Former two-day Jeopardy! champion Philip Joseph “Joey” DeSena, who appeared on the show last November, has been arrested on two felony peeping charges.
According to a warrant from the Currituck County Sheriff’s Office in North Carolina, DeSena is accused of secretly installing cameras in a victim’s bedroom and bathroom on October 10, 2025. The 43-year-old development engineer from Raleigh was taken into custody on Monday, December 1, and was not granted bond.
A probable cause hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, December 10.
DeSena made his Jeopardy! debut on November 11, 2024, winning $17,487. That episode became memorable for its unusual finish, where both of his opponents ended up tied at $1 after wagering everything in Final Jeopardy. The ruling on how to award second and third place sparked heated debate among fans.
He returned the next night and won again, bringing his total winnings to $44,698 before losing in his third game.
DeSena later competed in the Champions Wildcard tournament in January 2025, hoping to secure a spot in the 2025 Tournament of Champions. He reached the semifinals but was knocked out by fan favorites Drew Goins and Jen Feldman.
During his run on the show, DeSena was active on the Jeopardy! Reddit forum, often sharing behind-the-scenes thoughts. In one post, he explained that writing “Lorelai” during a Final Jeopardy answer was a sweet shout-out to his then-four-month-old daughter, hoping it would be something she’d smile about someday.
Before his game show success, DeSena had already built a following in the retro-gaming community. He was known for his work on 16 Bit Gems, Apollo Z Hack, and The Video Game Years, and ran the popular YouTube channel ClanOfTheGrayWolf under the name “Roo” from 2009 to 2015.