Dean W. Rowell

LITIGATION RELEASE NO.16859 / January 10, 2001

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION v. DEAN W. ROWELL, Civil Action No. 1:01CV00041 (PLF), USDC, DDC, (filed January 9, 2001)

On January 9, the Commission filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia against Dean W. Rowell (Rowell). The Commission alleged that with respect to his beneficial ownership of the equity securities of Standard Energy Corp. (Standard Energy), Rowell violated Sections 13(d) and 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Exchange Act), and Rules 13d-1, 13d-2, 16a-2 and 16a-3 and former Rule 16a-1 thereunder, by (1) failing to timely file a Schedule 13D and thirty-one amendments thereto, and by (2) failing to timely file seventy-nine Forms 3, 4 and 5 reporting his beneficial ownership of, and transactions with respect to, the equity securities of Standard Energy. The total value of the transactions at issue for Rowell is approximately $5.28 million. The Commission requested the court to impose a civil penalty on Rowell, pursuant to Section 21(d)(3) of the Exchange Act. Without admitting or denying the allegations in the complaint, Rowell consented to the entry of a final judgment imposing a civil penalty of $10,000.

In a related matter, the Commission issued an administrative Order pursuant to Section 21C of the Exchange Act, finding that Rowell violated the provisions of the Exchange Act as set forth above. Without admitting or denying the allegations in the Commission's Order, Rowell consented to the entry of the Order requiring him to cease and desist from committing or causing any violations or future violations of those currently effective Exchange Act provisions.