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Strategies & Market Trends : Anthony @ Equity Investigations, Dear Anthony, -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?


To: SEC-ond-chance who wrote (84740)7/20/2003 8:58:31 PM
From: StockDung  Read Replies (1) | Respond to of 122087
 
THEY WADDLE



To: SEC-ond-chance who wrote (84740)7/20/2003 9:01:43 PM
From: StockDung  Read Replies (1) | Respond to of 122087
 
HAVE YOU HEARD THE ONE ABOUT THE MOB ON WALL STREET AND RAY DIRKS?

RAY DIRKS AND THE MOB ON WALL STREET->INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS GROUP, LIMITED DISCLOSES AGREEMENT WITH RAY DIRKS
RESEARCH

BOCA RATON, Fla., April 17 /PRNewswire/ -- International Standards
Group, Limited (Nasdaq: ISGI) announced today that it has entered into a
financial advisory and consulting agreement with Ray Dirks Research, a
division of National Securities Corp., a prominent investment banking
and institutional research firm, which has served the investment
community since 1947. The company expects to work extensively with Ray
Dirks Research, which provides institutional quality research, sales,
trading and investment banking.
"We are please that we will be working with an outstanding
organization such as Ray Dirks Research & National Securities to assist
us in developing our research, internal financial and acquisition
program," said ISG Chief Executive Officer Joseph L. Lents. "It also
offers us the opportunity to work with one of the foremost analysts and
a leader in the insurance industry."
International Standards Group, Limited, provides financial services
and asset management to credit unions. ISG, through American Indemnity

Company, offers insurance products to off-shore customers only.
American Indemnity Co. Ltd. (AIC) is a fully licensed non-U.S.
insurance/re-insurance company. ISG, through its wholly owned
subsidiary, Financial Standards Group, Inc., assists credit unions and
their supervisory committees in performing comprehensive or internal
regulatory compliance audits, and provides related internal auditing,
accounting and managerial services to credit unions. In addition,
through its acquisition of Membership Realty, ISG provides commercial
and residential real estate brokerage, mortgage origination and title
services.
=========================================

IVSO: DJN: DJ IN THE MONEY: Investco CEO's Link To 'Mob On Wall Street'
(Dow Jones 05/06 13:55:47)
By Carol S. Remond
A Dow Jones Newswires Column


