NEWS RELEASE
NIAGARA REGIONAL POLICE
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On Friday, August 2, 2024, the Niagara Regional Police Service (NRPS), Niagara Emergency Medical Services (NEMS) and the Welland Fire Department (WFD) responded to an assist ambulance call in which a 27-year-old male was found deceased inside a family home in the City of Welland. As a result, a sudden death investigation was initiated by 3 District (Welland/Pelham) detectives in conjunction with the Coroner’s Office.
The Niagara Regional Police Service’s Opioid Enforcement and Education Unit (OEEU) also began a parallel investigation into the sale of illicit drugs.
A postmortem examination of the deceased male took place where it was determined that his cause of death was the result of mixed drug toxicity involving fentanyl, fluorofentanyl and methyl-fentanyl.
On Tuesday, February 25, 2025, 26-year-old Brady Neff of Welland, appeared in the Ontario Court of Justice and now stands charged with:
- Trafficking in a Schedule I controlled Substance to wit Fentanyl contrary to section 5(1) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (Offence Date July 31, 2024)
- Trafficking in a Schedule I controlled Substance to wit Fentanyl contrary to section 5(1) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (Offence Date August 1, 2024)
The OEEU is funded by the Ontario Government’s Community and Safety Policing Grant. The OEEU is a Niagara Regional Police Service initiative focused on education regarding the risk associated with illicit opioid use, while incorporating enforcement to address opioid-related issues within our community.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact detectives by calling 905-688-4111, option 3, ext. 1009716.
Members of the public who wish to provide information anonymously can contact Crime Stoppers of Niagara online or by calling 1-800-222-8477. Crime Stoppers offers cash rewards to persons who contact the program with information which leads to an arrest.
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