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                SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                         WASHINGTON, D.C.

LITIGATION RELEASE NO. 15215 / January 16, 1997

ACCOUNTING AND AUDITING ENFORCEMENT
RELEASE NO.  870 / January 16, 1997

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION v. ROSS FREITAS AND EUGENE D.
DERRY (United States District Court for the District of South
Carolina, Spartanburg Division, Civil Action No. 7:95-340-3,
filed February 8, 1995)

     The Securities and Exchange Commission ("Commission")
announced that on January 9, 1997, the Honorable G. Ross
Anderson, Jr. entered a Final Judgment of Permanent Injunction as
to Eugene D. Derry ("Derry").  The Final Judgment enjoins Derry
from violations of the antifraud, beneficial ownership, and
reporting and recordkeeping provisions of the federal securities
laws.  Derry consented to the Final Judgment without admitting or
denying the allegations of the Commission's complaint.  The
Complaint alleged that Derry, as president of Ross Cosmetics
Distribution Centers, Inc. ("RCDC"), engaged in a scheme to
prevent full disclosure of related party transactions and control
of RCDC.  RCDC, which changed its name to Tristar Corp. in 1993,
manufactures, markets and distributes "knock off" cosmetics and
fragrances.

     Specifically, the Complaint alleged that, to effectuate the
scheme, Derry signed annual reports on Form 10-K that contained
false and misleading information or omitted to disclose material
information concerning the undisclosed beneficial ownership of 65
percent of RCDC stock and control of RCDC's principal supplier by
members of two families from Dubai, United Arab Emirates (the
"Dubai Group").  Additionally, in furtherance of the fraudulent
scheme, the Complaint alleged that Derry issued a false credit
memo that increased RCDC's net income by 145 percent for RCDC's
fiscal year ended August 31, 1987.  The intent and effect of the
false credit memo was to raise RCDC's net income to a level that
would prevent the National Association of Securities Dealers from
delisting RCDC stock from the NASDAQ.

     The Complaint also alleged that Derry made false and
misleading statements to RCDC's independent auditors in
connection with the false credit memo and control of the shares
issued to the Dubai Group.  The Complaint further alleged that
Derry failed to disclose timely his indirect beneficial ownership
of the shares owned by the Dubai Group.

     On February 22, 1994, a federal Grand Jury indicted Derry on
charges that included conspiracy, securities fraud, making false
statements, mail fraud and wire fraud.  U.S. v. Ross Cosmetics
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Distribution Centers, Inc., et al., Crim. No. 7:94-214 (D.S.C.,
Spartanburg Division).  On July 12, 1996, Derry pled nolo
contendere to a one count information alleging a violation of 

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Section 13(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.  Derry was
sentenced to five years of unsupervised probation, which was
terminated upon the payment of a $500,000 fine.

     On April 3, 1995, Judge Anderson entered a Final Judgment of
Permanent Injunction and Other Equitable Relief as to Ross
Freitas enjoining him from violations of the antifraud,
beneficial ownership, reporting and recordkeeping provisions of
the federal securities laws.  Freitas had consented to the entry
of the Final Judgment without admitting or denying the
allegations in the Commission's Complaint.