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FILE -
This
Thursday,
June 8,
2006,
file
photo,
shows
Wayne
County
Circuit
Judge
Sean
Cox, in
his
chambers
in
Detroit.
On
Friday,
April
21,
2017,
U.S.
District
Court
Judge
Cox
ordered
Volkswagen
to pay a
$2.8
billion
criminal
penalty
in the
United
States
for
cheating
on
diesel
emissions
tests,
blessing
a deal
negotiated
by the
government
for a
“massive
fraud”
orchestrated
by the
German
automaker.
(Photo:
Paul
Sancya,
AP) |
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Volkswagen
to pay
$2.8
billion
in US
diesel
emission
scandal
By ED
WHITE
ap.org
DETROIT
- A
judge on
Friday
ordered
Volkswagen
to pay a
$2.8
billion
criminal
penalty
in the
United
States
for
cheating
on
diesel
emissions
tests,
blessing
a deal
negotiated
by the
government
for a
"massive
fraud"
orchestrated
by the
German
automaker.
U.S.
District
Judge
Sean Cox
stuck to
the plea
deal
during
the
sentencing
hearing,
six
weeks
after VW
pleaded
guilty
to
conspiracy
and
obstruction
of
justice
in a
scheme
involving
nearly
600,000
diesel
cars in
the U.S.
They
were
programmed
to turn
on
pollution
controls
during
testing
and off
while on
the
road.
Speaking
from the
bench in
the
heart of
the
global
auto
industry,
Cox said
he was
amazed
that VW
would
commit
such a
crime.
"Who has
been
hurt by
this
corporate
greed?
From
what I
can see
it's not
the
managers
at VW,
the ones
who get
paid
huge
salaries
and
large
bonuses.
As
always
it's the
little
guy,"
the
judge
said,
referring
to car
buyers
and VW's
blue-collar
workers
who
might
earn
less in
the
future.
Separately,
VW is
paying
$1.5
billion
in a
civil
case
brought
by
government
regulators
and
spending
$11
billion
to buy
back
cars and
offer
other
compensation.
Seven
employees
have
also
been
charged
with
crimes
in the
U.S.,
but five
are in
Germany
and are
unlikely
to be
extradited.
Cox
urged
the
German
government
to
"prosecute
those
responsible
for this
deliberate
massive
fraud
that has
damaged
an
iconic
automobile
company."
In brief
remarks
to the
judge,
VW
defense
attorney
Jason
Weinstein
says the
criminal
fine is
an
"appropriate
and
serious
sanction."
VW
general
counsel
Manfred
Doess
said the
company
is not
the same
one that
was
caught
18
months
ago.
"Volkswagen
deeply
regrets
the
behavior
that
gave
rise to
this
case.
...
Plain
and
simple
it was
wrong,"
Doess
said.
"We let
people
down and
for that
we're
deeply
sorry."
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