Canadian drug trafficker Michael Habib has been sentenced to 17 and a half years in prison for his role in transporting methamphetamine and cocaine on behalf of the Wolfpack Alliance. The sentencing was announced by Acting United States Attorney Matthew Podolsky for the Southern District of New York. Habib, who pled guilty on December 20, 2023, received his sentence from U.S. District Judge John P. Cronan.
Habib's co-defendants have also been sentenced: Surinder Singh Cheema received an 18-year sentence, Bhupinder Singh Virk was sentenced to 17 and a half years, and Christopher Burgos received four and a half years.
"Michael Habib and his co-conspirators are responsible for transporting thousands of kilograms of cocaine and methamphetamine across our northern border," said Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky. "Today’s prison sentence will help protect the public from wanton violence and dangerous narcotics."
FBI Assistant Director James E. Dennehy commented on the sentences: "The associates of the Wolfpack Alliance have all been rightly sentenced for establishing an international drug trafficking route... This conspiracy caused significant amounts of dangerous drugs to enter the United States."
Court documents reveal that between February 2022 and November 2022, Habib, Cheema, Virk, Burgos, and others conspired to distribute large quantities of narcotics across the U.S.-Canada border. Law enforcement seized significant amounts of cocaine in New Jersey and Kansas City during this period.
In addition to drug trafficking charges, Habib and Burgos were involved in aiding two hitmen attempting to flee Canada until their accidental deaths in April 2022. Cheema directed violent activities related to drug debts while awaiting sentencing at a detention center in Brooklyn.
All defendants were given supervised release terms ranging from three to five years following their prison sentences. They were also ordered to forfeit $487,900 along with a luxury vehicle.
Mr. Podolsky praised the efforts of various law enforcement agencies including the FBI, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and Peel Ontario Regional Police for their roles in this investigation.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force operation aimed at dismantling criminal organizations through collaborative efforts among multiple agencies.
