U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C.

LITIGATION RELEASE NO. 18086 / April 14, 2003

   , 02 Cr. 1247 (JSR) (S.D.N.Y.).

    FORMER GE CAPITAL VICE PRESIDENT AND HIS TIPPEE, AN AMERICAN KUNG-FU
    INSTRUCTOR, RECEIVE PRISON SENTENCES IN INSIDER TRADING PROSECUTION

      Traded Immediately Ahead of GE Capital Bid for Heller Financial

   The Commission announced today that on April 3, 2003, the U.S.
   District Court for the Southern District of New York imposed a
   sentence of fifteen months incarceration on Anthony Chrysikos in an
   insider trading prosecution. The sentence was based on Chrysikos'
   October 2002 plea of guilty to one count of securities fraud and one
   count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud. In addition to the
   term of incarceration, Chrysikos was fined $4,000 and sentenced to
   three years supervised release.

   In July 2001, Chrysikos, then a GE Capital Vice President of Finance,
   tipped Michael Martello, an American Kung-Fu instructor and Web page
   designer living in Taipei, Taiwan, regarding a contemplated business
   combination between General Electric Capital Corp and Heller
   Financial, Inc. (GE Capital is a subsidiary of the General Electric
   Company.) On the basis of the non-public information, Martello traded
   in securities of Heller Financial immediately ahead of the July 30,
   2001, initial public announcement of the contemplated business
   combination. Martello garnered $157,259 in illicit gains from those
   trades, on a one-trading-day investment of $11,000. He subsequently
   shared those proceeds with Chrysikos.

   The Commission today also announced that on February 19, 2003, the
   U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York imposed a
   sentence of eight months incarceration and three years supervised
   release on Martello in the insider trading prosecution. Martello also
   pleaded guilty in October 2002 to one count of securities fraud and
   one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud.

   On March 7, 2002, the Commission filed a civil injunctive action in
   the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
   against Martello and Chrysikos, alleging that they engaged in tipping
   and insider trading immediately ahead of the GE Capital bid for Heller
   Financial. The Commission's complaint alleges that Chrysikos tipped
   Martello by means of telephone conversations with Martello's mother on
   July 26 and 27, 2001. The Commission alleged that Chrysikos and
   Martello each violated Sections 10(b) and 14(e) of the Securities