==========================================START OF PAGE 1====== U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Litigation Release No. 15171 / December 2, 1996 SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION v. BRETT L. BOUCHY and RICHARD C. WHELAN, Civil Action No. 96-2629 PHX (RGS)(D. Ariz.) The Securities and Exchange Commission filed a Complaint on December 2, 1996 against Brett L. Bouchy and Richard C. Whelan, former registered representatives and co-owners of now-defunct Franklin-Lord, Inc. In its Complaint, filed in the United States District Court for the District of Arizona, the Commission alleges that Bouchy and Whelan engaged in a variety of fraudulent schemes in connection with the offer and sale of securities. Specifically, the Complaint alleges that from December 1990 through August 1991, while employed as registered representatives at now-defunct First American Biltmore Securities, Inc., Bouchy and Whelan: (1) received undisclosed compensation for their recommendations of the common stock of Supermail International, Inc. to their clients; (2) misappropriated funds from one of their clients; (3) fraudulently sold this same client certain other securities without disclosing that they owned these securities personally and that they would earn approximately 200 percent in profits from this transaction; and (4) utilized nominee accounts to personally profit from, and cause the false closing of, a public offering of securities underwritten by First American Biltmore. The Complaint further alleges that in September 1992, Bouchy and Whelan, who owned and controlled Franklin-Lord, failed to disclose the following material facts in connection with the initial public offering ("IPO") and aftermarket trading of the securities of 2 Bi 2, Inc.: (1) that IPO units would be placed in a nominee account; and (2) that Franklin-Lord would restrict retail sales of 2 Bi 2 securities by instituting a no net-sale policy. The Complaint also alleges that Franklin-Lord solicited aftermarket orders during the 2 Bi 2 distribution. The Complaint seeks permanent injunctions from future violations of the antifraud provisions of the federal securities laws, disgorgement, with prejudgment interest, of all profits derived from their fraudulent activities, and civil penalties against Bouchy and Whelan for their violations of Section 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and Rules 10b-5, 10b-6 and 10b-9 thereunder.