7 Toronto police officers arrested over suspected ties to organized crime

TORONTO (AP) — Seven Toronto police officers and one retired officer have been arrested and charged in an organized crime investigation involving bribery, conspiracy to commit murder and drug trafficking, authorities said Thursday.

Police officials at a news conference said the officers had collected personal and private information unlawfully and distributed it to organized crime figures, in some cases for bribes, and that mobsters then carried out shootings and other violent crimes.

“This is a painful and unsettling moment,” Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw said. “When organized crime penetrates the Toronto Police Service, the harm goes far beyond the immediate wrongdoing.”

York Police Deputy Chief Ryan Hogan said the investigation began in June when police uncovered a murder plot involving a corrections management employee who was being targeted by mobsters. He said the suspects had passed information to the mobsters about the employee.

Several suspected mobsters went to the corrections manager's home for the purpose of murdering him, but encountered a separate contingent of police officers who were protecting the employee and who arrested the suspected mobsters after they rammed a police car, Hogan said.

Hogan said it was the third time within 36 hours that suspects had gone to the home, and the incident sparked the investigation that revealed Toronto officers had accessed personal information and leaked it to members of an organized crime group.

Investigators allege that Toronto police Const. Timothy Barnhardt gave personal information to Brian Da Costa, a man suspected of several drug trafficking and bribery offences who was among several suspects allegedly seeking confidential information from officers.

“We allege that Mr. Da Costa is a key figure in a criminal network operating within the Greater Toronto Area, with in fact significant international ties,” Hogan said.

Toronto police officers Derek McCormick, Elias Mouawad, John Madeley Jr. and his father, retired constable John Madeley Sr., are among those charged in the investigation.

Toronto police officers Barnhardt, Robert Black, Saurabjit Bedi and Carl Grellette were also charged, and were allegedly involved in bribery schemes orchestrated by Da Costa, Hogan said.

“We allege that these officers in particular were involved with Mr. Da Costa in supporting illegal cannabis dispensaries by accepting bribes to provide, ultimately, protection from law enforcement investigation,” he said, adding some of the accused officers were also allegedly involved in cocaine trafficking.

In addition to Da Costa, 18 other suspects were arrested in the investigation, including two youths.

Demkiw said the officers who were suspected of wrongdoing have been suspended and that he's seeking suspension without pay for at least four of them.

York Regional Police Chief Jim MacSween said it was a “deeply disappointing and sad day” for police.

“This investigation also underscores the insidious corrosive of organized crime. It highlights how these criminals find a way even the most well protected institutions across our society.”

Clayton Campbell, the president of Toronto's police association, said he was disturbed by the allegations and said legal support for members charged in criminal cases is not guaranteed and is determined on a case-by-case basis.

“In fact, there is nothing our members or the (Toronto Police Association) hate more than a corrupt cop,” Campbell said in a statement.

A statement from the Toronto Police Service Board, which oversees the police, said it has asked the inspector general to look into issues including supervision, recruitment screening, access to databases and more.

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow said residents of Toronto deserve to know that the police officers they deal with every day can be trusted.

Toronto police service chief Myron Demkiw speaks during a news conference to announce the results of 'Project South,' a lengthy investigation into organized crime and corruption at York regional police headquarters in Aurora, Ont. on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. (Jon Blacker /The Canadian Press via AP)

York regional police deputy chief Ryan Hogan speaks during a news conference to announce the results of 'Project South,' a lengthy investigation into organized crime and corruption at York regional police headquarters in Aurora, Ont. on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. (Jon Blacker /The Canadian Press via AP)

York regional police deputy chief Ryan Hogan speaks during a news conference to announce the results of 'Project South,' a lengthy investigation into organized crime and corruption at York regional police headquarters in Aurora, Ont. on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. (Jon Blacker /The Canadian Press via AP)

