Alleged drug trafficker denied bail again in Toronto police corruption case

An alleged drug trafficker accused of obtaining confidential information from a Toronto police officer, which investigators say was used in an unsuccessful conspiracy to kill a senior corrections official, was denied bail again Monday.

Da Costa allegedly 'routinely' paid Toronto cop to run confidential database searches

Nicole Brockbank · CBC News

· Posted: Sep 28, 2026 11:54 AM EDT | Last Updated: 40 minutes ago

Listen to this article

Estimated 2 minutes

The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.

An alleged drug trafficker accused of obtaining confidential information from a Toronto police officer, which investigators say was used in an unsuccessful conspiracy to kill a senior corrections official, was denied bail again Monday.

Lawyers for Brian Da Costa asked for a Superior Court review of a previous decision to revoke his bail in May. Justice Shaun Nakatsuru dismissed the application.

The judge's reasons for his decision and details from the bail review hearing are protected under a routine publication ban aimed at ensuring Da Costa's right to a fair trial.

Da Costa, 44, will remain in custody facing nine charges, including bribing a peace officer, trafficking drugs and police uniforms, and conspiracy to obstruct justice. The charges against him have yet to be tested in court.

The charges are connected to the Project South probe, which began in June 2025 when York Regional Police thwarted an alleged plot to kill a senior corrections official from Toronto South Detention Centre (TSDC). 

• How police balance surveillance with public safety in investigations like Project South

• CBC Investigates

  'Cocaine eyes' to cash bribes: 5 revelations from Project South wiretaps

Investigators subsequently discovered Toronto police Const. Timothy Barnhardt allegedly ran an unauthorized search on the official's licence plate less than a month before the attempted hit, and he is accused of then sharing confidential information about that official with civilian Da Costa.

The identity of the senior corrections official is covered by a publication ban for their safety.

Police-intercepted communications revealed to investigators that Barnhardt "routinely sold confidential database information to known criminal associate Da Costa, often at Da Costa's direction," according to an information to obtain (ITO) application filed in the case.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Nicole Brockbank is a reporter for CBC Toronto's Enterprise Unit. She digs up, researches and reports GTA-focused investigative and enterprise stories. nicole.brockbank@cbc.ca