MUNICH, Germany — Charges against former Tour de France champion Jan Ullrich have been dropped in exchange for a sizable fine, German magazine Focus reported Sunday.

The retired German cyclist, who has been linked to the Spanish doping scandal Operation Puerto, will pay $1.59 million to end the two-year investigation by the Bonn district attorney's office, Focus said.

The district attorney's office declined to confirm the magazine story, saying a news conference about Ullrich will be held Monday.

For weeks, stories have circulated in the German media about an impending deal with the former T-Mobile and Telekom rider, who has maintained he never doped while under investigation for fraud.

The use of performance-enhancing drugs is not illegal in Germany. Ullrich is accused of deception in using drugs to boost performance while winning races and becoming a huge idol in Germany.