Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_06-mc-00096/USCOURTS-caed-2_06-mc-00096-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
$1,499.00 in U.S. Currency
Defendant
Approximately $8,165.00 in U.S. Currency
Defendant
Cesar Nunez Felix
Claimant
Catarino Lopez Garcia
Claimant
Roberto Bustamante Leon
Claimant
United States of America
Plaintiff

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1

McGREGOR W. SCOTT

United States Attorney

MARY L. GRAD

Assistant U.S. Attorney

501 I Street, Suite 10-100

Sacramento, California 95814

Telephone: (916) 554-2763

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ) 2:06-MC-00096-WBS-GGH

)

Plaintiff, ) CONSENT JUDGMENT

) OF FORFEITURE

v. )

)

APPROXIMATELY $8,165.00 IN U.S. ) 

CURRENCY, and )

)

APPROXIMATELY $1,499.00 IN U.S. )

CURRENCY, )

)

Defendants. )

___________________________________)

)

ROBERTO BUSTAMANTE LEON, CESAR )

NUNEZ FELIX, and CATARINO LOPEZ )

GARCIA, )

 )

Potential Claimants.)

___________________________________)

Pursuant to the Stipulation for Consent Judgment of

Forfeiture, the Court finds:

1. On April 13, 2006, Roberto Bustamante Leon, Cesar Nunez

Felix, and Catarino Lopez Garcia were indicted pursuant to 21

U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 846. On May 11, 2006, a Superseding

Indictment was filed charging Roberto Bustamante Leon, Cesar Nunez

Felix, and Catarino Lopez Garcia with violations of 21 U.S.C. §§

Case 2:06-mc-00096-WBS-GGH Document 2 Filed 09/21/06 Page 1 of 5
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841(a)(1) and 846. The Superseding Indictment included a criminal

forfeiture allegation against the defendant currency. 

2. From January 2006 through March 8, 2006, there was an

agreement among Roberto Bustamante Leon, Cesar Nunez Felix (aka

Cesar Felix Nunez) and Catarino Lopez Garcia to distribute and

possess with intent to distribute heroin. On nine separate

occasions in January through March 2006, an undercover officer

purchased heroin from Roberto Bustamante Leon. Catarino Lopez

Garcia was present at five of the nine undercover buys and Cesar

Nunez Felix was present at two of the nine undercover buys. 

3. On March 8, 2006, agents executed a search warrant at

Cesar Nunez Felix’s residence located at 4005 E. Horner Avenue. 

Agents seized a total of approximately $8,165.00 in U.S. Currency

not including the $400 of pre-recorded buy funds also located at

the residence. On March 8, 2006, agents executed a search warrant

at Roberto Bustamante Leon’s residence located at 508 S. Gertrude

Street, Stockton, California where agents seized approximately 650

grams of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of

heroin and approximately $1,499.00 in U.S. Currency.

4. On June 7, 2006, Magistrate Judge Mueller issued seizure

warrants for the approximately $8,165.00 in U.S. Currency and the

approximately $1,499.00 in U.S. Currency. The seizure warrants

were duly executed that day. 

5. Roberto Bustamante Leon, Cesar Nunez Felix, and Catarino

Lopez Garcia entered guilty pleas on or about August 4, 2006, in

U.S. v. Roberto Bustamante Leon, et al., CR-S-06-00162-GEB, to

Count One of the Superseding Indictment charging them with

conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute at least 100 grams

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of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of heroin

in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 846 and 841(a)(1).

6. Roberto Bustamante Leon, Cesar Nunez Felix, and Catarino

Lopez Garcia hereby acknowledge they possessed the defendant

approximately $8,165.00 in U.S. Currency and the defendant

approximately $1,499.00 in U.S. Currency and that no other person

or entity has any legitimate claim of interest therein. Should any

person or entity institute any kind of claim or action against the

government with regard to its forfeiture of the defendant

approximately $8,165.00 in U.S. Currency and the defendant

approximately $1,499.00 in U.S. Currency, Roberto Bustamante Leon,

Cesar Nunez Felix, and Catarino Lopez Garcia shall hold harmless

and indemnify the United States, as set forth below.

7. This Court has jurisdiction in this matter pursuant to 28

U.S.C. §§ 1345 and 1355, as this is the judicial district in which

acts or omissions giving rise to the forfeiture occurred.

8. This Court has venue pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1395, as this

is the judicial district in which the property was seized.

9. The parties herein desire to settle this matter pursuant

to the terms of a duly executed Stipulation for Consent Judgment of

Forfeiture.

Based upon the above findings, and the Court being otherwise

fully advised in the premise, it is hereby 

ORDERED AND ADJUDGED:

10. The Court adopts the Stipulation for Consent Judgment of

Forfeiture entered into by and between the parties.

11. All right, title and interest in approximately $8,165.00

in U.S. Currency and approximately $1,499.00 in U.S. Currency

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seized on or about March 8, 2006, shall be forfeited to the United

States pursuant to 21 U.S.C. § 881(a)(6), to be disposed of

according to law.

12. Plaintiff United States of America and its servants,

agents, and employees and all other public entities, their

servants, agents and employees, are released from any and all

liability arising out of or in any way connected with the seizure

and/or forfeiture of defendant currency. This is a full and final

release applying to all unknown and unanticipated injuries, and/or

damages arising out of said seizure and/or forfeiture, as well as

to those now known or disclosed. The parties have agreed to waive

the provisions of California Civil Code § 1542, which provides: "A

general release does not extend to claims which the creditor does

not know or suspect to exist in his favor at the time of executing

the release, which if known by him must have materially affected

his settlement with the debtor."

13. Pursuant to the Stipulation for Consent Judgment of

Forfeiture filed herein, the Court finds that there was reasonable

cause for the seizure of defendant currency, and a Certificate of

Reasonable Cause pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2465 shall be entered

accordingly.

14. Roberto Bustamante Leon, Cesar Nunez Felix, and Catarino

Lopez Garcia acknowledge that they obtained, or declined to obtain,

the advice of counsel prior to executing the stipulation filed

herein, and that they entered into the stipulation knowingly and

voluntarily.

///

///

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15. All parties will bear their own costs and attorneys’

fees.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

DATED: September 20, 2006

CERTIFICATE OR REASONABLE CAUSE

Pursuant to the Stipulation for Consent Judgment of Forfeiture

filed herein, the Court enters this Certificate of Reasonable Cause

pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2465, that there was reasonable cause for

the seizure of the above-described currency.

DATED: September 20, 2006

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