WASHINGTON, Dec 17 (Reuters) - The U.S. Securities andExchange Commission said on Tuesday it levied a record $3.4billion in sanctions in enforcement cases in the latest fiscalyear, up 10 percent from the previous year.
The sanctions were boosted in part by a more than $600million settlement with a unit of hedge fund SAC Capital, $525million with BP Plc and a $200 million fine of JPMorganChase & Co.
Fiscal 2013's total sanctions were 22 percent higher thanthose obtained in the 2011 fiscal year, the agency said.
The agency filed 686 cases in the year that ended inSeptember, it said, down from more than 730 cases filed theprevious two years.
"Our results show that we are prepared to tackle the breadthand complexity of today's securities markets," SEC Chair Mary JoWhite said in a statement.
White, a former federal prosecutor and litigator, came tothe agency in April and pledged to make enforcement acenterpiece of her tenure.
Since then, she has changed SEC policies to seek moreadmissions from defendants and has said her lawyers are ready totake more cases to trial.
BP (BP.)