UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT



EASTERN DISTRICT OF NORTH CAROLINA



WESTERN DIVISION







UNITED STATES OF AMERICA :

: Case No. 5:05-CV-767-FL(3)

Plaintiff, :

:

v. : CLAIMANTS' MOTION FOR TRANSFER : OF VENUE OF THIS CIVIL

$19, 985.90 in U.S. Currency, etc. : FORFEITURE CASE TO THE CENTRAL

: DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA AND FOR

Defendant. : THE TRANSFER OF THE PENDING

: MOTION FOR RECONSIDERATION

: OF THE DENIAL OF CLAIMANTS'

AVEDIS DJEREDJIAN, : MOTION FOR RELEASE OF ASSETS

CARMEN BADRIAN, : TO THE CENTRAL DISTRICT

ASHKHEN DJEREDJIAN, AND : OF CALIFORNIA

STAR TOBACCO, INC., :

:

Claimants. :

____________________________________:



Claimants, Avedis Djeredjian, Carmen Badrian, Ashkhen Djeredjian, and Star Tobacco, Inc., through undersigned counsel, move, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 1355, 1395, 1404 and 1412, for the transfer of venue of the civil forfeiture case to the Central District of California.

They further request that their pending motions for reconsideration of the Magistrate Judge's order denying the release of seized assets to pay defense attorneys fees be transferred to the Central District of California.

This motion is based on the defendant Avedis Djeredjian's motion for change of venue in the criminal case 5:06-CR-41-1-FL(2) (Doc. 10); his renewed motion to change venue in the criminal case (Doc. 70); this Court's order granting change of venue, Document 101-1, entered 4-9-2007; and the attached Memorandum of Points and Authorities.



Respectfully submitted,





BRENDA GRANTLAND, ESQ.

Attorney for Claimants

California State Bar No. 165899

20 Sunnyside Suite A-204

Mill Valley, CA 94941

415-380-9108

Fax 415-381-6105

W. Michael Mayock

Attorney for Avedis Djeredjian

California State Bar No. 54074

35 South Raymond Ave., Suite 400

Pasadena, CA 91105

(626) 405-1465

(626) 405-0158

mayocklaw@sbcglobal.net





__/s/ Joseph Zeszotarski, Esq. ___

Joseph Zeszotarski, Esq.

Local counsel

Poyner & Spruill

P.O. Box 10096

Raleigh, NC 27605

919-783-1005

fax 919-783-1075

State Bar No. 21310

LR 83.1 Counsel



CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

I hereby certify that a copy of the foregoing motion was served, by mail, upon Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Royster, 310 New Bern Avenue, Suite 800, Raleigh, NC 27601-1461, this 10th day of April, 2007.

__/s/ Joseph Zeszotarski, Esq. ___

Joseph Zeszotarski, Esq.