==========================================START OF PAGE 1====== U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION LITIGATION RELEASE NO. 14794 / January 25, 1996 SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION V. SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA SECURITIES, INC., GRIZZLY OPERATING CORP. DBA CHEROKEE OPERATING CO., BUCKEYE DEVELOPMENT CORP. DBA WESTERN RESERVE DEVELOPMENT CORP., JAMES E. HAMMONDS AND RAYMOND C. GROSS, Civil Action No. 94-6156 HLH (JRx) The Securities and Exchange Commission ("Commission") announced that on January 17, 1996, the Honorable Harry L. Hupp, United States District Court Judge for the Central District of California ("Court"), entered a Judgment Setting Amounts of Disgorgement and Civil Penalties ("Judgment") against Defendants James E. Hammonds ("Hammonds") and Raymond C. Gross ("Gross"). The Judgment was entered following the Court granting the Commission's summary judgment motion. The Commission's enforcement action was initially filed on September 12, 1994. On November 18, 1994, the Court entered an Order of Permanent Injunction and Other Relief against Hammonds and Gross, enjoining them from future violations of Section 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 ("Securities Act"), Sections 10(b) and 15(c) of the Exchange Act and Rules 10b-5 and 15c1-2 thereunder. The Commission's Complaint filed in this action alleged that, from about January 1993 through August 1994, Hammonds and Gross, through Southern California Securities, Inc. ("SCSI"), a broker-dealer formerly registered with the Commission, raised over $4.07 million from about 196 investors through a scheme involving the fraudulent offer and sale of unregistered limited partnership interests in five oil and gas limited partnerships ("Partnerships") managed by Buckeye Development Co. dba Western Reserve Development Co. ("Western") and operated by Grizzly Operating Co. dba Cherokee Operating Co. ("Cherokee"). According to the Complaint, in the offer and sale of these securities, Hammonds and Gross made misstatements and omissions to investors and prospective investors. For example, in promoting the investments, Hammonds and Gross told investors that investor funds would be used for oil and gas-related expenses, lease acquisition costs, sales commissions, Western's fees, working capital and investing in "U.S. Government obligations." In fact, Hammonds and Gross misused and misappropriated substantial amounts of investor funds to pay the overhead and operating expenses of SCSI and Cherokee and to pay themselves. Hammonds and Gross also failed to transfer oil and gas properties to the Partnerships and to invest any portion of investor funds in U.S. government obligations, contrary to representations contained in the offering documents and made orally to investors. Hammonds and Gross also supplemented distributions to investors with "advances" from various sources to pay investors the represented 12% return on their investment. ==========================================START OF PAGE 2====== - 2 - The Judgment orders Hammonds and Gross to disgorge their ill-gotten gains, together with prejudgment interest thereon. The Judgment orders disgorgement of $602,561 from Hammonds and $652,162 from Gross. The Judgment further orders Hammonds to pay civil penalties in the amount of $602,561 and Gross to pay civil penalties in the amount of $652,162.