Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_07-cv-00930/USCOURTS-caed-2_07-cv-00930-2/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 690
Nature of Suit: Other Forfeiture and Penalty Suits
Cause of Action: 28:1345 Complaint for Forfeiture

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McGREGOR W. SCOTT

United States Attorney

KRISTIN S. DOOR, SBN 84307

Assistant U.S. Attorney

501 I Street, Suite 10-100

Sacramento, CA 95814

Telephone: (916) 554-2723

Attorney for Plaintiff

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, )

) 2:07-CV-00930 LKK-CMK

Plaintiff, )

) STIPULATION FOR STAY

v. ) AND ORDER 

)

APPROXIMATELY $76,474.16 IN U.S. )

CURRENCY SEIZED FROM UNION BANK )

OF CALIFORNIA, ACCOUNT NUMBER )

1280024941, ) 

)

Defendant. )

 )

Plaintiff United States of America, and Claimant Surinder Pal,

by and through their respective counsel, hereby stipulate that a

stay is necessary in the above-entitled action, and request that

the Court enter an order staying all further proceedings for a

period of six months pending the outcome of a related criminal

investigation against Claimant Pal. 

1. Claimant Pal filed a claim to the defendant property on 

June 14, 2007.

2. The stay is requested pursuant to 18 U.S.C. §§ 981(g)(1)

Case 2:07-cv-00930-LKK -CMK Document 11 Filed 06/19/07 Page 1 of 4
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and 981(g)(2). The plaintiff contends that Pal structured cash

deposits into his account at Union Bank by breaking the deposits

into amounts under $10,000 so as to avoid the currency transaction

reporting requirements of 31 U.S.C. § 5324(a)(3), and that the

defendant property is therefore forfeitable to the United States

pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 984 and 31 U.S.C. § 5317(c)(2).

3. To date claimant Pal, the owner of the property, has not

been charged with any criminal offense by state, local, or federal

authorities, and the statute of limitations has not expired on some

of the potential criminal charges relating to the currency

structuring offenses. Nevertheless, the plaintiff intends to

depose claimant Pal regarding his claim and his structuring of his

cash deposits. If discovery proceeds at this time, claimant will be

placed in the difficult position of either invoking his Fifth

Amendment right against self-incrimination and losing the ability

to pursue his claim to the defendant real property, or waiving his

Fifth Amendment right and submitting to a deposition and

potentially incriminating himself. If he invokes his Fifth

Amendment right, the plaintiff will be deprived of the ability to

explore the factual basis for the claim he filed with this court. 

4. In addition, claimant intends to depose the IRS agents

involved in this investigation. Allowing depositions of the law

enforcement officers at this time would adversely affect the

ability of federal authorities to investigate the underlying

criminal conduct.

 5. The parties recognize that proceeding with this action at

this time has potential adverse affects on the investigation of the

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underlying criminal conduct and/or upon claimant's ability to prove

his claim to the property and assert any defenses to forfeiture. 

For these reasons, the parties jointly request that this matter be

stayed for six months. At that time the parties will advise the

court of the status of the criminal investigation, if any, and will

advise the court whether a further stay is necessary.

6. The parties request that the status conference currently

scheduled for August 13, 2007, be vacated and rescheduled to

sometime in December, 2007.

Dated: June 14, 2007 McGREGOR W. SCOTT

United States Attorney

By /s/ Kristin S. Door 

KRISTIN S. DOOR

Assistant U.S. Attorney

Attorneys for Plaintiff

United States of America

Dated: June 14, 2007

/s/ Malcolm S. Segal

 MALCOLM S. SEGAL

Attorney for Claimant 

Surinder Pal

ORDER

For the reasons set forth above, this matter is stayed

pursuant to 18 U.S.C. §§ 981(g)(1) and 981(g)(2) for a period of

six months. The status conference scheduled for August 13, 2007 is

vacated and will be rescheduled to December 10, 2007 at 3:30 p.m.

at which time the parties will advise the court whether a further

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stay is necessary.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: June 18, 2007.

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