-------------------- BEGINNING OF PAGE #1 ------------------- UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Litigation Release No. 14685 / October 11, 1995 SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION V. JAMES P. MCLAUGHLIN, (United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Civil Action No. 95C 5241) The Securities and Exchange Commission announced that on September 13, 1995, the Commission filed a Complaint for Permanent Injunction in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois against Defendant James P. McLaughlin (McLaughlin). In its Complaint the Commission alleges that from February 1991 through May 1993, McLaughlin, through three corporations he controlled, Global Venture Capital (GVC), GVC Asset Management, Inc. (GVCAM) and TMB Futures International, Inc. (TMB), fraudulently offered and sold common stock and convertible debentures through seven private placement offerings to at least 81 investors in 17 states raising at least $1.1 million in which he misrepresented the intended use of investor proceeds. Specifically, the Commission alleges that McLaughlin raised money from investors by claiming that both GVC and GVCAM were venture capital firms that would use offering proceeds to fund the development of start-up and growth businesses. McLaughlin also identified Capital Securities Group, Inc. (CSG) as GVC's wholly owned broker/dealer subsidiary and claimed that GVC was the Chicago office of Tamaron Investments, Inc. (Tamaron). McLaughlin raised money through TMB by claiming that TMB would operate as an introducing broker to solicit or accept commodity futures orders. In reality, less than 10% of the funds generated through GVC and none of the funds raised through GVCAM and TMB were used for the purposes claimed by McLaughlin. The remainder of investor funds were misappropriated by McLaughlin for business and personal expenses. Furthermore, CSG never existed and Tamaron denied any affiliation with GVC. As a result, the total losses sustained by McLaughlin's investors exceeds $1 million. As a consequence of McLaughlin's alleged fraudulent actions, the Commission maintains that McLaughlin, directly and indirectly, has engaged in acts, practices and courses of business which constitute violations of Sections 17(a)(1), 17(a)(2) and 17(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder. The Commission also seeks disgorgement of all of McLaughlin's ill- gotten gains acquired through his scheme, the imposition of civil penalties and other ancillary relief. Finally, the Commission seeks to prohibit McLaughlin from acting as an officer or director of any issuer with securities registered under Section 12 of the Exchange Act.