U.S. Department
of Justice
United States v. DB Group Services UK Limited and Deutsche Bank AG (DPA)
PENDING CRIMINAL DIVISION CASES
Deutsche Bank, Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA)
Court Docket No.: 20-584-RPK-RML
Court Assigned: This case is assigned to U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, 225 Cadman Plaza East, Brooklyn, NY 11201.
On January 8, 2021, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellshaft (Deutsche Bank), a multinational financial services company headquartered in Frankfurt, Germany, entered into a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) with the Department of Justice and agreed to pay more than $120 million to resolve the government’s investigation into violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and a separate investigation into a commodities scheme. The information contained on this webpage is solely regarding the commodities aspect of the case.
The commodities charge, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution, arises from a scheme to engage in fraudulent and manipulative commodities trading practices involving publicly-traded precious metals futures contracts.
According to admissions and court documents, between 2008 and 2013, Deutsche Bank precious metals traders engaged in a scheme to defraud other traders on the New York Mercantile Exchange Inc. and Commodity Exchange Inc., which are commodities exchanges operated by the CME Group Inc. On numerous occasions, traders on Deutsche Bank’s precious metals desk in New York, Singapore, and London placed orders to buy and sell precious metals futures contracts with the intent to cancel those orders before execution, including in an attempt to profit by deceiving other market participants through injecting false and misleading information concerning the existence of genuine supply and demand for precious metals futures contracts.
On Sept. 25, 2020, a Chicago federal jury found two former Deutsche Bank precious metals traders, James Vorley, 42, of the United Kingdom, and Cedric Chanu, 40, of France and the United Arab Emirates, guilty of wire fraud affecting a financial institution for their respective roles in the commodities scheme. A third former Deutsche Bank trader, David Liew, 35, of Singapore, pleaded guilty on June 1, 2017, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution and spoofing. A fourth former Deutsche Bank trader, Edward Bases, 58, of New Canaan, Connecticut, was charged in a third superseding indictment on Nov. 12, 2020, and awaits trial on fraud and conspiracy charges. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Deutsche Bank has agreed to pay a total criminal amount of $7,530,218 in relation to the commodities scheme. This amount includes criminal disgorgement of $681,480, victim compensation payments of $1,223,738, and a criminal penalty of $5,625,000, which will be fully credited against Deutsche Bank’s payment of a civil monetary penalty of $30,000,000 to the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission in January 2018 in connection with substantially the same commodities conduct.
To facilitate the efficient payment of compensation to victims in this matter the Department will serve as the claims administrator and will have sole discretion to determine how the victim compensation amount will be disbursed. Please complete the below Victim Impact Statement with the requisite information to submit your claim.
For more information about the Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA), please see below:
Press Release
Deutsche Bank, DPA
Criminal Information
Victim Impact Statement: If you would like to submit a Victim Impact Statement you may do so by mailing the Victim Impact Statement below to: Victim Witness Unit, U.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Fraud Section, 10th & Constitution Avenue, NW, Bond Building, Room 4416, Washington, DC 20530. You also may submit the Victim Impact Statement via email at Victimassistance.fraud@usdoj.gov or by fax at: (202) 514-3708.
The information on this website will be updated as new developments arise in the case. If you have any questions, please call the Victim Assistance Line toll-free at (888) 549-3945 or email us at victimassistance.fraud@usdoj.gov.
Presumption of Innocence: It is important to keep in mind that defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty and that presumption requires both the court and our office to take certain steps to ensure that justice is served.
Crime Victims’ Rights Act and Right to Retain Counsel: The Crime Victims’ Rights Act (18 U.S.C. § 3771) applies only to victims of the counts charged in federal court, and thus individuals may not be able to exercise all of these rights if the crime of which the individual is a victim was not charged. Section 377I(c)(2) of this Act requires that we advise you that you have the right to retain counsel. Although the statute specifically sets forth your right to seek advice of an attorney with regard to your rights under the statute, there is no requirement that you retain counsel. The Government may not recommend any specific counsel, nor can the Government (or the Court) pay for counsel to represent you. Government attorneys represent the United States.
If you elect to obtain counsel to represent your interests, please have your attorney notify this office in writing at: U.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Fraud Section, 10th & Constitution Avenue, NW, Bond Building, 4th Floor, Washington, DC 20530, Attention: Victim Witness Unit; fax: (202) 514-3708; or email: victimassistance.fraud@usdoj.gov. If you elect not to retain counsel to represent your interests, you do not need to do anything.