Volkswagen Pleads Guilty to 3 Felonies
CARS.COM — In U.S. district court today, the Volkswagen Group pleaded guilty to three counts of felony: conspiracy, obstruction of justice and importation of merchandise to the U.S. through false statements, according to Automotive News. But a district judge reportedly said he wanted more time to mull over the German automaker’s $4.3 billion settlement because of the nature of its crimes in an ongoing diesel scandal, which affects nearly 600,000 diesel cars in the U.S. from the 2009-16 model years.
Related: More on the VW Diesel Scandal
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 21. Automotive News reports the settlement kept VW from facing potential fines of $17 billion to $34 billion, but the full $4.3 billion settlement would still bring the total penalty for Volkswagen’s diesel scandal to more than $20 billion in the U.S. alone. The automaker faces additional penalties outside the country, with more than 11 million cars reportedly affected worldwide.
In a statement to Cars.com, Volkswagen said it “deeply regrets the behavior that gave rise to the diesel crisis. The agreements that we have reached with the U.S. government reflect our determination to address misconduct that went against all the values Volkswagen holds so dear. … Volkswagen today is not the same company it was 18 months ago — the change process underway is the biggest in our history. We have taken significant steps to strengthen accountability, increase transparency and transform our corporate culture.
“We know that there is more work to do. We will continue to press forward with these and many other important changes to the way we operate, as we work to earn back the trust of our stakeholders, build a better company and make Volkswagen an example of how a socially responsible company should act and lead in the years ahead.”
