Volkswagen Engineer Pleads Guilty To Fraud Charge Over Diesel Cheating, Could Face Prison


A Volkswagen engineer pleaded guilty today after being indicted for creating a defeat system for the 2.0-liter VW diesel engines that cheated federal emissions regulations, Automotive News reports. It is the first criminal charge handed down as a result of the U.S. Justice Department’s investigation into VW.

A federal grand jury named James Robert Liang in an indictment this June, a document that was only unsealed today. The news site says Liang pleaded guilty to a single charge of “conspiracy to commit fraud against U.S. regulators.”

Liang faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

Once again, I don't believe that any employee would risk imprisonment and concoct this cheat without approval from management.