GREAT WHITE Fire: Prosecutors Can Subpoena Financial Records Of Nightclub Owners

May 26, 2005

Providence, Rhode Island's TurnTo10.com has issued the following report:

A judge said Thursday (May 26) that prosecutors can subpoena the financial records of two brothers who owned The Station nightclub in West Warwick.

Superior Court Judge Francis J. Darigan Jr. authorized subpoenas for the tax returns, payroll records, credit card transactions and safe deposit boxes of defendants Jeffrey and Michael Derderian and their company, Derco LLC.

Prosecutors have requested the records to determine whether the Derderians had the resources to do renovations to The Station, which burned down Feb. 20, 2003. Investigators believe the flames spread quickly because the Derderians covered the walls of their club with a highly flammable packaging foam for soundproofing, rather than more expensive acoustic insulation.

The fire, which authorities said was triggered by a pyrotechnics display, killed 100 people and injured 200 others who had gathered at the club for a GREAT WHITE concert.

The Derderians and Dan Biechele, the band's former tour manager, each face 200 counts of involuntary manslaughter. All three have pleaded not guilty.

Also on Thursday, Darigan set a June 20 deadline for defense lawyers to file motions seeking to have the charges dismissed. The state must respond by July 11, and a hearing on the requests will take place on July 22.

The judge said the case was likely still on track to go to trial in January.

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