In a recent court filing, it was revealed that the alleged assassination attempt on a high-ranking jail official that served as the catalyst for the police corruption and organized crime investigation dubbed Project South was orchestrated by individuals using fake identities on a secure messaging platform. The suspects reportedly utilized the Signal app to exchange personal details and images of the target, an undisclosed senior corrections officer at the Toronto South Detention Centre.
According to Crown prosecutors, the incriminating information was uncovered from conversations on confiscated cellphones, outlining the involvement of an alleged network specializing in contract killings. The investigation into Project South was launched following the thwarting of the purported assassination plan by York Regional Police in June 2025, when the suspect vehicle collided with a police cruiser stationed near the official’s residence.
Initially, nearly 30 individuals, including seven Toronto police officers and a retired constable, were charged in connection with Project South. Subsequently, one officer pleaded guilty while another individual’s charge was dropped. The court documents detailed exchanges between suspects, with one individual, Dequon Lemonious, alias “Danny Phantom,” seeking assistance from Median Jackson, known as “Lebron James,” to scout the official’s location.
The factum alleged that Lemonious shared sensitive data obtained from the Ministry of Transportation’s database, reportedly accessed unlawfully by a Toronto police officer, with Jackson, hinting at a planned hit on the jail official. The communication indicated a broader discussion about additional criminal activities and the recruitment of accomplices for monetary gain.
Furthermore, the court records revealed interactions involving another suspect, Devonte Barker-Campbell, using the moniker “Dwayne Casey,” who attempted to enlist a Signal user named “Thunder” for the same hit job before approaching another individual called “Reality.” The conversations depicted detailed planning, including the coordination of a team to carry out the intended assault at the officer’s residence.
During the operation, law enforcement intercepted a stolen vehicle containing Almar Heath, two minors, a loaded firearm, and incriminating materials en route to the corrections officer’s house. Heath, Jackson, Lemonious, Barker-Campbell, and the juveniles were charged with conspiracy to commit murder, pending trial proceedings.
In the midst of the investigation, Toronto police Const. Timothy Barnhardt was implicated in the unauthorized access of the official’s data, obtained from the MTO database. Barnhardt’s legal representatives have indicated a defense strategy focused on the courtroom rather than engaging with the media.
The court documents also detailed instances of the suspect vehicle surveilling the officer’s domicile days before the incident, culminating in a confrontation with the official’s relative and subsequent arrests following police monitoring. The evidence further highlighted a separate incident involving the blue Acura in a restaurant shooting, underscoring the complex web of criminal activities under scrutiny in the Project South probe.
