Deutsche Bank to pay $200m in US sanctions case

Deutsche Bank has agreed to settle US regulators' charges it did business with entities in US-sanctioned countries like Iran and Syria, a person familiar with the matter said Tuesday.

The big German bank is expected to pay more than $200 million in penalties to the New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS) and the Federal Reserve, the US central bank, the person said.

The settlement could be announced this week.

Deutsche Bank declined to comment on the matter.

The DFS, which has been aggressive in the sanctions cases and other large enforcement cases involving foreign banks, is also far along in discussions with Deutsche Bank on investigations into manipulating the foreign exchange market and facilitating money laundering in Russia, the person said.

The expected $200 penalty on Deutsche Bank follows a much larger $8.9 billion fine on BNP Paribas and a $787 million penalty on Credit Agricole for violating laws barring work for clients in US-sanctioned countries like Iran, Syria, Sudan and Myanmar.

Both French banks had a higher number of illegal transactions than did Deutsche, said another person familiar with the case.