A court document reveals that the planned attack on a jail official, which led to the initiation of Project South, a case concerning police corruption and organized crime, was orchestrated by individuals who used aliases on an encrypted messaging platform to contract the job. Prior to the purported murder attempt, the suspects allegedly utilized the Signal app to exchange personal details and images of the target, a high-ranking corrections officer at Toronto South Detention Centre.
Information disclosed in a factum submitted by Crown prosecutors in Ontario Superior Court sheds light on discussions uncovered from confiscated cellphones, portraying the involvement of an alleged gun-for-hire network in the attempted assassination. The investigation into Project South commenced in June 2025 following the interception of the suspected hit, where a suspect vehicle collided with a police car stationed outside the official’s residence.
Initially, nearly 30 individuals, including seven Toronto police officers and a retired constable, faced charges in Project South. One officer, now retired, pleaded guilty recently, while one civilian’s charge was dropped. The court document highlights conversations between suspects using aliases, discussing various “jobs” and arranging for the commission of offenses in exchange for monetary compensation.
Further Signal messages recovered by law enforcement implicated additional individuals in the conspiracy to murder the corrections officer. The exchanges detailed the provision of sensitive information, including the official’s address and vehicle details, obtained from an unauthorized search of a secure database by a Toronto police officer. The suspects, including Lemonious, Jackson, Barker-Campbell, and two unidentified youths, have been charged with conspiracy to commit the murder, although the allegations are yet to be tested in court.
During the planning stages, discussions among the suspects involved recruiting others and negotiating the terms of engagements, indicating a systematic approach to carrying out criminal activities for financial gain. The involvement of multiple parties in offering and declining the job to target the jail official underscores the complexity of the alleged murder plot. The court filings also mention the discovery of incriminating videos and communications on the suspects’ devices, further implicating them in related criminal activities.
As the investigation progresses, the legal representatives for some of the accused have refrained from commenting on the ongoing case, emphasizing their intent to address the allegations within the judicial process. The factum details a series of events leading up to the foiled attack, including the surveillance of the suspect vehicle near the official’s residence and the subsequent arrests made during the operation.
The unfolding revelations from the court proceedings shed light on the intricate web of criminal activities and the collaborative efforts of the accused individuals in orchestrating the planned hit on the jail official. The case continues to evolve as law enforcement officials delve deeper into the intricate details of Project South.