Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_09-cv-02087/USCOURTS-caed-2_09-cv-02087-4/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Approximately $16,923.70 in U.S. Currency
Defendant
United States of America
Plaintiff

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BENJAMIN B. WAGNER

United States Attorney

SARALYN M. ANG-OLSON, SBN 197404

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney

501 I Street, Suite 10-100

Sacramento, CA 95814

Telephone: (916) 554-2700

Attorneys for Plaintiff

United States of America

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ) 2:09-cv-02087-WBS-EFB

 )

Plaintiff, ) JOINT STATUS REPORT; 

 ) STIPULATION FOR FURTHER STAY

v. ) OF PROCEEDINGS; AND

 ) ORDER [PROPOSED]

APPROXIMATELY $16,923.70 IN )

U.S. CURRENCY, )

 )

Defendant. )

________________________________)

Plaintiff United States of America (“Plaintiff”) and

claimants Eric Engstrom (“Engstrom”) and Mona Colomb

(“Claimants”), by and through their respective counsel, hereby

submit the following Joint Status Report in accordance with the

Court’s Order as filed in this action on December 22, 2009.

(a) Summary of the Claims

On July 28, 2009, Plaintiff filed a verified complaint in

this action (“Complaint”). The defendant in this action is

described as Approximately $16,923.70 in U.S. Currency

(“defendant currency”). The defendant currency was seized on or

about February 20, 2009, at 14964 Lake Lane, Nevada City,

California, and is in the custody of the United States Marshals

 1 Joint Status Report; Stipulation for

Further Stay; Order [Proposed]

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Service, Eastern District of California. As set forth in the

Complaint, the defendant currency constitutes money or other

things of value furnished or intended to be furnished by any

person in exchange for a controlled substance or listed chemical

in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841 et seq., proceeds traceable to

such an exchange, and/or moneys used or intended to be used to

facilitate any violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841 et seq. 

On November 12, 2009, Claimants filed a Claim to the

defendant property. On November 23, 2009, they filed an Answer

to the Complaint. 

(b) Status of Service on All Defendants and Cross Defendants

All known potential claimants have been served with the

Complaint, Notice of Complaint, Application and Order for

Publication, and Court Notices. Accordingly, service is

complete. 

(c) Possible Joinder of Additional Parties

None.

(d) Contemplated Amendments to the Pleadings

None.

(e) Statutory Basis of Jurisdiction and Venue

This Court has jurisdiction in this matter pursuant to 28

U.S.C. § 1345 and 28 U.S.C. § 1355(a). Venue is proper in this

district pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1355(b) and 28 U.S.C. § 1395.

(f) Written Report Outlining Proposed Discovery Plan under

Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 26(f)

As of the December 1, 2006, amendments to Rule 26 of the

Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, civil forfeiture actions are

exempt from the initial disclosure requirements applicable to

 2 Joint Status Report; Stipulation for

Further Stay; Order [Proposed]

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most other civil actions. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(a)(1)(E)(ii).

Rather than fully schedule this case at this time, the

Parties jointly request a further stay of proceedings in this

matter pending the state prosecution of Claimant Eric Engstrom in

Superior Court of California for the County of Nevada, Case No.

SF09-079. A further stay is requested pursuant to 18 U.S.C.

§§ 981(g)(1) and 981(g)(2) and 21 U.S.C. § 881(i), based on the

following reasons:

The United States contends that the defendant currency

constitutes money or other things of value furnished or intended

to be furnished by any person in exchange for a controlled

substance or listed chemical in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841 et

seq., proceeds traceable to such an exchange, and/or moneys used

or intended to be used to facilitate any violation of 21 U.S.C.

§ 841 et seq. The United States intends to depose Engstrom about

the claim he filed in this case; his involvement in and/or

knowledge of drug-trafficking; the source of the funds seized;

and other facts as alleged in the Complaint. If Engstrom as a

claimant in this action invokes his Fifth Amendment rights, the

United States will be deprived of its ability to explore the

factual bases underlying Engstrom’s claim in this action and to

examine the assertions he has raised in the Answer he has filed 

herein.

Engstrom as a claimant in this action will, in turn, seek to

depose law enforcement officers who participated in the seizure

of the defendant currency on February 20, 2009, facts of which

also form the basis of the pending criminal case against

Engstrom. Allowing the depositions of the officers would

 3 Joint Status Report; Stipulation for

Further Stay; Order [Proposed]

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potentially and adversely affect the ability of the State of

California to conduct its criminal prosecution against Eric

Engstrom. 

Accordingly, the Parties agree that proceeding with this

action at this time has potential adverse effects on the

prosecution of the related criminal cases and/or upon Engstrom’s

ability to prove his claim to the property and/or assert any

defenses to forfeiture. For these reasons, the Parties jointly

request that this matter be further stayed pending the outcome of

the state criminal prosecution, at which time the Parties will

advise the Court whether a further stay is necessary.

(g) Proposed Discovery Cut-Off Date

In light of the requested further stay, the parties ask that

the case not be scheduled at this time.

(h) Proposed Date for All Motions to be Filed and Heard

In light of the requested further stay, the parties ask that

the case not be scheduled at this time.

(i) Proposed Modification of Standard Pretrial Proceedings

In light of the requested further stay, the parties ask that

the case not be scheduled at this time.

(j) Estimated Length of Trial

Not likely to exceed three (3) days.

(k) Related to Any Other Case

State of California v. Eric Engstrom, Case No. SF09-079,

Superior Court of California for the County of Nevada.

(l) Matters Under Local Rule 16-240 Adding to Just and

Expeditious Disposition of Matter

None.

 4 Joint Status Report; Stipulation for

Further Stay; Order [Proposed]

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(m) Identification by Nongovernmental Corporate Party of Parent

and Subsidiary Corporations 

None.

Dated: July 9, 2010 BENJAMIN B. WAGNER

United States Attorney

/s/ Saralyn M. Ang-Olson 

Saralyn M. Ang-Olson

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney

Attorney for Plaintiff

Dated: July 9, 2010 /s/ Stephen A. Munkelt Stephen A. Munkelt

Attorney for Claimants 

Eric Engstrom and Mona Colomb

(Original signature on file)

ORDER

For the reasons set forth above, this action is stayed

further pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 981(g)(1), 18 U.S.C. § 981(g)(2),

and 21 U.S.C. § 881(i) until the conclusion of the criminal case,

at which time the Parties will advise the Court whether a further

stay is necessary. The Scheduling Conference is continued to

January 24, 2011 at 2:00 p.m.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: July 13, 2010

 5 Joint Status Report; Stipulation for

Further Stay; Order [Proposed]

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