The purported attack on a prison official that sparked the police corruption and organized crime investigation known as Project South was allegedly orchestrated by individuals using fake identities on an encrypted messaging platform, as per court documents. Leading up to the alleged assassination attempt, the suspects reportedly utilized the Signal app to exchange personal details and images of the target, a high-ranking corrections officer at Toronto South Detention Centre, whose identity is shielded by a publication ban.
These claims are detailed in a legal document submitted by Crown prosecutors recently in Ontario Superior Court. Based on conversations recovered from confiscated cellphones, the document outlines how an alleged network involved in hiring gunmen is linked to the purported attack.
The Project South probe was initiated in June 2025 after York Regional Police intervened in the purported assassination plot when the suspect vehicle collided with a police car stationed outside the official’s residence.
Initially, nearly 30 individuals were charged in connection with Project South, including seven Toronto police officers and one retired constable. One officer has pleaded guilty, while one civilian’s charge was dropped.
On June 16, 2025, just days before the intervention in the alleged murder plot, Dequon Lemonious, identified as “Danny Phantom” on Signal, allegedly communicated with Median Jackson, known as “Lebron James,” about the need to verify the presence of a vehicle at a specific address. Lemonious reportedly shared the official’s address and vehicle details obtained from an unauthorized search of the Ministry of Transportation’s database, believed to have been accessed unlawfully by a Toronto police officer.
During their discussions on the purported assassination, Lemonious and Jackson allegedly deliberated on other criminal activities, with Lemonious providing information to Jackson, who then subcontracted the tasks to others for financial gain.
Further Signal messages retrieved from another individual’s phone implicated in the murder plot revealed attempts to engage multiple individuals in the scheme just prior to the police intervention.
The court documents suggest that an individual known as “Dwayne Casey” sent images and location details of the official to a Signal user named “Thunder,” who declined the offer. Subsequently, the job offer was extended to another person identified as “Reality.” The communication indicates detailed planning for the crime, including the involvement of a team of individuals referred to as “hitters.”
During the operation, a vehicle containing Almar Heath, two unidentified youths, a loaded handgun, surgical masks, gloves, and GPS directions to the officer’s residence was intercepted by the police, leading to the arrest of Heath, Jackson, Lemonious, Barker-Campbell, and the two youths on charges of conspiracy to murder. All allegations are pending court proceedings.
While investigating the murder plot, York police identified Toronto police Const. Timothy Barnhardt as the individual who illegally accessed the official’s information on the MTO database. Barnhardt’s legal team has indicated they will address the allegations in court.
The court filings also mention sightings of the suspect vehicle near the official’s home, as well as an incident where masked individuals confronted the official’s family, prompting police intervention and arrests. Additional evidence on Jackson’s phone allegedly links him to a separate shooting incident involving the same vehicle.