Citigroup Hit With Subpoenas Over Mexican Loans

Photo of Paul Ausick
By Paul Ausick Updated Published

bank

Thinkstock
Citigroup Inc. (NYSE: C) revealed last Friday that it had discovered a minimum of $400 million in fraudulent loans at its Mexican subsidiary Banamex. In a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Monday, the bank said that a federal grand jury is investigating Citigroup, as well as Banamex, over compliance with the U.S. Bank Secrecy Act and its anti-money laundering requirements.

Citigroup filed revised data for its fourth-quarter and full-year 2013 results indicating:

[O]perations for the fourth quarter of 2013 and full year 2013 were impacted by an estimated $235 million after-tax ($360 million pretax) charge resulting from a fraud discovered in Banco Nacional de Mexico (“Banamex”), a Citi subsidiary in Mexico, in February 2014. The fraud increased fourth quarter of 2013 operating expenses in Transaction Services by an estimated $400 million, with an offset to compensation expense of approximately $40 million associated with the Banamex variable compensation plan.

The bank said that the U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts has issued subpoenas and that Banamex had received a subpoena from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC). The U.S. attorney may file criminal charges, and the FDIC could file civil claims.

Photo of Paul Ausick
About the Author Paul Ausick →

Paul Ausick has been writing for 247Wallst.com for more than a decade. He has written extensively on investing in the energy, defense, and technology sectors. In a previous life, he wrote technical documentation and managed a marketing communications group in Silicon Valley.

He has a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Chicago and now lives in Montana, where he fishes for trout in the summer and stays inside during the winter.

Continue Reading

Top Gaining Stocks

KMX Vol: 7,330,419
GLW Vol: 22,800,969
INTC Vol: 233,719,006
SMCI Vol: 68,465,534
ENPH Vol: 13,978,376

Top Losing Stocks

ACN Vol: 41,744,333
EPAM Vol: 5,636,587
CTSH Vol: 61,311,400
CTRA Vol: 73,319,495
KR Vol: 26,704,230