Niagara Regional Police say that an impaired driver investigation led to drug charges.
On November 30, 2023, at 10:31pm officers responded to a report of a possible impaired driver in St. Catharines.
A member of the public contacted the NRPS to report being behind a 2017 blue Volkswagen that was driving erratically and had bumped into curbs.
Officers located and stopped the Volkswagen at Frank Street and Church Street in St. Catharines. After speaking with the male driver, officers formed grounds to believe he was impaired, and he was arrested. A search of the Volkswagen following the driver’s arrest led to the seizure of 65 grams of suspected Fentanyl and 32 suspected Benzodiazepine pills.
Daniel Denis Petrucci (39 yrs.) of St. Catharines was arrested and charged with criminal offences of:
Impaired Operation of a Conveyance – Drug
Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking – Fentanyl
Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking – Benzodiazepine
Petrucci was later released with a future court date of December 29, 2023, at the Robert S. K. Welch Courthouse in St. Catharines.
In addition to the Volkswagen being impounded, Petrucci has been issued an Administrative Driver’s Licence Suspension (ADLS). The ADLS is issued to everyone charged with similar driving offences. The ADLS prohibits Petrucci from operating a motor vehicle for 90 days from the date it was issued.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact the investigating officers by calling 905-688-4111, option 3, extension 1004233, reference incident 23-133607.
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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