FBI Arrests Volkswagen Exec

Oliver Schmidt nabbed over diesel scandal
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Jan 9, 2017 9:37 AM CST
FBI Arrests Volkswagen Exec
Troubles keep mounting for Volkswagen over its diesel scandal.   (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File)

The Volkswagen executive who once was in charge of complying with US emissions regulations has been arrested by the FBI in connection with the company's emissions-cheating scandal, a person briefed on the matter said Monday. Oliver Schmidt, who was general manager of the engineering and environmental office for VW of America, was arrested over the weekend in the federal criminal investigation, reports the AP. Schmidt is the second VW employee to be arrested as the probe led by the US attorney's office in Detroit continues. The New York Times reported that he's expected to be arraigned Monday on a conspiracy charge in a federal courtroom in Detroit.

Schmidt's bio for a 2012 auto industry conference said he was responsible for ensuring that vehicles built for sale within the United States and Canada comply with "past, present, and future air quality and fuel economy government standards in both countries." It says he served as the company's direct factory and government agency contact for emissions regulations. Volkswagen has admitted that it programmed diesel-powered vehicles to turn pollution controls on during tests and turn them off in real-world driving. The scandal has cost VW sales and has tarnished its brand worldwide. In Britain, meanwhile, thousands of VW buyers just filed a class-action lawsuit against the company, reports the Guardian. (More Volkswagen stories.)

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