NEW YORK (Dow Jones)- Joseph Lents has a problem.
U.S. securities regulators have halted trading in the shares of the latest
company he runs, a financial startup called Investco Inc. (INVSO).
That trading halt follows a report by this newswire that a key acquisition
the company says it made never happened.
But it's not the first time a company headed by Lents has caught the
attention of federal authorities. In the mid-1990s, Lents entered into a
deal with a man who was later identified as a figure in the infamous "Mob on
Wall Street" affair.
The Lents involvement in that case began in the summer of 1994 after an
aggressive short seller named Philip Gurian began putting pressure on the
shares of the company Lents ran at that time called International Standards
Group Inc.
Gurian recalls having his first talk with Lents while Gurian was vacationing
at the swanky Byblos Hotel in St. Tropez on the French Riviera.
During that telephone conversation, according to Gurian, the two agreed that
Gurian would stop short selling shares of International Standards Group. In
exchange for that promise, Lents would issue shares of International
Standards Group at a steep discount to firms in the Bahamas controlled by
Gurian and his associates under a U.S. securities provision called
Regulation S, which allows sales of unregistered stock to foreign investors.Gurian and four others were charged in 1999 in a 21-count federal indictment
including charges of mail fraud, wire fraud, securities fraud, interference
with commerce by extortion, conspiracy to commit money laundering and
witness tampering. Lents has never been charged with wrongdoing although the
stock transactions with firms controlled by Gurian and others were mentioned
in the federal indictment. Lents has not been available to answer questions.
A lawyer representing Lents has declined to comment on Lents' previous
involvement with Gurian.
Gurian pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, wire
fraud and securities fraud and one count of mail fraud. He is awaiting
sentencing.
According to the indictment by the U.S. District Court for the Middle
District of Florida, here's a typical way the scam worked:
Several small U.S. companies issued deeply discounted stock under Regulation
S to several mob-controlled firms in the Bahamas. These firms would turn
around and, through two Florida companies secretly controlled by Gurian -
Sovereign Equity Management Corp. and Falcon Trading Group Inc.- sell the
shares back to the U.S. public at market value, reaping a huge profit.
Published reports have indicated that Gurian controlled Sovereign Equity and
Falcon Trading on behalf of Philip Abramo, a man who federal investigators
identified as a captain in the DeCavalcante organized crime family from New
Jersey.
The 1999 indictment alleges that around November 1994, Lents filed false and
fraudulent subscription agreements for a Regulation S distribution of stock
to Caspian Consulting Ltd., one of the Bahamas corporations set up by Gurian
and others.
The indictment also states that between Jan. 1, 1995, and July 23, 1997,
Lents filed false and fraudulent Regulation S registration statements with
the Securities and Exchange Commission, selling International Standards
Group stock for 50 cents a share to Caspian Consulting, Maraval & Associates
Ltd. and Limelight Ltd., two other Bahamas corporations.
The SEC declines to comment on International Standards Group and its
issuance of Regulation S shares.
Lents later told the government that Gurian threatened his life if he told
the truth to federal agents, according to the indictment. Gurian told Dow
Jones Newswires he never threatened Lents.
SEC filings show that from September 1995 to December 1996, International
Standards Group and its successor company, Total World Telecommunications
Inc., sold $37.9 million worth of stock under Regulation S.
So much stock that by September 1996, Caspian Consulting and another
Bahamian firm called Reinerman Holdings Ltd., had become major shareholders
of International Standards Group, seemingly controlling 3% and 6% of the
company's stock, respectively.
International Standards Group's transactions with mob-controlled offshore
companies didn't stop at Regulation S stock issuance. A press release shows
that Lents' company entered into a joint venture with Maraval in September
1995 to market real estate and financial services via the Internet through
Florida Homes Info-Net, a wholly owned subsidiary of International Standards
Group.
The SEC amended Regulation S in early 1998, acknowledging in a release to
the public that it's "been used as a means of perpetrating fraudulent and
manipulative schemes, especially schemes involving the securities of thinly
capitalized or 'microcap companies'." Specifically, the SEC lengthened the
period during which offshore buyers of U.S. securities must hold shares
bought under Regulation S to one year from 40 days, making it much more
difficult to quickly profit by reselling those securities.
The 1999 Federal indictment that detailed Lents' Regulation S activity named
five defendants: Gurian, Abramo, Glen Vittor, Louis Consalvo and Barry
Gesser. Abramo and his bother-in-law Consalvo were separately indicted in
2000 in New York on charges including securities fraud and murder. Abramo
and Consalvo are trying to withdraw their Florida plea agreements.
Now, Lents is chief executive of Investco. Trading in Investco's shares has
been halted by the SEC until May 10. As reported by Dow Jones Newswires last
month, the reported acquisition of a Costa Rican insurance company by
Investco never took place, a fact the company failed to tell investors. The
company had touted the purchase in press releases as the cornerstone to its
plan to transform itself into a financial services provider.
Dow Jones Newswires also raised a number of questions about the number of
Investco shares outstanding and about Michael Zapetis, chairman of
Investco's controlling shareholder, First International Finance Corp.
Zapetis is a convicted drug smuggler who had a couple of run-ins with
Florida state banking regulators, none of which was disclosed to Investco
shareholders in any of the company's public SEC filings or press releases.
Lents has not been available for comment about Investco's activities. And
the SEC declined to comment further about the trading halt.
On Monday, the SEC halt of trading in Investco stock appears to have cost
the company its listing on the Over-The-Counter Bulletin Board. Nasdaq
delisted the company because there was no active quote for Investco shares
for four consecutive days.
By Carol S. Remond; Dow Jones Newswires; 201 938 2074;
carol.remond@dowjones.com.



To: SEC-ond-chance who wrote (84740)7/21/2003 7:59:34 PM
From: StockDung  Read Replies (1) | Respond to of 122087
 
NASD Member Firm: M G SECURITIES GROUP, INC.
CRD Number: 42991



** This firm's registration with the NASD was terminated as of 05/23/2002.
Disclosure information on terminated firms may occasionally be reported to and
captured by NASD; however, such disclosure information has not been reviewed by
the firm, and there is no regulatory requirement that terminated firms report
any information to NASD. **


********************************************************************************
REPORT SUMMARY
********************************************************************************


************************************************************
Administrative Information:
************************************************************

Admin Information: Information that is required to be reported to the NASD by
firms via Form BD (Uniform Application for Broker-Dealer
Registration). The administrative information contained in
this report includes: (a) types of business the firm is
engaged in; (b) legal status (e.g., corporation, partnership,
sole proprietorship, limited liability company, etc.),
state/country of formation unless legal status is sole
proprietorship, date of formation, and month in which the
firm's fiscal year ends; and (c) all approved registrations
with the SEC, NASD and state securities commissions.


