U.S. files criminal information against HSBC

The U.S. Justice Department filed a felony criminal information against HSBC Holdings Plc's HSBC Bank USA in federal court in News York's Brooklyn on Tuesday.

The information is a widely expected precursor to a deferred prosecution agreement under which the bank would pay $1.9 billion to resolve money laundering charges.

(Reporting By Aruna Viswanatha; Editing by Gerald E. McCormick)