==========================================START OF PAGE 1====== UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Litigation Release No. 14839 / March 7, 1996 SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION v. ROBERT M. SIMPSON, Case No. 95-995-CIV-ORL-19 (M.D. Fla.) The Securities and Exchange Commission ("Commission") announced that on January 23, 1996, the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida entered a Final Judgment of Permanent Injunction ("Final Judgment") against Robert M. Simpson ("Simpson"), of Brevard County, Florida, a registered representative formerly associated with a registered broker- dealer. Simpson operated under the name of The Unlimited Financial Center, Inc., a dissolved Florida corporation formerly located in Cocoa Beach, Florida. The Final Judgment permanently enjoins Simpson from future violations of the antifraud provisions of the federal securities laws. In addition, the Final Judgment orders Simpson to disgorge $353,746, representing his ill-gotten gains, plus pre-judgment interest. Without admitting or denying the allegations in the complaint, Simpson consented to the entry of the Final Judgment against him whereby, disgorgement is waived and civil penalties are not imposed, based upon Simpson's demonstrated financial inability to pay. The Commissions's complaint, filed on September 29, 1995, alleged that from between July 1990 and July 1992, Simpson raised funds from ten mostly elderly investors. The Commission's complaint alleged that Simpson made numerous misrepresentations and omissions of material facts pertaining to the use of investor funds and the existence of the investments. The complaint further alleged that Simpson raised funds from investors by falsely telling them that their funds would be used to purchase securities, when, in fact, the investors' funds were misappropriated. Simpson allegedly concealed his misappropriation by falsely telling investors that their funds would be used for investment purposes, when, in fact, Simpson was operating a Ponzi scheme. In addition, on March 6, 1996, the Commission entered an Order Instituting Public Proceedings Pursuant to Sections 15(b) and 19(h) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Making Findings and Imposing Remedial Sanctions ("Order") against Simpson based on the entry of the final judgment against him. Simpson submitted and the Commission accepted an Offer of Settlement whereby he consented to the entry of the Order, without admitting or denying the findings contained therein. The Order finds that on January 23, 1996, a final judgment of permanent injunction and other relief was entered, by consent, against Simpson, permanently ==========================================START OF PAGE 2====== enjoining him from violations of Section 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1993 and Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and Rule 10b-5, thereunder and bars Simpson from association with any broker, - 2 - dealer, municipal securities dealer, investment company or investment adviser.