Nara Settles With Justice Department

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Nara Bancorp Inc. said it agreed to settle Justice Department complaints involving high-interest auto financing contracts.

The allegations center on the Justice Department’s claim that third-party auto dealers charged excessive interest rates for loans to customers. The dealers then sold these loans to banks like Nara.

The bank denied any wrongdoing, and said it has not purchased these types of loans since 2006. The announcement did not specify any fines or penalties the bank might have agreed to pay.

“Although Nara Bank strongly believes that it did not violate any law, we nevertheless thought that it was in the best interest of the bank to put this matter behind us,” said John Hampton, chief risk, compliance and CRA officer, said in a statement late Thursday.

Nara shares were down 23 cents, or 3.5 percent, to $6.30 in midday trading on the Nasdaq.

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