==========================================START OF PAGE 1====== U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Litigation Release No. 15191 / December 23, 1996 SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION v. KEYPOINT FINANCIAL CORPORATION and MICHAEL R. WARREN, Civil Action No. 95-6542 KN (Ex) (C.D. Cal.) The United States Attorney's Office for the Central District of California and the Securities and Exchange Commission ("Commission") announced that on December 4, 1996, Michael R. Warren ("Warren") pled guilty to a five count criminal information, including two felony counts under the Investment Advisers Act, two felony counts of wire fraud, and one felony count of mail fraud. Warren is scheduled to be sentenced by the Honorable Stephen V. Wilson, United States District Judge for the Central District of California, on February 10, 1996. In a related case, on May 13, 1996, the Honorable David V. Kenyon, United States District Judge for the Central District of California, entered a Final Judgment which provided that Keypoint Financial Corporation ("Keypoint") and Warren jointly and severally pay $628,107.23 in disgorgement and $216,681.77 in prejudgment interest thereon. On October 31, 1995, the Court entered a Judgment of Permanent Injunction and Other Relief Against Defendants Keypoint Financial Corporation and Michael R. Warren ("Judgment of Permanent Injunction"), which enjoined Keypoint and Warren from violations of the antifraud and the books and records provisions of the federal securities laws. Keypoint and Warren consented to the Judgment of Permanent Injunction without admitting or denying the allegations in the complaint. The Commission's complaint alleges that from approximately January 1991 through at least December 1992, Keypoint and Warren fraudulently offered and sold non-existent insurance annuity contracts and limited partnership units to Keypoint's clients. The Complaint alleges that Warren and Keypoint misappropriated client funds for the benefit of themselves or their affiliated businesses. Finally, the Complaint alleges that when Commission representatives attempted to examine and inspect Keypoint's books and records relating to its advisory business, Warren failed to respond or to produce such documents to the Commission, as required by statute. In a related administrative proceeding, the Commission issued an Order on November 6, 1995, whereby Keypoint and Warren, without admitting or denying the Commission's findings, consented ==========================================START OF PAGE 2====== to an Order revoking Keypoint's registration with the Commission as an investment adviser and barring Warren from association with any broker, dealer, municipal securities dealer, investment adviser or investment company.