DETROIT/WASHINGTON A Volkswagen AG engineer pleaded guilty on Friday to helping the German automaker evade USA emission standards, and his lawyer said he would cooperate with federal authorities in their criminal probe.
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As part of the certification process for each new model year, including model years 2009 through 2016, the co-conspirators continued to falsely and fraudulently certify to EPA and CARB that VW diesel vehicles met US emissions standards and complied with the Clean Air Act, according to the plea agreement.
“I know VW did not disclose the defeat device to USA regulators, in order to sell the cars in the U.S.”, Liang said, according to Bloomberg News. His lawyer, Daniel Nixon, said after the hearing that his client was “very remorseful”.
Liang, a VW engineer since 1983, is cooperating with the USA investigation into the scandal and faces a maximum of five years in prison and a $250,000 penalty for his role in the case.
Liang was indicted under seal in June by a grand jury, which was unsealed in U.S. Eastern District Court Friday, morning September 9.
VW spokeswoman Jeannine Ginivan declined to comment on the indictment.
“Mr. Liang certainly knew enough that the US government has embraced him as its first and certainly a prominent cooperator”, said Frenkel, who added the Liang likely will get little or no prison time due to his cooperation.
DETROIT (AP) – A Volkswagen engineer has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy in the company’s emissions cheating scandal, advancing a criminal investigation by agreeing to testify against others. The company addressed the suit: “To date, Volkswagen has agreed to buy back or modify affected 2.0L TDI vehicles, establish a $2.7 bn environmental remediation trust, for which Vermont is eligible to receive $17.8m, and invest $2bn for infrastructure and awareness to increase the use of zero emission vehicles across the United States”. He also could be fined up to $250,000.
During those sessions, “Liang participated as his co-conspirators misrepresented that VW diesel vehicles complied with US” emissions rules, the document stated.
Between 2009 and 2016, Liang’s co-conspirators fraudulently reported to the EPA and California Air Resources Board that Volkswagen vehicles met emissions and Clean Air Act standards.
The government described a 10-year conspiracy begun by Volkswagen employees as soon as they realized they couldn’t meet new USA emissions standards.
“Liang moved to the U.S.in 2008 to help launch VW’s so-called “clean diesel” vehicles”.
At one point, VW’s warranty costs rose as the emissions systems’ parts and components failed.
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Mr Liang, who is a German national, worked in VW’s diesel development department in Germany from 1983 to May 2008, before moving to the US. These engines were found in VW, Audi, Porsche, and Skoda models.
