SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. Litigation Release No.15451/August 21, 1997 SEC v. W. Ralph Wills, III and ProFinancial Advisors, Inc. (Civil Action No. 1:96-CV-2472-CC, USDC N.D. Ga.) The Securities and Exchange Commission announced that on July 25, 1997, the Honorable Clarence Cooper, United States District Judge for the Northern District of Georgia, entered an Order of Permanent Injunction And Other Relief As To W. Ralph Wills ("Wills") and ProFinancial Advisors, Inc. ("ProFinancial"), an Investment Adviser registered with the Commission. The Order enjoins Wills and ProFinancial from future violations of Section 204 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 ("Adviser's Act") and Rule 204-1 thereunder; Section 206(4) of the Adviser's Act and Rule 206(4)-2(a)(5) thereunder; Section 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933; and Section 10(b) of the Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 thereunder. Wills and ProFinancial were further ordered to pay disgorgement in the amount of $947,950, representing the amount of ill-gotten gains acquired by the defendants from the scheme and prejudgment interest thereon. Payment of the disgorgement and prejudgment interest was waived based upon sworn representations made by Wills and ProFinancial to the Commission that they were financially unable to pay the disgorgement. Wills and ProFinancial both consented to the relief without admitting or denying the allegations set forth in a complaint filed by the Commission on September 23, 1996. In its complaint, the Commssion alleged that Wills, through ProFinancial, violated the antifraud provisions of the securities laws by offering and selling investment contracts in early 1994 which were part of a prime bank scheme. The scheme involved the purchase of prime bank notes with a face value of $200 million which were purchased at a discount and then resold for a profit. Wills and ProFinancial obtained funds from investors by misrepresenting or failing to disclose material facts in connection with the sale of prime bank notes. Among other misrepresentations made to investors, Wills falsely represented that the investments were virtually risk-free and he made unrealistic predictions to investors about the exorbitant profits to be made from the scheme. For more information, see Litigation Release 15152 (November 7, 1996). ======END OF PAGE 1======