Deportation a possibility for man guilty of drug trafficking in Hay River, N.W.T.

A Toronto man is facing potential deportation to Cambodia after being sentenced last year on drug trafficking charges in the N.W.T.

Savy You was sentenced in October to three and a half years in jail after pleading guilty to three charges related to drug trafficking in Hay River, N.W.T., in November 2024. The charges included possession of fentanyl and cocaine for the purpose of trafficking, and possession of proceeds of crime.

At his sentencing, Crown and defence both recommended jail time of three and a half years.

Justice Sheila MacPherson said You’s guilty plea was a significant mitigating factor in her decision. 

When the offences occurred, You was already on release terms for other allegations of drug trafficking. MacPherson called that “concerning” and said it factored into her sentencing decision. 

The court heard that You, who was 40 at the time of his sentencing, was born in Cambodia and moved to Canada when he was four years old. He has permanent residency status in Canada.

He had an upbringing “marked by poverty," and has “no meaningful connection to Cambodia,” said MacPherson. 

With a jail sentence of over two years, You would be unable to appeal any deportation order.  

MacPherson said the length of jail time was "a fit sentence."

“Facing potential deportation is a risk that people incur when committing serious criminal acts in Canada,” said MacPherson. 

MacPherson highlighted the continued harms drug trafficking brings to communities, calling it “predatory” and saying it “takes advantage of people when they are at their weakest.” 

As a first-time offender, You’s sentence length “sends a real message of deterrence and denunciation,” Macpherson said. “Drug trafficking must and will be dealt with severely." 

You is also under a DNA order and a firearms ban.