JPM, Barclays, other banks likely to plead guilty over forex -sources

By Karen Freifeld

NEW YORK, May 10 (Reuters) - The parent companies or main banking units of as many as five major banks are expected to plead guilty to U.S. criminal charges over manipulation of foreign exchange rates, people familiar with the matter said.

A handful of banks will likely resolve forex-rigging investigations by the U.S. Justice Department as soon as this week: JPMorgan Chase & Co Citigroup, British banks Royal Bank of Scotland (LSE: RBS.L - news) and Barclays (LSE: BARC.L - news) and Swiss bank UBS (NYSEArca: FBGX - news) .

It would be unprecedented for parent companies or main banking units, rather than smaller subsidiaries, of so many major banks, to plead guilty to criminal charges in a coordinated action, the people said.

Peter Carr, a spokesman for the U.S. Justice Department, declined comment. Spokespeople for Citi, JPMorgan (LSE: JPIU.L - news) , RBS, UBS, and Barclays all declined to comment. (Reporting By Karen Freifeld, Additional reporting by Sarah Lynch and Soyoung Kim in Washington, Editing by Soyoung Kim and David Gregorio)