Investigation intensified after Ford crack scandal broke, document shows

Media lawyer Peter Jacobsen says that new details unsealed in a police document on Wednesday show that the investigation into Mayor Rob Ford and his occasional driver, Alexander Lisi, continues.

Going back as early as March 18, 2013, 59 people were under surveillance as part of the police investigation of gangs and guns in northern Etobicoke called Project Traveller. And Ford and Lisi were under surveillance even before the crack scandal broke last May.

Below is a timeline of notable dates from the redacted police document which shows the two men were under intense surveillance as late as October 2013.

March 18, 2013-May 17, 2013: Judge authorizes police to intercept private conversations of 59 people.

April 20, 2013: Phone calls intercepted in relation to Mayor Ford attending a so-called “trap house” or crack house at 15 Windsor Rd.

Wiretaps indicate Ford had his cellphone stolen by a party named in Project Traveller.

The named parties were heard deliberating about how to give back the phone to avoid any issues but stated they weren’t concerned about Ford calling the police because they had a picture of him “on the pipe.”

The interceptions indicate that the named party returned the phone to Ford’s driver/security (Lisi) and received marijuana from the driver for his efforts.

May 21, 2013: Shooting at 320 Dixon Rd., 17th floor. Abdullahi Harun, who was shot, told police that Liban Siyad helped him down the elevators. His injuries were not considered life-threatening.

June 13, 2013: Search warrants conducted at 320 Dixon Rd. during Project Traveller.

June 15, 2013: Observations are commenced at Lisi’s home at 5 Madill St. On this day, Ford is seen circling Madill twice in his black Cadillac Escalade and later driving back to his home on Edenbridge Dr.

June 24, 2013: Production order requested for Lisi.

June 25, 2013: Plane surveillance is conducted to avoid Lisi’s counter-surveillance measures.

June 25, 2013: Police learn from Ahmed Farah during an interview at a detention centre that on May 29 he and Siyadin Abdi kidnapped Mohamed Siad, one of two men who tried to sell the crack video. Wiretaps indicate Siad said he destroyed the video and that his family was in trouble. The men kept him for an hour. But Farah doesn’t co-operate with police.

June 25, 2013: Richview Cleaners, which is owned by Jamshid Bahrami, is located at 250 Wincott and is a place Lisi frequents; he’s seen going in and leaving with packages and police allege this is where drugs were being trafficked.

June 15, 2013: A fight occurrs between four inmates at the Don Jail: Mohamed Siad, Andrew Lloyd, Ahmed Yusuf and Guled Mahadale.

June 15-17, 2013: Surveillance of Lisi commences at his home at 5 Madill St., showing him using counter-surveillance measures to avoid being tailed.

June 25, 2013-July 19, 2013: Production order for Lisi’s cellphone records.

Ford calls Lisi 27 times between June 25 and July 19, 2013, while Lisi calls the mayor 18 times in the same period.

July 11, 2013: Lisi places a package on Ford’s black Escalade Cadillac at the Esso gas station without speaking to him. Five minutes later, the mayor leaves the Esso station, gets back into his car and leaves the parking lot.

July 16, 2013: Surveillance: Lisi is seen going to Richview Cleaners with large plastic bag full of clothing. Once inside, Barhami is seen removing a white item wrapped in plastic from what appears to be the clothing.

July 31, 2013: Judge authorizes an application to have a tracking device installed on Lisi’s Range Rover (authorizations are for Aug. 1-Sept. 29, 2013).

Aug. 17, 2013: Lisi calls police again complaining he was being followed and it turns out to be a member of the media.

Aug. 17, 2013: On day Toronto Star publishes story about Lisi, his past and his relationship with Ford, the two men speak to one another four times.

Aug. 12, 2013: Globe publishes an article saying Ford visited a west Toronto detention centre and asked if he could have a tour. When that was declined, he asked to see Bruno Bellisimo, which was also not allowed. Bellisimo is described by police as Ford’s friend.

Bellisimo was arrested March 2, 2013, and charged with threatening death and three counts of assault for threatening to kill his mother, spitting in his parents’ faces and pushing and hitting his mom. He was convicted of threatening death and two of the three assault charges. He was not charged with any drug offences but was known to be a crack cocaine addict.

Aug. 21, 2013: Staff Supt. Stubbings, who was at a private function, was told that area residents in north Etobicoke were complaining about the police aircraft flying over their homes for the past month. One resident also complained to Transport Canada and she was told to complain to police. The woman surmised it may have something to do with Ford. Police then decided to restrict the use of plane surveillance.

Aug. 22, 2013: The mayor’s staffer Sheila Paxton calls police letting them know that Ford was being followed and is very concerned because the vehicle had been following him for a week and a half.

Aug. 22, 2013: Drug squad investigation of Richview Cleaners.

Aug. 27, 2013: An undercover cop (UC) calls Bahrami and he asks about a quarter pound but he’s told Bahrami can’t get a hold of his supplier. Bahrami asks UC if he knows anyone who could grow it for him as he has a licence to grow 1,800 grams. They would split it 50-50. They go into the employee area where Bahrami opens a cabinet takes a bit of marijuana from a glass jar and gives it to UC in a store receipt.

