Daniel Bondi, Endangering Welfare of a Child, Pennsylvania 2024

A 15-year-old girl died after ingesting fentanyl inside a Pittsburgh home where her guardian, Daniel Bondi, 43, openly stored and used the deadly drug, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced today. Bondi, a former narcotics detective and law enforcement officer, was arraigned on two felony counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child and Prohibited Delivery of a Controlled Substance, along with charges of reckless endangerment and drug possession.

The death occurred on July 27, 2017, in the Beechview residence Bondi shared with the teen. A grand jury investigation revealed Bondi repeatedly brought fentanyl-laced heroin into the home, storing it just feet from the child’s bedroom. Despite claiming the girl never entered his room or used his drugs, investigators found matching stamp bags — marked “XXX” in blue ink — in both the child’s bedroom and Bondi’s, where dozens of syringes and hundreds of used bags were recovered.

Bondi’s bedroom door had no lock, and the proximity — less than five feet from the girl’s room — made access nearly inevitable. Detectives found three full stamp bags of heroin/fentanyl and used paraphernalia in the teen’s room, evidence indicating easy exposure to lethal substances in what should have been a safe living environment.

“This child was living just inches away from these poisons,” Shapiro stated. “The heroin and opioid epidemic is devastating our communities and destroying lives.” He emphasized that Bondi’s status as a law enforcement officer and self-declared guardian made the betrayal of trust all the more egregious.

The case, referred by the Allegheny County Police Department, is being prosecuted by Senior Deputy Attorney General Marnie Sheehan-Balchon and Senior Deputy Attorney General Kate Jordan. The charges underscore the deadly reach of the opioid crisis, especially when enablers operate behind a badge.

Daniel Bondi now faces the justice system he once served. The investigation serves as a grim reminder: when drugs invade homes, children pay the price — even under the watch of those sworn to protect the law.

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