Howen

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 10 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, No. 1:21-cv-00106-DAD-SAB Plaintiff, v. ORDER GRANTING DEFENDANTS’

MOTION TO STAY

LAWRENCE A. HOWEN, et al., (Doc. No. 18) Defendants.

16 Before the court is defendants Lawrence A. Howen’s and Nor-Cal Pharmacies, Inc. d/b/a Lockeford Drug’s motion to stay these proceedings, which was filed on December 30, 2021. (Doc. No. 18.) Defendants’ motion was taken under submission to be decided on the papers. (Doc. No. 19.) The government opposed defendants’ motion on February 1, 2022 (Doc. No. 20), and the defendants filed their reply brief on February 8, 2022. (Doc. No. 21.) For the reasons discussed below, the court will grant defendants motion and stay the proceedings in this action. BACKGROUND On January 26, 2021, the government initiated a civil enforcement action against the defendants—a pharmacist and his pharmacy—for violations of the Comprehensive Drug Abuse 26 …