HARRISBURG — Attorney General Josh Shapiro today announced criminal charges against a former law enforcement officer and narcotics detective for his role in the death of a 15-year-old relative at his Pittsburgh residence in 2017. Daniel Bondi, 43, of Realty Avenue, Pittsburgh, was arraigned in court today following his arrest on two felony charges of Endangering the Welfare of a Child and Prohibited Delivery of a Controlled Substance, and other related charges including reckless endangerment and possession.
The defendant was charged following a Grand Jury investigation, which concluded that Bondi— who identified that he was a guardian of the 15-year-old girl— repeatedly purchased and introduced fentanyl into the residence he shared with the child for his personal use. The child died as a result of ingesting fentanyl on July 27, 2017 at their Beechview home.
“The heroin and opioid epidemic is devastating our communities and destroying lives,” said Attorney General Josh Shapiro. “This child was living just inches away from these poisons, demonstrating how they can make their way into homes and put the lives of our families and children at risk. My Office is committed to leveraging every resource at our disposal to fight this public health crisis. I’m grateful for the diligent work of the Allegheny County Police Department to seek justice for the children who are suffering from the effects of this epidemic.”
During the course of the investigation, detectives observed used stamp bags marked “XXX” in blue ink, other used bags, three full stamp bags of heroin/fentanyl, and a syringe in the child’s bedroom. In the defendant’s room, across the hallway and within five feet of the child’s room, detectives recovered dozens of syringes and hundreds of stamp bags. Although Bondi claimed that the child never came into his room and never stole from him, some of the bags recovered from the defendant’s room matched the bags found in the child’s room, including those with the “XXX” blue ink stamp. The defendant’s door did not have a lock on it.
The case was referred to the Office of the Attorney General by the Allegheny County Police Department and is being prosecuted by Senior Deputy Attorney General Marnie Sheehan-Balchon and Senior Deputy Attorney General Kate Jordan.
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