Bahrami advises that one of his two suppliers is Lisi (Sandro), who he says is Ford’s bodyguard. He says Lisi takes half his stuff and is ripping him off and wants to work with a new partner. He places a call to Lisi telling him he’s got a buyer and asking him to return his call.

Aug. 28, 2013: Undercover cop gets call from Bahrami saying that his drugs were ready by 7 p.m. During another call, UC tells Bahrami he needs half an “O.” Bahrami says his supplier is there with him and he could do a quarter pound for $600. Bahrami asks if UC can come tomorrow when he can do a pound for $2,400 and UC agrees. But the transaction doesn’t occur.

Aug. 29, 2013: Barbudan Dima “Dan” from Richview Jewellers is believed to be another marijuana dealer for Bahrami.

Aug. 30, 2013: Judge grants warrants from Aug. 1, 2013 to Sept. 29, 2013.

Sept. 4, 2013: Drug transaction between UC; the pound was supplied by Dima from Richview Jewellers.

Sept. 5, 2013: Lisi drives in Range Rover to the Steak Queen on Rexdale Boulevard at 8:30 p.m.

Sept. 7, 2013: Lisi leaves his home on Madill and goes to Scarlett Heights Entrepreneurial Academy to meet the mayor. Lisi gets into the mayor’s car and then goes back to his GMC Safari van to retrieve some dry cleaning and a white plastic shopping bag, which he brings to the back of Ford’s car. They sit in the mayor’s car for half an hour before driving to Richview Cleaners. Lisi goes to the rear of the cleaners while Ford waits in the car. Lisi returns to the car and the two drive off to Central Etobicoke High School. Officers take the time to execute a search warrant of the unoccupied GMC Safari van which was unlocked. They find a joint (0.95 grams), white ZigZag rolling papers in a small cooler bag and a marijuana grinder, among other things. Police also search 82 Thirty Nine St., which is unoccupied and belongs to Lisi’s parents.

Sept. 8, 2013: Lisi leaves his home on Madill and meets Ford at the Esso station at Scarlett and Edenbridge. They go into the Esso kiosk. Lisi exits the kiosk first carrying a weighted plastic bag and places it in his Range Rover. He then goes to the driver’s side of the mayor’s car and quickly opens and closes the door. It’s not known what was put inside. Moments later, Ford goes to his car with a weighted plastic bag and both men leave in their own cars.

Later the same day, Lisi drives to Ford’s home on Edenbridge and they leave together in Lisi’s Range Rover for Taste of the Kingsway. He drops off the mayor at home and then picks him up again to go to 82 Thirty Nine. They later go to Steak Queen. They get back into the Range Rover, travel a while and then return to Steak Queen before Lisi drops Ford off at his home.

Sept. 9, 2013: Police execute search warrant of garage at 82 Thirty Nine where a strong smell of marijuana is detected, but do not find any contraband.

Det. Gary Giroux and supervisors feel that it would be prudent to suspend surveillance activity on Lisi to avoid detection and not compromise the covert efforts of the investigative team. Investigators believe Lisi was taking a break from his drug trafficking habits based on a Toronto Star article. The undercover cop would continue to maintain contact with Bahrami to try arrange a transaction with Lisi. But Bahrami says it’s unlikely Lisi would deal with UC directly.

Sept. 10-13, 2013: Police focus their surveillance on Ricardo Medeiros and Nick Kourakos, who are in constant contact with Lisi.

Sept. 20, 2013: Police say between Aug. 7 and Sept. 19, 2013, the primary people Lisi is in daily contact with are Mayor Ford, Jamshid Bahrami, Kourakos and Medeiros. Lisi is also in contact with Mayor Ford staffers David Price, Tom Beyer, Xhejski Hasko and Christopher Fickel.

Sept. 23, 2013: Judge authorizes police to intercept private conservations between Bahrami, Lisi and Dima at Richview Cleaners and Bahrami’s home, among other locations.

Sept. 27, 2013: Undercover cop meets with Bahrami for five hours wearing audio recording device. Bahrami tells UC that Dan has good weed and was sorry for the “mess up before” and that if he wanted to buy it he would bring it to Richview Cleaners and the UC could pay Bahrami. UC says Dan’s prices are too high and he’d rather buy from Lisi. Bahrami says Lisi is “getting pyscho” and believes Bahrami is setting him up. UC asks Bahrami how he got his licence to grow medical marijuana and was told that Lisi hooked it up for him. Bahrami had to fly to Kelowna, B.C., to see a doctor and sign forms. Dan from Richview Jewellers comes to the cleaners and tries to make a deal with UC who says he’ll be in touch.

Oct. 1, 2013: UC is instructed to meet Bahrami at the Richview Cleaners; during this meeting, UC is sold half a pound of marijuana at 5:53 p.m.

At 6:58 p.m., Lisi leaves his home on Madill for Richview Cleaners.

At 7:02 p.m., Lisi is inside the cleaners and both Lisi and Bahrami are arrested.