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Volkswagen has pled guilty in federal court to a litany of charges related to the emissions cheating scandal and closes the door on the long-standing Justice Department investigation of the company. Fox Business News reported the details.
The company pled guilty in federal court to a plea deal that was signed back in January. Volkswagen’s charges include conspiracy to defraud the United States, wire fraud, obstruction of justice, and much more. As punishment, they will pay $2.8 billion in criminal fines and pay an additional $1.5 billion civil penalty to the government.
On top of all of the other settlements, Volkswagen has paid over $20 billion so far in the scandal. Final sentencing is expected to take place on April 21st. The judge wants to review the deal. The government could have fined the company significantly more, up to $34 billion. But prosecutors believe that Volkswagen’s steps to compensate consumers, cooperate with the government, and all of the other large settlements they’ve made thus far justify the lower penalty.
That’s not to say that this is an insignificant punishment. This is one of the largest punishments ever levied on an automobile maker. Several people from Volkswagen, including executives, are facing additional criminal penalties.
There is still time to get compensation if you have been cheated by Volkswagen. Contact our offices immediately for a free consultation about your situation. You deserve compensation as well if you bought a diesel vehicle from them in good faith and later found it was cheating on their emissions claims.
