Toronto officer in Project South wants guilty plea since February, court hears

Const. Elias Mouawad has sought to plead guilty since his arrest in February, his lawyer told court. A last-minute "conduct" issue has delayed proceedings.

Toronto officer charged in Project South corruption probe seeks guilty plea

Global News Crime reports that a Toronto police officer charged as part of the wide-ranging Project South corruption investigation has been attempting to enter a guilty plea since February — only to be repeatedly frustrated by procedural delays.

Lawyer Peter Brauti told the court on Tuesday that his client, Const. Elias Mouawad, had asked to plead guilty immediately after being charged. Mouawad faces one count of unauthorized use of a computer and one count of breach of public trust, though he had only intended to plead guilty to the first charge.

Mouawad was arrested in early February and subsequently suspended without pay by Toronto police.

Brauti told the court that earlier attempts to enter the plea had failed because the Crown was not prepared to accept one. "They explained that, due to the size of Project South, (they were) dealing with disclosure issues and couldn't take a plea," he said.

Mouawad had expected both his plea and sentencing to take place on Tuesday. A last-minute issue involving unspecified "conduct" concerns intervened, however, derailing that plan. The Crown told the court the conduct issue did not relate to its own office or to the initial delay, but said things were "rapidly unfolding."

"I don't know to what degree the sentencing process may have been harmed," Brauti said, adding that Mouawad now wanted to wait and observe how the situation developed before proceeding.

The court is set to adjourn for two weeks while it determines how to move forward. The Crown indicated the pause would not affect any potential sentence Mouawad might ultimately receive. The court is scheduled to reconvene on the morning of Sept. 16.

Lawyer: client wrongly portrayed as central figure in investigation

Speaking outside the court on Tuesday, Brauti argued that his client had been unfairly swept up in a far larger investigation and misrepresented in public reporting.

"When information was released to the press, it made our client appear as if he was part of very, very serious conduct that has been alleged in Project South, when that is not the case," Brauti said.

"This is an officer who did a single check, unauthorized, which is unrelated to all of these allegations of drug dealing, corruption, attempted murder, all that. It is a completely separate issue."

Brauti said Mouawad had been living "under this cloud" since Project South came to light, and that the public had not received a "true picture" of what he described as "relatively minor" misconduct.

Prior guilty plea in Project South

The court appearance comes roughly a month after another officer arrested in Project South entered guilty pleas to two of the charges against him, receiving a 10-month conditional sentence.

Former constable Derek McCormick was arrested and charged in February as part of the investigation. He faced four counts of theft under $5,000, one count of breach of trust by a public officer, and one count of obstruction of justice. York Regional Police alleged his involvement centred on the theft of personal property — including driver's licences, health cards and passports — from a police facility. A "substantial amount" of the property was recovered.

McCormick pleaded guilty to theft under $5,000 for stealing a cellphone and to breach of trust for stealing "found property." The remaining charges were withdrawn. A Toronto police spokesperson confirmed to Global News that McCormick resigned from the force last month.

Scope of Project South

Project South was launched following the alleged attempted murder of a senior employee at the Toronto South Detention Centre in June 2025.

York Regional Police wrote in a recently partially unsealed court document that their investigation "demonstrates a broader pattern of corruption, misuse of police authority, and facilitation of criminal activity."

Investigators have alleged that Const. Timothy Barnhardt and other Toronto police officers accessed unauthorized information. "In short, the investigation has uncovered a number of police officers who, at the request of their civilian associations, improperly accessed confidential police databases, retrieved sensitive information … and then disclosed that information," York Regional Police alleged.

The case has also been linked to Ryan Wedding's drug network, a gun-for-hire network and illegal cannabis dispensaries.

— with files from Global News' Catherine McDonald

Source: Global News Crime