Types of Business: 8
Legal Status: 1
Registrations: 0


************************************************************
Disclosure Events: Yes
************************************************************

Disclosure Event: Information that is required to be reported to the NASD by
brokers via Form U-4 (Uniform Application for Securities
Industry Registration or Transfer) and firms via Form BD
(Uniform Application for Broker-Dealer Registration). Some
disclosure events may have multiple reporting sources. For
example, some information required to be reported by a broker
via Form U-4 may also be reported on the broker's record by a
firm via Form U-5 (Uniform Termination Notice for Securities
Industry Registration) and/or by a regulator via Form U-6
(Uniform Disciplinary Action Reporting Form). If a disclosure
event is reported by multiple sources, all versions of the
reported event will be disclosed on the broker's public
disclosure report. Similarly, some information required to be
reported by a broker-dealer firm via Form BD may also be
reported on the firm's record via Form U-6. If a disclosure
event is reported by multiple sources, all versions of the
reported event will be disclosed on the firm's public
disclosure report.


Criminal Actions: 0
Regulatory Actions: 2
Civil Judicial Actions: 0
Arbitrations: 0
Bonds: 0
Bankruptcies: 0
Judgment/Liens: 0




























NASD Public Disclosure Program July 21, 2003 Page 2
This information is current as of: 07/21/2003
________________________________________________________________________________
NASD Member Firm: M G SECURITIES GROUP, INC.
CRD Number: 42991

********************************************************************************
ADDRESS/GENERAL INFORMATION
********************************************************************************


This section provides the firm's name, CRD number, SEC number, Applicant Name on
Form BD, NASD District where the firm is located, and the firm's main and
mailing addresses.

Applicant Name on Form BD: M G SECURITIES GROUP, INC.
SEC Number: 8-050092

Prior Business Names: M G SECURITIES GROUP

Business Phone Number: 214-761-0789

Main Office Address Located in NASD District: 6-Dallas
900 JACKSON STREET STE 450-LB14
DALLAS, TX 75202

Mailing Address
900 JACKSON STREET
SUITE 450 LB-14
DALLAS, TX 75202


********************************************************************************
TYPES OF BUSINESS
********************************************************************************


This section lists the type(s) of business that the firm is currently engaged in
as reported on the Form BD.

Broker or dealer retailing corporate equity securities over-the-counter
Government securities broker
Broker or dealer making inter-dealer markets in corporate securities
over-the-counter
Non-exchange member arranging for transactions in listed securities by exchange
member
Put and call broker or dealer or option writer
Private placements of securities
Trading securities for own account
Underwriter or selling group participant (corporate securities other than mutual
funds)


********************************************************************************
LEGAL STATUS
********************************************************************************


This section details the firm's legal status (i.e, corporation, limited
partnership, etc.), state or country where formed, date of formation, and the
month the firm's fiscal year ends.

Legal Status: CORPORATION
State/Country of Formation: TX, USA
Date of Formation: 01/29/1997
Fiscal Year End: DEC

































NASD Public Disclosure Program July 21, 2003 Page 3
This information is current as of: 07/21/2003
________________________________________________________________________________
NASD Member Firm: M G SECURITIES GROUP, INC.
CRD Number: 42991

********************************************************************************
REGULATORY ACTIONS
********************************************************************************
DISCLOSURE INFORMATION


This section lists regulatory actions that were reported to the CRD and are
disclosable through the Public Disclosure Program. Disclosable regulatory
actions include formal proceedings initiated by a regulatory authority (i.e., a
state securities agency, the NASD, New York Stock Exchange, foreign regulatory
body, etc.) for a violation of investment-related rules or regulations. In
addition, revocations or suspensions of a broker's authority to act as an
attorney, accountant or federal contractor will appear here.

Some of the fields in this section of the report may be blank if the information
was not provided to CRD.


** OCCURRENCE COUNTS ** 2 Record(s)

********************************************************************************

** FIELD DEFINITIONS **

* Reporting Source: The form through which details of the regulatory
action was reported to CRD.

