SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

   Litigation Release No. 16927 / March 8, 2001

   SEC v. Terry V. Koontz, et al., Civil Action No. 98cv11904NG (D.
   Mass., Sept. 17, 1998)

   United States v. Terry V. Koontz, Action No. 8 00-CR-341-T-24F
   (M.D.Fl., Sept. 20, 2000)

   United States v. Jeffrey A. DeVille, Action No. 8 00-CR-56-T-23C
   (M.D.Fl., Feb. 23, 2000)

   United States v. Richard J. Fulcher, Action No. 8 00-CR-23-T-23B
   (M.D.Fl., Jan. 13, 2000)

   The Securities and Exchange Commission ("Commission") announced today
   that on March 2, 2001, Richard J. Fulcher was sentenced in Tampa,
   Florida, to two years in prison for his role in a prime bank/Ponzi
   scheme conducted by Terry V. Koontz, Jeffrey A. DeVille, and others.
   The Commission also announced that on January 5, 2001, Koontz pled
   guilty in Tampa to charges of conspiracy, securities fraud, and wire
   fraud relating to the prime bank/Ponzi scheme in which he orchestrated
   the sale of $23 million of fraudulent securities. The charges were
   previously filed by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District
   of Florida (Tampa). In addition to pleading guilty, Koontz agreed to
   forfeit various assets purchased with proceeds of the fraud. Koontz is
   scheduled to be sentenced on April 6, 2001. The Commission also
   announced that on January 31, 2001, DeVille was sentenced to two years
   in prison for his role in the scheme.

   The charges arise out of a vast prime bank Ponzi scheme investigated
   by the Commission. Koontz, DeVille, Fulcher, and others conducted this
   scheme, in which they induced more than 80 individuals in 16 states to
   invest over $20 million in a fictitious "international bank debenture
   trading" program called Private Pool, LLC. The Commission filed its
   emergency action in the U.S. District Court for the District of
   Massachusetts against those defendants and others on September 17,
   1998, alleging violations of Sections 5(a), 5(c) and 17(a) of the
   Securities Act of 1933 and Sections 10(b) and 15(a) of the Securities
   Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 thereunder.

   Koontz is the fifth defendant to be charged by the Tampa U.S. Attorney
   as a result of this scheme. Fulcher (mail fraud), DeVille (securities
   and wire fraud), Stewart Koral (false statements), and Joseph
   Papasidero (misprision of a felony), have all entered guilty pleas and
   been sentenced in U.S. District Court in Tampa, Florida. In addition,
   the District Court in Massachusetts has entered judgments in the