A court document reveals that the alleged plot to harm a prison official, which sparked the police corruption and organized crime probe dubbed Project South, was orchestrated by individuals who used fake identities on an encrypted messaging platform.
Prior to the purported 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 outlined in a legal submission submitted by Crown prosecutors in Ontario Superior Court. The document, based on conversations retrieved from confiscated cellphones, outlines how a suspected network involved in contract killings is believed to have been behind the alleged attack.
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The investigation into Project South was initiated in June 2025 following the interception by York Regional Police of the alleged murder attempt when the suspect vehicle collided with a police car stationed outside the official’s residence.
Initially, almost 30 individuals faced charges in Project South, including seven Toronto police officers and a retired constable. One officer, now retired, pleaded guilty recently, while one civilian’s charge was dropped.
‘Request for Hit Squad’
On June 16, 2025, four days before the foiled murder attempt, an individual identified as Dequon Lemonious, allegedly using the moniker “Danny Phantom” on Signal, asked Median Jackson, supposedly known as “Lebron James,” to check a specific address to verify a vehicle’s presence.
Surveillance footage captures alleged conspiracy to commit murder
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