UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

LITIGATION RELEASE NO. 17414 / March 14, 2002

   SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION v. MARK E. RICE D/B/A PRIMEX
   CAPITAL, Civ. No. H 02CV00636 (USDC S.D. Texas)

   The Commission announced today that on March 5, 2002, U.S. District
   Judge Vanessa Gilmore entered an injunction by consent against Mark E.
   Rice d/b/a Primex Capital ("Rice"). The Commission's complaint alleges
   that between September 1999 and July 2000, Rice carried out "pump and
   dump" schemes to manipulate the stock of four microcap companies,
   including defendant Status Wines of Tuscany f/k/a Portalzone.com, Inc.
   ("Portalzone"). The complaint further alleges that Rice issued
   unsolicited fraudulent "spam" e-mail messages, press releases and
   other promotional materials about the four companies and engaged in
   manipulative trading in the stock of two of those companies. According
   to the Commission's complaint, the false statements concerned, among
   other things, Portalzone's product (purportedly an advanced Internet
   search engine), its revenue sources and business relationships with
   third parties, as well as Rice's stock-picking track record and
   trading intentions. Moreover, the Commission's complaint alleges that
   the schemes enabled Rice, and his alter ego entities, relief
   defendants Primex (USA), Inc. ("Primex") and Applegate Sentry, S.A.
   ("Applegate"), to sell restricted stock of three of the four companies
   into the resulting inflated market for total profits of approximately
   $900,367.

   The Court's order enjoins Rice from future violations of Sections
   5(a), 5(c) and 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, and Regulation M, Rule 101. The
   Commission's claims for disgorgement and civil penalties against the
   defendants and relief defendants are pending.

   For tips on how to avoid Internet "pump-and-dump" stock manipulation
   schemes, visit . For more information about Internet fraud, visit
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Modified 03/14/2002