Greater Sudbury Police have charged a suspected opioid dealer with manslaughter in connection with an overdose death in February.
In a news release, police said they arrested David Leon Stefanczuk, 39, on May 14 and charged with him with manslaughter in connection to a fatal opioid overdose in Sudbury on Feb. 1. No details of the victim were released.
Stefanczuk is also charged with trafficking a Schedule 1 substance in relation to the overdose. He is scheduled to appear in bail court Thursday.
“Over the last two years, approximately 9,000 people have died from opioid-related overdoses across Canada,” police said in the release. “Locally, an opioid-related death occurs every five days.
“As a partner of the Community Drug Strategy (CDS) and in order to combat the opioid crisis, the Greater Sudbury Police Service will continue to focus its attention on those persons who produce, distribute or traffic illicit and deadly opioids in our community while supporting all of the pillars of the CDS including harm reduction initiatives for those who suffer from addiction.”
When an overdose death occurs in Greater Sudbury, “it is critical that Investigators determine the source of the deadly drugs in order to prevent further loss of life,” the release said.
Anyone with information about an opioid trafficker is asked to contact the Greater Sudbury Police Service at 705-675-9171 or Crime Stoppers at 705-222-8477 (TIPS).
