NR 98-41
April 1, 1998

                                
        OCC Assesses $438,000 in Money Penalties Against
                        Argentine Group 
         That Illegally Tried to Control Maryland Bank

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Office of the Comptroller of the
Currency (OCC) today announced payment of a civil money penalty
of $261,000 from Horacio Bernardo Rozenblum of Miami, Florida
and Buenos Aires, Argentina.  An additional civil money penalty
of $177,000 was assessed against an associate of Rozenblum,
Salem Eduardo Nazar of Mendoza, Argentina.  The penalties were
assessed in connection with consent orders agreed to by
Rozenblum, Nazar, and the OCC.

The OCC actions came after Rozenblum and Nazar, and members of
Rozenblum's family, acted in concert to acquire the power to
vote 25 percent or more of the stock in Capital Bank, N.A., of
Rockville, Maryland.  They did so without informing and
receiving approval from the OCC as required under the Change in
Bank Control Act.

The consent orders require Rozenblum and Nazar to reduce their
ownership and control of the bank's common stock to below 10
percent of the shares outstanding.  They will not be allowed to
own or control more than 10 percent of the bank without the
prior approval of the OCC.


                              # # #

The OCC charters, regulates and supervises more than 2,600
national banks and 66 federal branches and agencies of
foreign banks in the United States, accounting for 56
percent of the nation's banking assets.   Its mission is to
ensure a safe, sound and competitive national banking system
that supports
the citizens, communities and economy of the United States.