Project South: Alleged conspirator denied bail, accused officer’s source tactics questioned, and a link to Ryan Wedding

More information is being revealed about the history of one of the higher-ranking officers charged in Project South. Jon Woodward reports.

One of the accused in the sprawling corruption investigation involving several Toronto Police officers was denied bail Friday, as new revelations emerged about a possible link to the drug trafficking organization of former Olympian Ryan Wedding.

Documents obtained by CTV News also shed light on misconduct allegations to do with one of the higher-ranking officers facing charges, as courts in the Greater Toronto Area grapple with the dozens of people charged in the Project South case.

“I think this is at a scale we’ve never seen before,” said lawyer Ian Scott, who once ran one of the Ontario police watchdogs, the Special Investigation Unit.

“Leaks of information to organized crime figures who were using this information to target members of the public—this is a very serious matter,” Scott said.

York Regional Police announced the charges last month, detailing allegations of a scheme to pass information from one officer to civilians.

That information would later be used to identify properties to target, including one belonging to a manager at Toronto South Detention Centre, in a case that also could have ties to Toronto’s ongoing tow truck violence, investigators said.

One former and seven current officers are charged in the probe, including a father and a son.

• READ MORE: What we know about the Toronto police officers implicated in a corruption probe

Toronto Police Service (TPS) launched two anti-corruption initiatives this week, while the City of Toronto is investigating privacy aspects of the leaks.

Ontario’s relatively new inspector general of policing is reviewing all police services across the province.

Alleged conspirator and former tow truck driver denied bail

One of the men accused of conspiring to shoot up three properties, Elwyn Satanowsky, was denied bail by an Oshawa judge on Friday.

Previous reporting by CTV News connected those homes to a slain tow truck kingpin, Alexander Vinogradsky, though the shootings happened after his death.

City of Toronto documents show Satanowsky was once a licensed tow truck driver.

Another charged man, Ryan Cribbie, appeared in photos posted to social media in a uniform of the security company Brink’s.

CTV News hasn’t yet heard back on requests for comments to that company.

Bail hearing document suggests link to Ryan Wedding’s organization

Meanwhile, Brian Da Costa, one of the people alleged to have received intel directly from a police officer, was granted bail earlier this week, set at $1.5 million.

Among his conditions of release is a requirement not to contact a man named Gurpreet Singh. CTV News has confirmed that’s the same Gurpreet Singh who faces extradition to the United States on allegations that he played a role in moving shipments of cocaine for Wedding, the former Olympian turned alleged drug kingpin.

Singh isn’t facing any charges directly related to Project South.

• READ MORE: What we know about the Canadians busted in an international drug ring led by a former Olympic athlete

A publication ban on the bail hearing prevents news organizations from going into more detail about the connection.

Da Costa’s lawyer, Craig Bottomley, told CTV News he plans to contest the allegations against his client.

Officer facing misconduct allegation over source handling

A high-ranking officer charged in Project South, Sgt. Robert Black, faced previous misconduct allegations at the TPS discipline tribunal, documents obtained by CTV News show.

In 2024, he faced two allegations that he failed to follow TPS procedures in his interactions with confidential sources. Then in January, he faced two more allegations, including that three search warrants had been issued with that information.

“Source management is a high-risk area of policing that requires close supervision, control, and accountability, especially from handlers. It is imperative officers adhere strictly to the policies when dealing with Confidential Informants due to the nature and risks involved,” the discipline document, called a “Notice of Hearing,” stated.

“If we go back 20 to 30 years ago, police officers all had a snitch, or a guy, or a rat,” said former Toronto detective Mark Mendelson. “But those days are gone. And gone for a reason.”

Mendelson said the modern approach is to closely monitor a police officer’s dealing with confidential sources, with constant reporting to a supervisor, which can help gauge whether the information is reliable or even if the source actually exists.

“Do they have a criminal record? Have they been before the courts? Has their information proved to be reliable before? All these are credibility assessments that are taking place,” he said.

Importantly, officers must be careful that they’re not inadvertently being used by the confidential informant, he said.

“The source is giving you information. The information flow should be a one-way street,” he said. “Because of the nefarious possible motives, a detective has to be more than cautious.”

Black’s lawyer declined comment. The proceeding at the TPS is on hold pending the criminal case.

Black is facing criminal charges of drug possession for the purpose of trafficking and also for counselling another man to engage in insurance fraud.