Court documents reveal that the alleged plot to harm a jail official, which sparked the investigation known as Project South involving police corruption and organized crime, was orchestrated by suspects who hired individuals under fake names on an encrypted messaging platform.
Prior to the purported murder attempt, the suspects reportedly utilized the Signal app to exchange personal details and images of the intended victim, a senior corrections officer at Toronto South Detention Centre whose identity is shielded by a publication ban.
These claims are outlined in a legal document submitted by Crown prosecutors in Ontario Superior Court, detailing conversations found on confiscated cellphones that suggest an alleged gun-for-hire network was behind the planned attack.
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The investigation into Project South was initiated in June 2025 following the interception of the alleged murder plot by York Regional Police when a suspect vehicle collided with a police car stationed near the jail official’s residence.
Initially, close to 30 individuals faced charges in connection with Project South, including seven Toronto police officers and a retired constable. One officer, now retired, pleaded guilty recently, while a civilian’s charge was dropped.
‘Hit Squad Needed’
On June 16, 2025, just days before the thwarted murder attempt, Dequon Lemonious, allegedly using the pseudonym “Danny Phantom” on Signal, reportedly communicated with Median Jackson, known as “Lebron James,” about the need for surveillance at a specific address to confirm the presence of a vehicle.
