NEWS RELEASE
NIAGARA REGIONAL POLICE
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On Dec. 6, 2021, 2 District – Niagara Falls uniform officers from the Niagara Regional Police Service were at a hotel in the area of Ellen Avenue and Centre Street in Niagara Falls. Officers were on scene investigating an unrelated robbery.
While on scene, officers received information about the presence of a firearm and drugs in a room. As a result of the subsequent investigation, officers entered a room and located:
• a Chiappa Little Badger .22 calibre break action rifle
• 10 rounds of ammunition
A male suspect was identified and arrested at the scene. A search of the male after his arrest led to officers finding and seizing the following:
• 26.8 grams of suspected blue fentanyl
• 5.1 grams of suspected cocaine
• six tablets of suspected oxycontin
• $1,990 CDN
2 District detectives were assigned to the investigation.
Ethan Tully MacNeil (18 years) of St. Catharines has been arrested and charged with the following offences:
• unauthorized possession of a firearm section 91(1) of the Criminal Code
• possession of firearm knowing its possession is unauthorized section 92(1) of the Criminal Code
• careless storage of a firearm section 86(1) of the Criminal Code
• possession of a schedule I substance for the purpose of trafficking (fentanyl) section 5(2) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act
• possession of a schedule I substance for the purpose of trafficking (cocaine) section 5(2) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act
• possession of a schedule I substance for the purpose of trafficking (oxycontin) section 5(2) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act
• possession of proceeds obtained by crime under $5000, section 355(a) of the Criminal Code
• possess firearm, ammunition contrary to Prohibition Order, section 117.01(1) of the Criminal Code (two counts)
MacNeil was held in custody for a video bail hearing on Dec. 7, 2021 at the Robert S. K. Welch Courthouse in St. Catharines.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact detectives by calling 905-688-4111, ext. 1022200.
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