The Swiss-banking giant UBS agreed on Monday to pay $1.4 billion to settle U.S. claims that it misrepresented bonds backed by mortgages sold in the years leading up to the 2008 financial crisis, a sign that the legacy of the turmoil that engulfed the global financial system continues to haunt Wall Street.
The settlement with UBS is the last action brought by a Justice Department task force that was set up in 2012, during the Obama administration.
It investigated the role of big banks and other financial firms in selling flawed and predatory mortgage products that contributed to the collapse of the U.S. housing market, federal prosecutors in Brooklyn said in a news release.
“The substantial civil penalty in this case serves as a warning to other players in the financial markets who seek to unlawfully profit through fraud that we will hold them accountable no matter how long it takes,” said Breon Peace, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York.
UBS said in a statement on its website that it had reached the settlement with federal prosecutors to resolve “a legacy matter,” adding that the money had already been accounted for in previous financial statements.
Persons:
Obama, ”
Organizations:
UBS, Justice Department, Eastern, of
Locations:
Swiss, Brooklyn, U.S, of New York