York Regional Police deputy chief Ryan Hogan speaks during a press conference to announce the results of Project South in Aurora, Ont., on Feb. 5.Jon Blacker/The Canadian Press
A retired Toronto Police constable charged in a sweeping anti-corruption probe had his first court appearance on Friday as additional details emerged about Project South, the York Regional Police investigation that ensnared him and seven current Toronto officers.
The retired officer, John Madeley Sr., was arrested in an extortion bust in January before being swept up in Project South earlier this month. The 55-year-old stands accused of breach of trust, unauthorized use of a computer, possession of property obtained by crime and three weapons offences.
Mr. Madeley didn’t attend the hearing, but a lawyer appearing on his behalf, Lawrence Gridin, agreed to move the case from Newmarket to Toronto so it can be consolidated with “related matters.”
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His next appearance, which is scheduled for Mar. 3, coincides with court dates for several former colleagues, including his son Constable John Madeley Jr., Constable Saurabjit Bedi, Sergeant Carl Grellette, Sergeant Robert Black and Constable Elias Mouawad.
All were named during a Feb. 3 press conference where York Regional Police laid out a series of staggering allegations that included shootings, international drug trafficking and a failed hit on a corrections officer. However, the officers largely avoided charges directly related to those violent incidents, a detail that has led one defence lawyer to push back against claims about Project South’s magnitude.
“The allegation about a conspiracy to harm another law enforcement official is deeply troubling and, if proven, the consequences will justifiably be severe,” said Peter Brauti, the lawyer representing Sgt. Black and Constable Mouawad (whose charges have yet be sworn in court). “That said, I am suspicious about the position taken by some of the authorities that this is the biggest police corruption case in Canadian history.”
Court documents filed earlier this week revealed further details about the nature of the charges against Mr. Madeley and several of the officers.
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Police allege Mr. Madeley spent about two years – Jan. 1, 2024, to Jan. 31, 2026 – illegally querying police databases and passing along the information to civilians. His son, Constable Madeley Jr. – who joined the force in 2022 – faces identical allegations.
The charges against Constable Derek McCormick, a 28-year veteran, are more specific. Police allege he stole three cellphones in October, 2025, two of which belonged to York Regional Police.
He’s also accused of stealing “personal documents … the property of numerous individuals” as well as “found property” between April 3, 2024, and Dec. 3, 2025. Sometime over the same period, he allegedly obstructed justice by disposing of evidence in a sewer.
Sgt. Grellette is charged with breach of trust, for allegedly providing details of an ongoing police investigation to a civilian, Jennifer Jasey, between Dec. 1, 2025, and Jan. 31, 2026, the court documents state.
He unlawfully advised Ms. Jasey how to install “a tracking device on a victim,” the records allege, and then allegedly aided in the victim’s harassment by “following them from place to place using a GPS tracker, causing the victim to reasonably fear for their personal safety.”
Ms. Jasey, a realtor, is one of 19 civilians co-accused in Project South.
One of Sgt. Black’s charges stems from allegedly counselling a person to commit fraud over $5,000 by arranging for a car to be stolen and having insurance compensate the loss. The plan, conceived in December, 2025, was never carried out, according to court documents.
Sgt. Black’s lawyer, Mr. Brauti, said it is difficult to comment on the charges given an absence of disclosure, but said any notion “that this was some kind of organized crime gang involved in multi-kilo drug activity has likely been overblown.”
The Globe contacted lawyers believed to be representing the other officers, who either did not respond or declined to comment.
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All but one of the officers charged were released on promises to appear after their arrests, agreeing to notify police of any changes to their address, phone number or occupation.
Those basic conditions stand in stark contrast to Constable Timothy Barnhardt, the only officer who was held for – and then denied – bail.
A 19-year veteran of the Toronto force, Constable Barnhardt faces 17 charges and is alleged to have worked closely with Brian Da Costa, who police accuse of being involved in an international drug-trafficking network. Investigators allege that prior to the failed hit, Constable Barnhardt had unlawfully accessed a police database and shared confidential information with men “known to various criminal networks.”
On Thursday, one of the civilians charged in Project South was hit with new charges relating to an armed robbery and home invasion in Muskoka last summer.
The civilian, Median Jackson, is the eighth person to be charged in connection with the attack, which took place at a waterfront property in Lake of Bays, last Canada Day.
As part of his Project South charges, Mr. Jackson is alleged to have conspired to murder a corrections officer.