U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Litigation Release No. 17824 / November 1, 2002
Accounting and Auditing Enforcement Release No. 1657
, Civil Action Number 1 01-CV-1344 (N.D. Ga.)
SEC Obtains Permanent Injunction and Other Relief Against Arnold E. Johns,
Jr. A Former Director and President of Vista 2000, Inc.
The Securities and Exchange Commission ("Commission") announced today
that on October 31, 2002, the Honorable Clarence Cooper of the United
States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, entered an
order of permanent injunction and other relief against Arnold E.
Johns, Jr. of Atlanta, Georgia for engaging in a wide-range of
securities laws violations, including that misstatements were made by
Vista 2000, Inc. ("Vista") in filings with the Commission. Johns was a
director and president of Vista, a now defunct consumer products
company formerly headquartered in Roswell, Georgia.
Judge Cooper's recent order permanently enjoined Johns from further
violating the antifraud provisions, books and records provisions,
internal accounting control and reporting provisions of the Securities
Act of 1933 (Section 17(a)) and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
(Sections 10(b), 13(a), 13(b)(2)(A), 13(b)(2)(B), 13(b)(5) and Rules
10b-5, 12b-20, 13-11, 13a-13 and 13b2-1 thereunder). Johns consented
to the entry of the order without admitting or denying the allegations
of the Commission's amended complaint. Johns was ordered to pay
disgorgement and prejudgment interest in amounts to be resolved upon
motion of the Commission at a later date. The Commission previously
sued Johns and three other men for various violations of the federal
securities laws. The other defendants are Richard P. Smyth of
Fernandina Beach, Florida, Alan T. Davis of Gainesville, Georgia and
Michael J. Becker of Marietta, Georgia, all of whom have been
previously enjoined by the Court.
The Commission's amended complaint alleged a wide-range of securities
law violations committed by Johns during 1995 and 1996. The
allegations included Johns' (1) failure to conform with generally
accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") resulting in the overstatement
in various filings made with the Commission of Vista's revenues,
income, earnings per share, and assets during 1995 and 1996 (the
misstated amounts ranged up to 83,592% and in most periods, resulted
in Vista reporting income when it was, in fact, experiencing losses),
(2) failure to disclose the misappropriation of $481,000 in 1996 by
Vista's chairman of the board, and (3) engaging in illegal insider
selling of Vista common stock during 1996. The Commission alleged in
SNIPPETS:
Accounting and Auditing Enforcement Release No. 1657
A Former Director and President of Vista 2000,
The Securities and Exchange Commission announced today that on October 31, 2002, the
of Atlanta, Georgia for engaging in a wide-range of securities laws violations, including
Johns was a director and president of Vista, a now defunct consumer products company formerly
Judge Cooper's recent order permanently enjoined Johns from further violating the antifraud
Johns consented to the entry of the order without admitting or denying the allegations of the
Johns was ordered to pay disgorgement and prejudgment interest in amounts to be resolved upon
The Commission previously sued Johns and three other men for various violations of the
The Commission's amended complaint alleged a wide-range of securities law violations
The allegations included Johns' failure to conform with generally accepted accounting
The Commission alleged in its amended complaint that the misstatements contained in Vista's
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