Court documents revealed that the purported plot to harm a prison official, which sparked the investigation known as Project South into police corruption and organized crime, was orchestrated by individuals using fake identities on an encrypted messaging platform.
Leading up to the alleged incident, suspects reportedly utilized the Signal app to exchange personal details and images of the targeted senior corrections officer at Toronto South Detention Centre, whose identity remains shielded under a publication ban.
These claims were outlined in a legal submission by Crown prosecutors in Ontario Superior Court last month. The submission, based on conversations found on confiscated cellphones, outlines how a purported network of hired guns is accused of being involved in the attempted attack.
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The investigation into Project South commenced in June 2025 following an incident where York Regional Police foiled the alleged murder attempt after the suspects’ vehicle collided with a police car stationed outside the official’s residence.
Initially, close to 30 individuals were charged in connection with Project South, including seven Toronto police officers and one retired constable. One officer, now retired, pleaded guilty recently, and one civilian’s charge was dropped.
‘Need the hit squad’
Dequon Lemonious, identified as “Danny Phantom” in Signal messages, allegedly communicated with Median Jackson, using the alias “Lebron James,” four days before the intended attack, requesting surveillance of an address to confirm the presence of a vehicle.