==========================================START OF PAGE 1====== UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION LITIGATION RELEASE NO. 15057 / September 19, 1996 SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION v. JOHN P. ACORD, ET AL. 3:95-CV-2728-T, USDC ND/TX [Dallas Division] The Securities and Exchange Commission ("Commission") announced that Final Judgments were entered on September 13, 1996, in United States District Court, Dallas, Texas, against defendants John P. Acord ("Acord"), Michael L. Medkiff ("Medkiff"), Great Western Management Corp. ("Great Western"), Douglas H. Kennett ("Kennett"), Equity Assurance Corp. ("EAC"), and nominal defendant Sean Ortega ("Ortega"), and on September 17, 1996, against defendant Susan M. Hall ("Hall"). All of the defendants, except Ortega, were permanently enjoined from future violations of the Section 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 ("Securities Act"), and Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 ("Exchange Act"), and Rule 10b-5 thereunder. Additionally, Acord, Hall, Kennett and EAC were enjoined from violations of Sections 5(a) and 5(c) of the Securities Act, and Medkiff, Great Western, Kennett and EAC were enjoined from violations of Section 15(a) of the Exchange Act. The defendants consented to the entry of the final judgments without admitting or denying the allegations in the Commission's complaint. The Commission's complaint alleged that the defendants raised at least $9.7 million from over 813 investors through the offer and sale of interests in limited partnerships formed to invest in low-income housing properties. The complaint also alleged that the defendants made false and misleading statements of material facts concerning, among other things, the intended uses for investors' funds, the condition and value of the underlying properties and the attendant likelihood of profitable operations. According to the complaint, investor monies were used, among other things, to make fraudulent profit distributions to prior investors and for the personal expenses of defendants Acord, Hall and Kennett. Further, the complaint alleged that defendant Acord diverted investor monies to his brother, Ortega, who used these monies to pay personal expenses for himself, Acord, and other family members. The Court also ordered Acord and Ortega to disgorge, jointly and severally, $607,000, plus prejudgment interest of $84,756; Medkiff and Great Western to disgorge, jointly and severally, $255,000, plus prejudgment interest of $31,689; Kennett and EAC to disgorge, jointly and severally, $383,000, plus prejudgment interest of $53,479; and Hall to disgorge $145,400, plus prejudgment interest. However, based on each defendant's demonstrated financial inability to pay, the Court waived the ==========================================START OF PAGE 2====== disgorgement amounts, plus interest, and did not impose civil penalties.