VW engineer gets prison, $200K fine in diesel scandal

Summitric

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WOW... the judge threw the book at this guy......



A Volkswagen engineer who had a key role in the company’s diesel emissions scandal was sentenced Friday to more than three years in prison and a $200,000 fine, a steeper punishment than prosecutors requested.Robert Liang, 63, knew the German automaker was cheating and worked to cover it up, U.S. District Court Judge Sean Cox said during the sentencing hearing in Detroit. The judge imposed a 40-month prison sentence.
“The conspiracy perpetrated a massive … and stunning fraud on the American consumer that attacked and destroyed the very foundation of our economic system,” Cox said.
Liang, who faces deportation to Germany upon his release from prison, declined to speak on his own behalf Friday. Prosecutors had requested a 36-month prison term and a $20,000 fine.
Prosecutors said Liang was aware that VW used software to cheat U.S. emission rules on nearly 600,000 diesel vehicles. His lawyer said he’s not “greedy or immoral” but followed orders to keep his job and support his family.
“What occurred here was wrong,” defence attorney Daniel Nixon said. “But he wasn’t the mastermind. He was not motivated by greed.”
Liang pleaded guilty last year to one count of conspiracy to defraud the government and agreed to co-operate with investigators. Liang had asked the judge to consider a sentence of probation and 1,500 hours of community service.
He is one of two VW employees to plead guilty, although others charged in the case are in Germany and out of reach.
Volkswagen and U.S. environmental regulators announced agreement last month on a plan for the automaker to fix most of the diesel cars involved in the emissions cheating scandal.
Volkswagen has admitted that the cars were sold with illegal software programmed to turn on emissions controls during government lab tests and turn them off while on the road. Investigators determined that the cars emitted more than 40 times the legal limit of nitrogen oxide, which can cause respiratory problems in humans.
The company got away with the scheme for seven years until independent researchers reported it to government regulators.
 

52weekbreak

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I imagine this will be appealed as it should be. This fellow was quite a way down on the totem pole and what the prosecution suggested sounded reasonable. Judge seems a little more "morally outraged" than is reasonable.
 

Stockorwalk

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Setting an example? Precedence in law is huge isn't it? I work at a place that had an environmental incident, so far the fines were over 100 million and the clean up has cost over double that and will keep climbing. The judge said they were setting an example so I'm guessing this judge is doing the same.
 

52weekbreak

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Setting an example? Precedence in law is huge isn't it? I work at a place that had an environmental incident, so far the fines were over 100 million and the clean up has cost over double that and will keep climbing. The judge said they were setting an example so I'm guessing this judge is doing the same.
No doubt about that. Doesn't mean that is right or it will stand u on appeal. Three years jail time for an employee is ridiculous.
 

sirkdev

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Lets be realistic he is a scapegoat... there were many more who knew and got off scott free. Sucks to be that guy. Unfortunatley it happens more than we know I'm sure.
 

52weekbreak

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I am sure VW is paying his fine. Those responsible will probably not return to the USA. I seem to recall a suggestion at one point that Bosch was involved but nothing on that lately
 

DRD

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What column do you put 200k worth of fines in when you do your expense report?
 

lloydguy

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As others have said engineer's and pee on's are just doing what a board of directors
told them to do.I would say there is prob. a 99% chance that is the truth.
 

52weekbreak

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Most BOD's don't have a clue what goes on day to day (which is what this was). The most senior production people would know and the senior VP of production but probably not even the president of the company who would be the only guy who would sit on the Board of Directors.

I get the sense this particular guy was quite a bit lower on the totem pole than that
 
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