Toronto Officer Receives Conditional Discharge in Project South Case

A Toronto police officer received a conditional discharge on Monday, October 19, 2026, after pleading guilty to unauthorized computer use in connection with the broader Project South investigation. Const. Elias Mouawad must serve one year of probation and complete 100 hours of community service, according to reports from Toronto media outlets.

The case centered on Mouawad's unauthorized use of the Toronto Police Service computer system to search a license plate for a friend. Although he was initially charged with breach of trust, the Crown withdrew that charge, leaving the computer-use offense as the basis for his guilty plea.

According to CityNews, Ontario Superior Court Justice Catherine Rhinelander considered mitigating circumstances when determining the sentence. These included Mouawad's prompt guilty plea and his expression of remorse. The conditional discharge was described as the minimum sentence required for the offense.

The court also imposed a one-year probationary period, during which Mouawad must comply with the conditions of his sentence. CP24 reported that he was required to report to a probation officer within two days.

Justice Rhinelander highlighted the broader consequences of the officer's actions, according to The Toronto Star.

"Through his error he created distrust, not just for himself but for fellow officers," Ontario Superior Court Justice Catherine Rhinelander said.

Project South was launched by York Regional Police in 2025 to investigate allegations of corruption involving Toronto police officers and possible connections to organized crime. According to CityNews, the seven-month investigation began in June 2025 and examined an alleged plot to murder a senior corrections manager at an Ontario correctional institution.

Investigators identified 27 suspects, including eight current and former Toronto police officers. The investigation also uncovered allegations that officers unlawfully accessed confidential information and passed it to criminals involved in shootings and other violent offenses.

Mouawad became involved in the investigation after investigators examined police database access while trying to identify the source of information leaks associated with shootings and an attempted murder targeting a corrections supervisor. The Toronto Sun reported that an agreed statement of facts established his unauthorized license plate search was for a friend.

Following the sentencing, Mouawad's lawyer, Peter Brauti, said his client was relieved that the criminal proceedings had ended. Brauti also indicated that Mouawad intended to challenge any employment consequences through the police disciplinary process.

"He was a small fish in what's clearly a big case and he just wants to move on with his life and his career," lawyer Peter Brauti said, according to CityNews.

Mouawad remains suspended without pay, and the Toronto Police Service's Professional Standards Unit is expected to resume its internal investigation. He intends to appear before a police tribunal to contest the loss of his job, according to CityNews and Global News.

The criminal case is separate from the employment proceedings, which will determine whether Mouawad can remain with the Toronto Police Service. His conditional discharge followed the guilty plea he entered in late September 2026, making him the second Toronto officer charged in connection with Project South to plead guilty, after Derek McCormick entered a guilty plea in June to theft under $5,000 and breach of trust involving stolen found property.