Court Documents Link Project South Police Corruption Probe to Ryan Wedding Network Allegations

TORONTO — Newly unsealed court documents are shedding more light on how a major Ontario police corruption investigation may connect to the international cocaine-trafficking case against former Canadian Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding.
According to reporting on the newly released court material, investigators suspected that an alleged plot to kill a Toronto South Detention Centre correctional officer may have been ordered by an inmate accused by U.S. authorities of ties to Wedding’s network. The documents also allege the inmate may have used a former girlfriend who worked as a correctional officer to help identify the target.

Project South allegations include police data leaks and organized crime

Project South was announced earlier this year as one of the largest police corruption investigations in Canadian history. Seven serving Toronto Police officers, one retired officer and 20 civilians have been charged in the probe, with allegations including bribery, drug trafficking, breach of trust and links to a failed murder plot.
Investigators have alleged that members of organized crime were buying confidential information from police officers, including personal data and addresses, which was then used in targeted shootings and other criminal activity.
The newly released information-to-obtain documents were used by investigators to seek judicial authorization for searches and arrests. They contain allegations, not findings of fact. Much of the court material remains subject to publication restrictions while the court considers arguments over fair-trial rights and public access.

Jail guard murder-plot investigation at centre of documents

The newly unsealed documents allege that the investigation focused in part on a suspected attempt to murder a correctional officer at Toronto South Detention Centre. According to reporting on the court records, investigators believed an inmate with alleged links to Wedding’s cocaine case may have directed the plan and that a female correctional officer, described as his former girlfriend, may have helped obtain information connected to the target.
Neither the inmate nor the female correctional officer was charged in Project South, according to the reported court material. Lawyers for people named in such documents may challenge the allegations, and information-to-obtain records are not proof of criminal conduct.

Ryan Wedding case gives investigation international reach

Wedding, a Canadian former Olympic snowboarder, has been accused by U.S. authorities of leading a violent transnational drug-trafficking organization moving cocaine through Colombia, Mexico, the United States and Canada. The U.S. Department of Justice alleged in 2025 that Wedding oversaw a criminal enterprise connected to drug trafficking, money laundering and witness-intimidation tactics, including murder.
The FBI placed Wedding on its Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list in 2025 and later raised the reward for information leading to his arrest and prosecution to US$15 million.
U.S. officials have since said Wedding was captured in Mexico and transferred to face proceedings in the Central District of California.

Legal context on possible Canadian offences

The Canadian allegations linked to Project South vary by accused, and not every person named in court documents has been charged. Where conspiracy to commit murder is alleged, section 465(1)(a) of the Criminal Code of Canada makes it an indictable offence to conspire to commit murder or cause another person to be murdered, whether in Canada or not. The maximum penalty is life imprisonment.
Bribery involving police officers or other officials can fall under section 120 of the Criminal Code, which carries a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison for those who corruptly accept, obtain, agree to accept or offer a benefit connected to official duties.
Breach of trust by a public officer is addressed under section 122 of the Criminal Code. The offence can proceed by indictment with a maximum penalty of five years in prison, or by summary conviction.
Drug trafficking and possession for the purpose of trafficking are addressed under section 5 of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. For Schedule I or II substances, the maximum penalty for trafficking or possession for the purpose of trafficking can be life imprisonment, depending on the substance and how the Crown proceeds.

Why this matters beyond Toronto

The Project South allegations are significant because they strike at public trust in policing, corrections and the justice system. If confidential police information is sold or leaked to organized crime, the risk extends beyond one city.
For Thunder Bay and Northwestern Ontario, the case is a reminder that organized crime networks do not respect regional boundaries. Drugs, weapons, money, information and intimidation can move through national and international corridors, with impacts felt in smaller communities far from Toronto, Mexico or Colombia.
Northern communities are already dealing with the consequences of opioid trafficking, violence, addiction and limited treatment capacity. Allegations that criminal groups may have purchased insider information from police officers highlight the importance of strong oversight, internal accountability and secure data systems.

Presumption of innocence

All allegations remain before the courts. The unsealed documents contain investigators’ claims made to obtain warrants and other judicial authorizations, not proven facts.
All accused individuals are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

Project South, Ryan Wedding, Toronto Police, police corruption, organized crime, cocaine trafficking, Toronto South Detention Centre, correctional officer, international crime, Criminal Code, Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, Thunder Bay, Northwestern Ontario, NetNewsLedger Crime