* Date Reported: The date the regulatory action was reported to CRD.

* Initiated By: The name of the securities regulator that initiated
the regulatory action (e.g., regulator, foreign
financial regulatory authority, self-regulatory
organization, federal agency such as SEC, state,
etc.).

* Date Initiated: Date the regulatory action was initiated.

* Docket/Case Number: Docket or case number of the regulatory action.

* Employing Firm: Firm where broker was employed when activity
occurred that led to the regulatory action.

* Allegations: Allegations made against the broker leading to the
regulatory action.

* Current Status: The current status of the regulatory action (i.e.,
pending, on appeal or final).

* Resolution: The resolution of the regulatory action (e.g.,
acceptance, waiver and consent; decision; decision
and order of offer of settlement; order; settled;
etc.).

* Resolution Date: The date the regulatory action was resolved.

* Sanction Details: Additional details regarding any sanctions ordered.

* Summary: A summary of the details related to the regulatory
action.

********************************************************************************


******** REGULATORY ACTION (1 of 2) ********


Reporting Source: Regulator (Form U-6)

Date Reported: 01/03/2002

Initiated By: NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SECURITIES DEALERS, INC.

Date initiated: 12/18/2001

Docket/
Case Number: C06010044


Allegations: SECTIONS 10(B) AND 15(C) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
AND RULES 10B-9 AND 15C2-4 THEREUNDER, NASD RULE 2110, 3010(B)
AND 6620 - WITHOUT ADMITTING OR DENYING THE ALLEGATIONS,
RESPONDENT CONSENTED TO THE ENTRY OF FINDINGS THAT MEMBER FIRM
ACTING THROUGH ITS PRESIDENT RENDERED FALSE THE
REPRESENTATIONS IN THE OFFERING MEMORANDUM THAT THE OFFERING
WOULD TERMINATE ON A SPECIFIED DATE, AND THAT INVESTOR FUNDS
WOULD BE PROMPTLY RETURNED IF THE MINIMUM OFFERING AMOUNT WAS
NOT OBTAINED DURING THE INITIAL OFFERING PERIOD; MEMBER FIRM
FAILED TO TRANSMIT THROUGH THE AUTOMATED CONFIRMATION
TRANSACTIONS SERVICE LAST SALES REPORTS OF SECURITIES
TRANSACTIONS WITHIN NINETY SECONDS OF EXECUTION; AND MEMBER
FIRM ACTING THROUGH ITS PRESIDENT FAILED TO ESTABLISH,
MAINTAIN, AND ENFORCE WRITTEN SUPERVISORY PROCEDURES

NASD Public Disclosure Program July 21, 2003 Page 4
This information is current as of: 07/21/2003
________________________________________________________________________________
NASD Member Firm: M G SECURITIES GROUP, INC.
CRD Number: 42991

REGULATORY ACTIONS(cont.)

REASONABLY DESIGNED TO ACHIEVE COMPLIANCE WITH APPLICABLE
SECURITIES LAWS AND REGULATIONS.

Current Status: Final

Resolution: Acceptance, Waiver & Consent(AWC)

Resolution Date: 12/18/2001

Sanctions
Ordered: Monetary/Fine, Censure

Monetary Amount: $21,000.00

Resolution
Details: MONETARY FINE OF $21,000 IMPOSED AGAINST MEMBER FIRM, OF WHICH
$20,000 WILL BE PAYABLE JOINTLY AND SEVERALLY.

Summary:


***********************************
Reporting Source: Firm (Form BD)

Date Reported: 02/28/2002

Initiated By: NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SECURITIES DEALERS

Date initiated: 11/09/2001

Docket/
Case Number: C06010044


Allegations: MG SECURITIES GROUP FAILED TO ADHERE TO ITS POLICIES AND
PROCEDURES REGARDING ITS UNDERWRITING ACTIVITIES. IT ALSO
FAILED TO COMPLY WITH THE TRADE REPORTING RULES OUTLINED IN
THE FIRMS POLICIES MANUAL.

Current Status: Final

Resolution: Acceptance, Waiver & Consent(AWC)

Resolution Date: 12/14/2001

Sanctions
Ordered: Monetary/Fine, Censure, Suspension

Monetary Amount: $20,000.00

Other Sanctions: MICHAEL ANDERSON, PRINCIPAL OF MG SECURITIES GROUP, INC. WAS
SUSPENDED FROM SUPERVISORY ACTIVITIES FROM 2/4/2002 TO
3/5/2002.

