At the request of media representatives, the Ohio Department of Commerce’s Division of Securities releases a summary list of Division Orders and enforcement actions recently brought by the Division’s Enforcement Section.

Before reporting information based on this INFORMATION RELEASE, the Department suggests that reporters request additional detail as to the nature of the Division Order or enforcement action.

For more information, please contact Dennis Ginty at (614) 644-9564 or Bill Teets at (614) 644-7187.

On March 21, 2000 a Federal Grand Jury in Cleveland indicted Geoffrey Benson, Susan Benson, Geoffrey O’Connor and Jennifer Bordelon, the former principals of The Infinity Group Company, on 21 felony counts, including: conspiracy to commit wire fraud; wire fraud; mail fraud; and a variety of federal tax violations. Donna Smeker, Infinity’s former office manager, plead guilty to tax charges on March 29^th in an agreement arranged by the US Attorney’s Office to secure her testimony for the prosecution. The Division executed search warrants on Infinity’s offices in Lake and Geauga Counties and subsequently transferred the records to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Cleveland. This case involved the sale of trust units in a "Prime Bank" scam. Infinity raised over $26 million from 7,000 investors around the country.

On Tuesday, March 7, 2000, the Ohio Supreme Court heard oral arguments arising from the State’s appeal from the Franklin County Court of Appeals, Tenth Appellate District, decision involving Dwight I. Hurd. David Axelrod presented the State’s oral arguments to the Court, while Mr. Hurd was represented by William Wilkinson.