Left: A mugshot of Thomas Phippard, whom authorities allege is known as 'Frank the Tank.' Right: Doorbell camera footage of Mr. Phippard.Ontario Court of Justice/Supplied
A Toronto man recently accused in a police corruption probe of using leaked law-enforcement information in an extortion plot was previously charged in a takedown of a gambling racket allegedly tied to the Hells Angels.
Thomas Phippard, an alleged debt enforcer known to police as “Frank the Tank,” was charged in 2013 with bookmaking for a criminal organization and possessing brass knuckles and a baton, which are banned weapons.
But prosecutors dropped Mr. Phippard’s charges in 2014 in exchange for a peace bond – a promise made before a judge to keep the peace for a year.
Judge Fergus O’Donnell of the Ontario Court of Justice told Mr. Phippard he would have no criminal record, according to an official audio recording. “You’re not being found guilty of anything, you’re not being convicted of anything,” he said, urging him to “move on with your life and not be back in court.”
However, Mr. Phippard is now before the courts again on similar allegations connected to the Project South police corruption investigation.
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In recent weeks, the Project South probe has brought into focus the outlines of an alleged underworld network accused of infiltrating Toronto Police and exploiting leaked data for intimidation campaigns – including extortion, shootings and a murder plot. An examination of the criminal histories of some of the alleged key figures has revealed they were flagged years earlier for having possible connections to criminal groups, and faced serious charges that were dropped.
Mr. Phippard, 47, is the second alleged key civilian tied to the high-profile probe who has resurfaced in the criminal justice system after prosecutors withdrew previous charges.
The Globe and Mail reported last month that Brian Da Costa, another civilian charged in Project South, was set to stand trial for cocaine trafficking after police allegedly found six bricks of cocaine stashed in his oven in 2019. However, three years ago, the charges were stayed without explanation. Crown attorney Chris Walsh later told The Globe the reasons behind such decisions are routinely withheld.
In Mr. Phippard’s earlier case, Crown prosecutor Henry Poon told court in 2014 there was “no evidence” he had committed extortion or any violent acts, despite surveillance and wiretaps suggesting he was an “enforcer/collector” for the Platinum Sports Book crime group. Mr. Phippard was among more than 30 people swept up in busts of the online sports-betting enterprise, which police say reaped millions of dollars through loan-sharking.
“The Hells Angels imagery on the website conveyed the implicit threat of a severe collections policy,” Mr. Poon said, according to a court audio recording.
Brass knuckles allegedly seized from Mr. Phippard.Ontario Court of Justice/Supplied
Mr. Phippard and Mr. Da Costa are among four civilians who allegedly “sought and obtained confidential information” from Toronto Police officers, York Regional Police Deputy Chief Ryan Hogan said as he announced the Project South probe in February.
Investigators have tied Mr. Phippard to two officers charged in the probe – Constable Timothy Barnhardt and John Madeley Sr., who retired from Toronto Police last year. In one case, leaked data from Constable Barnhardt “made its way” to Mr. Phippard, who allegedly used it in an extortion scheme, Deputy Chief Hogan said.
In addition, York Regional Police charged Mr. Phippard and Mr. Madeley in January, alleging in a press release they “worked with an organized crime group responsible for unlawful gaming and betting activities.”
Police also allege Constable Barnhardt gave Mr. Da Costa confidential data, including information about a jail guard that hitmen used in conspiring to murder him last summer.
Investigators have not said how they believe Mr. Phippard and Mr. Da Costa came to know the police officers charged in the Project South probe.
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The allegations have not been tested in court. Mr. Phippard’s lawyer, Rick Patel, declined comment. Lawyers for Mr. Da Costa, Constable Barnhardt and Mr. Madeley also declined comment.
Lesley Pasquino, president of the Ontario Crown Attorneys’ Association, said government funding for large, complex prosecutions is key to their success. Otherwise, Ms. Pasquino said, Crowns can be overloaded and relent on the more marginal cases to preserve the most important ones at trial.
“When you get one of these projects, you are under a lot of pressure to streamline it,” said Ms. Pasquino, who was speaking in general terms.
While Mr. Phippard’s earlier charges were dropped, several leaders of the Platinum Sports Book online gambling racket were found guilty.
The Project South prosecution involves charges against at least 27 individuals, including seven Toronto Police officers.
However, Mr. Phippard was not rounded up with the other suspects in February because he was already in custody.
A baton allegedly seized from Mr. Phippard.Ontario Court of Justice/Supplied
Last October, Mr. Phippard was charged with kidnapping, extortion and organized crime offences – as well as, once again, possessing brass knuckles and a collapsible baton.
During his bail hearing, Crown prosecutor Ranya Taher acknowledged Mr. Phippard has no criminal convictions but alleged he and an associate snatched a young man with gambling debts off the street in the summer of 2024 and had him beaten in the backseat of a car, according to a court recording. Before releasing the man, the captors allegedly called his father mid-attack to make ransom demands as he wailed, “Please, Dad, please!”
The family’s home was shot at in the fall of 2024 by unknown individuals, according to a 31-page document summarizing the prosecution’s case that was filed in October.
The Crown also alleged that Mr. Phippard extorted another man who had gambling debts. In a text from early 2025, Mr. Phippard allegedly suggested he would target the man’s father: “We’ll start knocking on dad’s door and maybe his head too,” the message said, according to the court document.
When the man’s father told Mr. Phippard he would go to the police, he allegedly replied: “I dare you.”
A name on the envelope has been obscured to protect their identity. Envelopes of debtor money allegedly collected by Mr. Phippard and seized by police.Ontario Court of Justice/Supplied
The family’s home was hit by 19 rounds of gunfire last summer, the document says. (Mr. Phippard does not face any charges related to either of these shootings.)
The man and his father told police they left payments for Mr. Phippard with a woman working at a booth at GFL Environmental, a waste management company, in Toronto, according to the court document. A GFL executive declined to comment.
During Mr. Phippard’s bail hearing, his defence lawyer questioned whether he really was the man known as “Frank the Tank.” Relatives who vouched for him as bail sureties said that as far as they knew his only work was as a site manager for a demolition company.
Justice of the Peace Thomas Glassford ordered Mr. Phippard released into house arrest, directing he wear a GPS ankle bracelet, have no contact with seven alleged victims and not possess any weapons.
“If you step out of line, and there is further charges or a breach, you’d be back in custody,” he warned Mr. Phippard.
In January, York Regional Police rearrested Mr. Phippard and charged him with additional counts of extortion, uttering a death threat and breaching his bail by allegedly possessing a weapon.
Detectives separately arrested Mr. Madeley, the retired officer, and charged him with breach of trust and four counts of unauthorized computer use.
As the accused in Project South make their way through the courts, the government says it has bolstered resources for challenging prosecutions, according to Julia Facca, a spokeswoman for Ontario Attorney-General Doug Downey. (The ministry declined comment on past or current cases.)
Since 2024, the province’s complex prosecutions bureau has provided “capacity for large and serious cases, including complex prosecutions and investigations involving organized crime,” she said.
However, structural problems persist, said Jeff Simser, a former legal director at the Ministry of the Attorney-General.
High courts have held that prosecutors must process large volumes of evidence quickly, dynamics that can increase pressure on the Crown to triage more marginal cases so they can focus on central players, he said.
In Project South, it is in the public interest to take as many viable cases as possible to trial, Mr. Simser said.
“This isn’t one that you should let anything slide,” he said. “This is much deeper than just the facts of its case. It’s about our justice system – and trust in police.”