VW Engineer Pleads Guilty for Involvement in Diesel Scandal

A Volkswagen engineer today pleaded guilty in a federal court in Detroit for his involvement with the automaker’s diesel cheat device, making him the first person to face criminal charges in connection with the emissions scandal.

According to Bloomberg, VW engineer James Liang is being charged with “conspiracy to commit fraud against U.S. regulators and customers and to violate the Clean Air Act.” Liang will be sentenced in January and could face up to five years in prison. The report states Liang’s guilty plea comes after a year-long investigation by the Justice Department, which has faced pressure to hold more individuals accountable in high profile cases like VW’s emissions scandal.

Liang is a long-time VW employee who reportedly worked with the team that developed the diesel cheat device for the Jetta back in 2006. Liang is also accused of assisting the automaker during its attempt to deceive U.S. regulators during their investigation into how the cheat devices functioned.

“I know VW did not disclose the defeat device to U.S. regulators in order to sell the cars in the U.S.,” Liang said to the judge today. “That’s what makes me guilty.”

Liang’s plea comes after VW has already agreed to pay at least $16.5 billion to settle numerous claims. The automaker also faces ongoing investigations in Europe where the European Commission is encouraging consumer groups to take action.

Source: Bloomberg

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