York regional police deputy chief Ryan Hogan speaks during a news conference to announce the results of 'Project South,' a lengthy investigation into organized crime and corruption at York regional police headquarters in Aurora, Ont. on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. (Jon Blacker /The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto police service chief Myron Demkiw, left, is joined by York regional police chief Jim MacSween, center, and YRP deputy chief Ryan Hogan at a news conference to announce the results of 'Project South,' a lengthy investigation into organized crime and corruption at York Regional police headquarters in Aurora, Ont. on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. (Jon Blacker /The Canadian Press via AP)

NEW HAVEN, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 28, 2026--

Unilever today unveiled plans to develop a new Global Innovation Center in New Haven, Connecticut, opening by spring 2029. The center will be a leading hub for the company’s research and development for its personal care, beauty and wellbeing businesses in the U.S. and globally.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260528022339/en/

The center further propels Unilever’s growth strategy in the U.S. market, raising the bar for research and development in the consumer goods industry and powering the company’s portfolio of innovative and desirable brands. Centrally located in one of the world’s fastest-growing biosciences innovation clusters, the digital-first and AI-powered center will deliver deeper insights to fuel Unilever’s ambition of reshaping product categories. The center will advance how Unilever’s teams of scientists and experts push the boundaries of the fundamental differentiators that make the company’s brands distinct and products desirable: superior science, aesthetics and sensorials.

The center brings together a new and differentiated combination of assets and capabilities that will accelerate breakthroughs and enable Unilever’s brands to bring the next generation of market-making beauty, wellbeing and personal care products to people faster:

The center advances Unilever's strategy to become a sharper, focused personal care, beauty and wellbeing company, built upon shared capabilities across science-led innovation, demand creation and operational execution. Unilever will invest $270 million in the project over the long term, including $50 million in capital expenditure. Total combined investment of public and private funds in the center will exceed $300 million. This investment builds on nearly $15 billion invested in Unilever’s U.S. business over the past decade, across both acquisitions and capital projects.

Approximately 300 employees will work at the center. It will succeed Unilever's existing R&D facility in Trumbull, Connecticut, which has operated since 1972, marking the next chapter of Unilever's long partnership with the State of Connecticut and its scientific community.

Herrish Patel, President of Unilever USA and CEO of Personal Care North America, said:

“New Haven gets us to the future faster. Our Global Innovation Center is where we'll innovate at the intersection of science, technology and culture — for the U.S. and for the world. We will build on our deep heritage of innovation to develop the next generation of brands and products that people love. As part of Unilever’s global network of innovation hubs, the center will connect closely with our other leading locations worldwide, sharing technology, insights, and breakthrough ideas to accelerate innovation at scale. As the U.S. becomes a center of gravity for Unilever, we’re harnessing the best of American innovation to match our growth ambition here in the U.S. and around the world.”

Specific capabilities to be housed at the center include:

Richard Slater, Unilever Chief Research & Development Officer, said:

“Behind every Unilever product is world-leading science that delivers superior performance, combined with design, fragrance and sensory experiences that make our brands distinctive. Our new Global Innovation Center will bring these capabilities together to develop new, category-defining innovations in the U.S., and scale globally. The real shift here is integration and speed: science, design and sensorials working as one, with AI and partnerships accelerating every stage of innovation.”

Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont said:

“Unilever’s decision to make this investment in New Haven reaffirms Connecticut’s global reputation as a leader in innovation, research and development, and discovery. This innovation center will serve as an important foundational piece for this burgeoning hub that will not only strengthen New Haven’s existing tech centers but will also boost our innovation ecosystem statewide. I am glad we have Unilever as a valued member of Connecticut’s growing business community, and I look forward to this company continuing to succeed here for many years to come.”

About Unilever

Unilever is one of the world’s leading suppliers of Beauty & Wellbeing, Personal Care, Home Care, and Foods products, with sales in over 190 countries and products used by 3.7 billion people every day. We have 96,000 employees and generated sales of €50.5 billion in 2025.

Our leading brands in the U.S. include Dove, Hellmann’s, Vaseline, Degree, Axe, TRESemmé, Knorr, Nutrafol, Liquid I.V., Paula’s Choice, and Dermalogica.

For more information on Unilever U.S. and its brands visit: www.unileverusa.com

Rendering of Unilever's future Global Innovation Center in New Haven, opening in spring 2029.