U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

   Litigation Release No. 16687/ September 6, 2000

   SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION v. RAJIV VOHRA, SEAN T. HEALEY,
   LANTERN INVESTMENTS, LTD., LIPTON HOLDINGS, LTD., AND BEAUFORT
   HOLDINGS, LTD., United States District Court for the Southern District
   of Florida, Civil Action No. 00-7286-CIV-SEITZ

   The Securities and Exchange Commission announced that it filed a civil
   injunctive action on September 5, 2000, in United States District
   Court for the Southern District of Florida, against Rajiv Vohra of
   Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Sean T. Healey of Foxboro,
   Massachusetts, for engaging in a scheme to defraud purchasers of
   securities of New Directions Manufacturing, Inc., a small,
   furniture-manufacturing company quoted on the NASD's OTC Bulletin
   Board system. Lantern Investments, Ltd., Lipton Holdings, Ltd., and
   Beaufort Holdings, Ltd., three Bahamian companies controlled by Vohra
   and Healey, were also named as defendants. This action is part of the
   fourth nationwide Internet fraud sweep conducted by the Commission
   since October 1998.

   The Commission's complaint alleged that the defendants used "wash
   sales" to create the appearance of active trading in New Directions
   stock. Vohra and Healey then arranged to have a false and misleading
   research report published on a stock-picker web site, on their own web
   site, and through unsolicited mass e-mails ("spam"). The research
   report falsely claimed that New Directions had significantly expanded,
   that the author of the report was an independent analyst, and that the
   purported analyst had issued a buy recommendation. Vohra and Healey
   attempted to conceal their scheme by conducting much of their activity
   through Canadian brokerage accounts and the Bahamian companies. The
   defendants profited approximately $500,000 from their scheme.

   The Commission's complaint charges that Vohra, Healey, Lantern
   Investments, Lipton Holdings, and Beaufort Holdings violated Section
   17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 ("Securities Act"), Section 10(b)
   of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 ("Exchange Act"), and Rule
   10b-5 thereunder. The Commission seeks permanent injunctions,
   accountings, disgorgement with prejudgment interest, and civil
   penalties.

   For tips on how to avoid Internet "pump-and-dump" stock manipulation
   schemes, visit . For more information about Internet fraud, visit . To
   report suspicious activity involving possible Internet fraud, visit .
   For a description of other SEC enforcement actions involved in this
   Internet Market Manipulation Sweep, visit .