16 Charges Laid and $35,000 of Illicit Substances Seized in Drug Trafficking Investigation – St Catharines

In January 2026, the Niagara Regional Police Service (NRPS) Opioid Enforcement and Education Unit (OEEU) commenced an investigation into two persons trafficking fentanyl in the city of St. Catharines. Over the month of January 2026, members of the OEEU continued the investigation conducting surveillance on the two individuals.

On January 21, 2026, with the assistance of 1 District (St. Catharines / Thorold) Street Crime Unit (SCU), Emergency Task Unit (ETU) and 1 District Community Oriented Response and Engagement (CORE) unit, detectives of the OEEU executed a search warrant at an address on Church Street in the City of St Catharines.

 As a result, investigators seized the following items:

• 310 grams of suspected Fentanyl (street value of $31,000)
• 35.8 grams of suspected Crystal Methamphetamine (street value of $1,790)
• 178 suspected 8mg Hydromorphone pills (street value of $1,780)
• 115 suspected MDMA pills (street value of $1,150)
• $1,680.00 in Canadian currency
• Unregistered prohibited firearm with ammunition

Two occupants were located inside of the residence and were subsequently arrested.

42-year-old Jaclyn KRUTZ of St. Catharines is charged with the following criminal offences:

·       Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking (Fentanyl),

·       Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking (Hydromorphone)

·       Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking (MDMA)

·       Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking (Methamphetamine)

·       Possession of Proceeds of Crime Under $5,000.00

·       Knowingly Possess Prohibited Firearm

·       Careless Storage of a Firearm

·       Fail to Comply with Release Order (2 counts)

22-year-old Dakota REID of St. Catharines is charged with the following criminal offences:

·       Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking (Fentanyl)

·       Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking (Hydromorphone)

·       Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking (MDMA)

·       Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking (Methamphetamine)

·       Possession of Proceeds of Crime Under $5,000.00

·       Knowingly Possess Prohibited Firearm

·       Careless Storage of a Firearm

KRUTZ and REID remain in custody and are scheduled to attend a bail hearing on Thursday, January 22, 2026, at the Robert S.K. Welch Courthouse, located at 59 Church Street in St. Catharines.

Anyone with information related to this incident is asked to contact the Niagara Regional Police Service at (905) 688 4111, option 3, extension 1009465.

Members of the community who wish to provide information anonymously can contact Crime Stoppers of Niagara online or by calling 1-800-222-8477(TIPS). Crime Stoppers offers cash rewards to people who contact the program with information which leads to an arrest.

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