-------------------- BEGINNING OF PAGE #1 ------------------- UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION LITIGATION RELEASE NO. 14733 / November 27, 1995 SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION v. SMARTBOX SYSTEMS GROUP INC., ET AL. (United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Civil Action No. 95-7237) On November 16, 1995, the Securities and Exchange Commission ("Commission") filed an emergency action in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania seeking a temporary restraining order ("TRO"), preliminary and permanent injunctions, and other expedited relief against Smartbox Systems Group Inc. ("Smartbox") and its president and chairman, Theodore K. Flowers ("Flowers"). The action also seeks a freeze of assets against Smartbox. The Honorable Stewart Dalzell granted the TRO and the freeze of assets, and scheduled a preliminary injunction hearing for December 14, 1995. The Commission's complaint alleges that, from at least November 1994 through the present, Flowers engaged in a $1 million fraudulent offering of Smartbox common stock. Flowers and Smartbox have raised at least $65,000 from at least eight individuals, and nearly all of the funds have been misappropriated. In furtherance of the scheme, Flowers made materially false and misleading statements to investors concerning, among other things, the risk in the investment. He portrayed the investment in Smartbox common stock as low risk, by telling investors that almost all of their money would be held in an escrow account, used only to acquire a wireless telecommunications license through the Federal Communications Commission, and returned to them in the event that the company was unable to acquire such a license. In reality, Flowers deposited the investor funds in a Smartbox bank account that he controlled, and used the funds to pay various personal and business expenses. He also gave some of the money to Kymberly Ogburn ("Ogburn"), who was his girlfriend at the time. In the action, the Commission charges Smartbox and Flowers with violations of Section 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and Rule 10b-5 thereunder. The complaint seeks to obtain ancillary relief from the them in the form of disgorgement, prejudgment interest and civil penalties and seeks an accounting. The action also names Ogburn as a relief defendant for purposes of seeking an asset freeze and disgorgement of funds paid to her by Flowers. The action does not charge Ogburn with violations of the antifraud provisions of the securities laws. Smartbox, located in West Chester, Pennsylvania, is a start- up company purportedly engaged in the wireless cable communications industry.