EQUITABLE BANC <EBNC> BOSS HAS AMERITRUST STAKE A group controlled by Equitable Bancorp Chairman Alfred Lerner said it has acquired a 9.6 pct stake in AmeriTrust Corp <AMTR> and may buy up to 24.9 pct if obtains regulatory approval. In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the group said it bought its stake of 2.0 mln Ameritrust common shares, for 81.1 mln dlrs as an investment. But the group, acting through Clevebaco L.P., a Cleveland partnership, also said it would seek regulatory approval to increase its stake. Lerner owns Clevebaco Corp, which is the general partner of Clevebaco L.P. The Lerner group said it filed with the Federal Reserve Board on March 13 notice of its intent to buy more than 10 pct of the common stock of AmeriTrust, a Cleveland bank holding company. If the Fed approves, Lerner, whose Equitable Bancorp is also in Cleveland, said he intends to buy more AmeriTrust stock, subject to market conditions and other factors. Since Lerner heads a bank holding company with assets greater than one billion dlrs, he said he is barred by law from serving as a director or officer of AmeriTrust or of having his representatives on its board. Lerner said he has no intention of influencing AmeriTrust management or its policies. The group said Clevebaco L.P. bought one mln of its shares from Bear, Stearns and Co Inc on March 9 at 41 dlrs a share. Lerner said he accumulated the other one mln shares through March 3 and sold them to Clevebaco L.P., which he controls, on March 10 for 40.10 dlrs a share.