleaded guilty to one count of racketeering conspiracy and one count of using a firearm in connection with an assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering. Overton pleaded guilty to one count of racketeering conspiracy.