Resolution
Details: MICHAEL ANDERSON, PRINCIPAL OF MG SECURITIES GROUP, INC. WAS
SUSPENDED FROM SUPERVISORY ACTIVITIES FROM 2/4/2002 TO
3/5/2002. THE FINE WAS TO BE PAID JOINTLY AND SEVERALLY WITH
MG SECURITIES GROUP, INC.

Summary: MGSG FAILED TO COMPLY WITH THE "90 SECOND" RULE AND TRANSMIT
TRADES TIMELY THROUGH THE ACT SYSTEM. MGSG ALSO FAILED TO
ADDRESS ITS UNDERWRITING ACTIVITIES PROCEDURES PURSUANT TO THE
1934 EXCHANGE ACT RULES 10B9 AND 15C2-4.



******** REGULATORY ACTION (2 of 2) ********


Reporting Source: Regulator (Form U-6)

Date Reported: 09/12/2000

Initiated By: NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SECURITIES DEALERS, INC.

Date initiated: 08/28/2000

Docket/
Case Number: C06000016


Allegations: 09/12/00EC: NASD RULES 2110; 1031 AND 3010(B) - RESPONDENT
MEMBER, ACTING THROUGH ITS PRESIDENT, PERMITTED AN INDIVIDUAL
TO SERVE AS A GENERAL SECURITIES REPRESENTATIVE AND THEREBY
ENGAGE IN THE INVESTMENT BANKING OR SECURITIES BUSINESS EVEN
THOUGH SUCH INDIVIDUAL HAD NOT BEEN REGISTERED WITH RESPONDENT
IN ANY CAPACITY; FAILED TO ESTABLISH, MAINTAIN, AND ENFORCE
WRITTEN PROCEDURES THAT WERE REASONABLY DESIGNED TO ACHIEVE
COMPLIANCE WITH APPLICABLE SECURITIES LAWS AND REGULATIONS,

NASD Public Disclosure Program July 21, 2003 Page 5
This information is current as of: 07/21/2003
________________________________________________________________________________
NASD Member Firm: M G SECURITIES GROUP, INC.
CRD Number: 42991

REGULATORY ACTIONS(cont.)

AND WITH THE ASSOCIATION'S RULES, IN THAT THE FIRM'S
PROCEDURES FAILED TO ADEQUATELY ADDRESS THE ASSOCIATION'S
RULES GOVERNING REGISTRATION OF PERSONNEL.

Current Status: Final

Resolution: Acceptance, Waiver & Consent(AWC)

Resolution Date: 08/28/2000

Sanctions
Ordered: Monetary/Fine, Censure

Monetary Amount: $14,000.00

Resolution
Details: A CENSURE AND FINE OF $14,000, WHICH INCLUDES THE DISGORGEMENT
OF COMMISSIONS EARNED OF $9,000. $13,000 OF THAT $14,000 FINE
IS PAYABLE JOINTLY AND SEVERALLY.

Summary:


***********************************
Reporting Source: Firm (Form BD)

Date Reported: 12/13/2000

Initiated By: NASD REGULATION, INC.

Date initiated: 07/28/2000

Docket/
Case Number: NASD ACTION C06000016


Allegations: MG SECURITIES GROUP, INC. PERMITTED AN INDIVIDUAL TO SERVE AS A
GENERAL SECURITIES REPRESENTATIVE WITHOUT HAVING BEEN
REGISTERED WITH THE FIRM. MG SECURITIES GROUP, INC. DID NOT
ENFORCE WRITTEN PROCEDURES THAT WERE DESIGNED TO ACHIEVE
COMPLIANCE WITH APPLICABLE SECURITIES LAWS.

Current Status: Final

Resolution: Acceptance, Waiver & Consent(AWC)

Resolution Date: 08/28/2000

Sanctions
Ordered: Monetary/Fine, Disgorgement/Restitution, Censure

Monetary Amount: $13,000.00

Other Sanctions: NONE.

Resolution
Details: A CENSURE AND FINE OF $4,000.00 AND DISGORGEMENT OF COMMISSIONS
OF $9,000.00 FOR A TOTAL FINE OF $13,000.00 THAT MG SECURITIES
GROUP, INC. WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYING. THE FIRM ELECTED TO A
MONTHLY PAYOUT PLAN.

Summary:


************ END OF REPORT ************