Story highlights German Bank paid over $670 million in penalties in US and UK this year relating to Russian trades

Criminal investigations like the one facing Deutsche Bank can span months or years

Washington (CNN) A Justice Department investigation into Deutsche Bank's role in a $10 billion Russian money laundering scheme has gone dormant months after the bank settled with regulators, according to people with direct knowledge of the investigation.

DOJ's money laundering division along with the US attorney's office for the Southern District of New York have been investigating the German lender over allegations it missed red flags that allowed Russians to launder billions of dollars out of Moscow using an elaborate trading scheme.

The bank has paid over $670 million in civil penalties to US and UK regulators this year relating to the Russian trades and disclosed in regulatory filings as recently as last month that it set aside an undisclosed amount to cover a potential settlement with DOJ. It is common for regulators and DOJ to move to settle cases at the same time, which companies often advocate for so they can put the matter behind them.

The DOJ investigation has been closely watched by Democrats on Capitol Hill who have tried and failed to get Deutsche Bank to turn over its internal investigation into the Russian trades and a separate internal review into whether bank accounts of President Donald Trump and his family have any ties to Russia. The Deutsche Bank civil settlement has no connection to bank accounts held by the President or Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and White House senior adviser

Criminal investigations like the one facing Deutsche Bank can span months or years before resolutions are reached or DOJ determines there is not a case. Prosecutors have not made requests for information or witness testimony in several months leaving some people familiar with the investigation wondering about the status. There have also been no settlement talks between the sides despite the bank indicating it is prepared to pay a fine to settle the investigation. While the investigation appears to have slowed down, it could be revived at any time.

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