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Newly unsealed information shows a police officer accused in a sweeping organized crime and police corruption probe in Ontario allegedly planned to help set up and run illegal cannabis dispensaries and erotic massage parlours in Toronto.
Toronto police Const. Timothy Barnhardt is one of eight active and retired officers who were among the 27 suspects charged earlier this year in Project South, a massive investigation by York Region police that uncovered allegations of bribery, conspiracy to commit murder and drug trafficking, among other offences.
Documents filed by police in order to get warrants in the investigation allege Barnhardt was tasked with finding suitable locations for black market dispensaries and erotic massage parlours, as well as making arrangements to protect them from enforcement.
The officer allegedly agreed to give advance notice of inspections and co-ordinate the payment of cash bribes to police and bylaw officers, as well as facilitate the use of police databases to protect the illegal sites against enforcement.
The plan allegedly involved Barnhardt and Brian Da Costa, both identified by police as key figures in the investigation, as well as several other accused.
Barnhardt’s lawyer declined to comment on the allegations this morning while Da Costa’s lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
New info comes as media pushes back on publication ban
Investigators have alleged that Barnhardt gave confidential information to Da Costa, which was then used in a suspected murder plot against a correctional officer and other crimes.
The latest allegations are contained in newly unsealed portions of the information-to-obtain, or ITO, documents filed by police. The documents lay out what police believe to be true at the time of filing, but the allegations they contain have not been tested in court.
The Canadian Press, CBC News and other media outlets have been contesting a publication ban on the documents and extensive ITO redactions in court. Ontario Superior Court Justice Laura Bird allowed the publication of more of the documents’ contents in a decision released Wednesday.
The judge wrote that allowing media to publish the majority of the ITO while maintaining a temporary publication ban on some portions struck a balance between court openness and the accused’s right to a fair trial.
Unsealed Project South court documents reveal new details on the police corruption probe, including allegations one officer knew confidential information he sold could help facilitate ‘serious violence’ but didn’t care.
“The importance of public scrutiny in this case cannot be overstated,” Bird said in her ruling.
“What is, perhaps, most concerning about the allegations of widespread police corruption in this case is the fact that the York Regional Police only stumbled upon it in the course of their investigation into the conspiracy to murder the correctional officer,” she said.
Investigators looked up who had searched the victim’s address in their database and discovered it allegedly was Barnhardt, she said, adding there is no evidence anyone was suspicious of the constable or his alleged accomplices before then.
“That is something that should be of tremendous concern to the public because it demonstrates that a trusted public official can engage in widespread illegal conduct and go undetected,” she said.
“The public has a right to know what police services across this province are doing to respond to this disturbing scenario. The public can only hold their community police services accountable if they are aware of the full extent of the allegations against the Project South defendants.”
A previous batch of the documents was released in July, shedding light on an alleged link between the Project South investigation and the case of former Canadian Olympian Ryan Wedding, who is accused of running an international drug trafficking ring.
