Jailed Volkswagen exec to plead guilty in US diesel scandal

DETROIT (AP) – A court spokesman in Detroit says a German Volkswagen executive plans to plead guilty in the company’s U.S. emissions scandal.

Spokesman David Ashenfelter says lawyers informed a judge on Tuesday. Oliver Schmidt will appear in federal court on Aug. 4.

Schmidt is one of many VW employees charged in the U.S. in a scheme to cheat emission rules on nearly 600,000 diesel vehicles. He’s been in custody since January when he was arrested in Miami while on vacation.

VW admits using software to get around diesel emission standards. Schmidt is accused of lying to U.S. regulators by saying technical problems, not the software, were to blame for the difference in emissions in road and lab tests.

He was the manager of VW’s environment and engineering office in suburban Detroit.

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