BB&T Corp. agreed Thursday to pay $83 million to the United States as compensation for knowingly underwriting sub-par home loans, according to a press release.

Since 2006, BB&T has been a Direct Endorsement Lender with the Federal Housing Administration, a role that allows them to make the final decision on whether a mortgage should be federally insured.

According to the Department of Justice, BB&T knowingly certified mortgages for federal insurance that did not meet standards of the FHA nor the Department of Housing and Urban Development between Jan. 1, 2006 and Sept. 30, 2014.

The height of these loans were between 2006 and 2009, the time of the late-2000s financial crisis.

Benjamin C. Mizer, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division, said in the report, “The Department has and will continue to hold accountable those lenders that prioritize profits over program compliance.”

BB&T has not claimed liability for the Justice Department’s assertions “to avoid the cost and uncertainty of potential litigation,” but agreed to pay the amount as a settlement over whether the it violated the False Claims Act.

The release, filed here with the Securities and Exchange Commission, said BB&T’s priority is to high-quality home loan services for its customers.

BB&T, a Winston-Salem based company, is a Fortune 500 company with locations in 15 states and Washington, D.C.

BB&T’s stock closed Thursday at $37.28, down 37 cents, or 0.99 percent, from the previous day close.