A selected summary of Southern California-related business litigation developments during the past week.

Gold Card Services Operator Convicted: Helmut Brunjes, also known as Charles Oberman, was convicted by a federal court jury of nine counts of mail fraud in operating Gold Card Services Inc., formerly of Beverly Hills. GCS placed ads in Latino newspapers across the country falsely stating that people could get Visa or MasterCard credit cards with bad or no credit, Assistant U.S. Atty. Mark Hardiman said. Respondents got a letter falsely telling them that they had been tentatively approved for the card and directing them to send a $60 service fee, Hardiman said. They were promised a $45 refund if they were denied the card, Hardiman added. About 1,600 people sent in $97,000 to GCS and never got a card or refund. Brunjes, who withdrew more than $50,000 from the GCS bank account, said he was running the company for three Hungarian women. He could receive up to five years in prison and be fined $250,000 on each of the nine counts at his sentencing May 20. (Case No. 91-55. Convicted March 14.)