Court documents reveal that the plot to harm a jail official, which sparked the police corruption and organized crime investigation called Project South, was orchestrated by suspects who used fake identities on an encrypted messaging platform.
Before the alleged attack, the suspects purportedly utilized the Signal app to exchange personal details and photos 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 recently in Ontario Superior Court. The document, based on conversations found on confiscated cellphones, outlines how an alleged network offering contract killings is believed to be responsible for the attempted attack.
The investigation into Project South commenced in June 2025 after York Regional Police intervened in the purported assassination attempt 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 a retired constable. One officer, now retired, pleaded guilty recently, while one civilian’s charge was dropped.
‘Need the hit squad’
Four days before the alleged murder attempt was foiled, Dequon Lemonious, purportedly known as “Danny Phantom” on Signal, allegedly informed Median Jackson, who went by “Lebron James,” that he required someone to confirm a vehicle’s presence at a specified address.
Lemonious allegedly shared a photo of the official’s address and vehicle with Jackson, sourced from an unauthorized search of the Ministry of Transportation’s secure database, believed to have been accessed unlawfully by a Toronto police officer.
“If the car there need the hit squad,” Lemonious messaged Jackson, as per the records.
While planning the intended attack on the official, Lemonious and Jackson purportedly discussed other criminal activities.
Lemonious allegedly provided information to Jackson