Court documents reveal that the planned attack on a prison official, which sparked the investigation known as Project South involving police corruption and organized crime, was orchestrated by individuals using fake names on an encrypted messaging platform. Leading up to the alleged assassination attempt, 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 remains shielded.
The prosecution’s factum, submitted in Ontario Superior Court, outlines how intercepted conversations on confiscated phones suggest the existence of an alleged gun-for-hire network behind the planned hit. The Project South inquiry was initiated in June 2025 following the intervention of York Regional Police, who thwarted the suspected assassination after the perpetrators’ vehicle collided with a police car stationed near the official’s residence.
Initially, nearly 30 individuals faced charges in connection with Project South, including seven active Toronto police officers and one retired constable. One officer has already pleaded guilty, while another individual’s charge was dropped. The investigation’s details emerged when Dequon Lemonious, allegedly known as “Danny Phantom” on Signal, requested Median Jackson, using the alias “Lebron James,” to scout a specific address for a vehicle presence, just days before the planned attack.
Lemonious shared the target’s address and vehicle details with Jackson, allegedly obtained through an unauthorized search of the Ministry of Transportation database, believed to be accessed by a Toronto police officer illicitly. The communication between the two suspects extended to discussing additional criminal activities and subcontracting tasks to others for monetary gain.
Further Signal messages recovered from the phone of another accused individual, identified as Devonte Barker-Campbell or “Dwayne Casey,” revealed attempts to hire someone to carry out the murder plot. Despite an initial refusal, the job was later offered to another Signal user named “Reality.” The exchange of messages indicated detailed planning and coordination for the attack on the corrections officer.
During the operation, a group of individuals, including Almar Heath, two unidentified youths, and others, were apprehended in a stolen vehicle near the official’s residence. The vehicle contained incriminating evidence, including a loaded firearm, masks, and gloves, suggesting a well-prepared criminal endeavor. Charges of conspiracy to murder have been brought against Heath, Jackson, Lemonious, Barker-Campbell, and the youths, although the allegations are yet to be tested in court.
Constable Timothy Barnhardt of Toronto Police was identified as the officer who allegedly accessed and disseminated confidential information about the corrections officer. Barnhardt’s legal team has indicated their intent to defend him in court rather than engage with the media. The court documents also describe incidents where the suspects surveilled the target’s home and engaged in suspicious activities, leading to their eventual arrest.
The unfolding events shed light on a complex web of criminal activities and alleged corruption within law enforcement agencies, underscoring the gravity of the situation investigated under Project South.
