Credit Suisse helped 'tax cheats' May 20, 2014 2:17 AM Credit Suisse pleads guilty - a rarity in big bank settlements in the US The Swiss banking giant Credit Suisse has pleaded guilty to helping some US clients avoid paying taxes to the US government and agreed to pay a $2.6bn (£1.5bn) fine. It is the biggest bank to plead guilty to criminal charges in the US in more than 20 years. US attorney general Eric Holder said the bank helped US "tax cheats dodge US taxes". Credit Suisse said in a statement it deeply regretted the past misconduct. The bank said the settlement would reduce its second-quarter net profit by 1.6bn Swiss Francs ($1.8bn; £1bn). However, as part of the agreement with US regulators, the bank will not lose its banking license in the US. The bank's chief executive, Brady Dougan, said: "Having this matter fully resolved is an important step forward for us. We have seen no material impact on our business resulting from the heightened pu...