DETROIT (AP) - A Volkswagen engineer has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy in the company’s emissions-cheating scandal and has agreed to cooperate in the widening criminal investigation.

James Robert Liang, 62, of Newberry Park, California, entered the plea Friday in U.S. District Court in Detroit to one count of conspiracy to defraud the government through wire fraud.

Volkswagen has admitted to installing software on about 500,000 2-liter diesel engines in VW and Audi models in the U.S. that turned pollution controls on during government tests and turned them off while on the road. The Environmental Protection Agency found that the cars emitted up to 40 times the legal limit for nitrogen oxide, which can cause human respiratory problems.

Liang was indicted in June on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and another count of violating the Clean Air Act. He allegedly helped design the computer software that cheated on diesel-emissions tests. The indictment alleges Liang and unnamed co-conspirators resorted to using the cheating software after realizing the cars couldn’t both meet consumer expectations for performance and satisfy U.S. emissions standards.

Liang pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charge Friday morning before Judge Sean Cox. He will be sentenced on Jan. 11. The judge said that sentencing guidelines call for Liang to serve five years in prison.

The cooperation of Liang, who began work in Wolfsburg, Germany, and also worked in the U.S., is a major breakthrough in the Justice Department’s investigation into the automaker’s cheating scandal. His cooperation could lead to other criminal charges against VW and the unidentified co-conspirators. </s> A longtime Volkswagen engineer has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy for his role in the German automaker’s global emissions cheating scandal.

James Robert Liang, 62, a Newbury Park, Calif. resident, entered his plea Friday. Though he was indicted under seal on June 1 by a federal grand jury, the indictment was unsealed Friday. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Sean Cox of the Eastern District of Michigan.

As part of the plea agreement, Liang will cooperate with the government as part of its ongoing investigation, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a statement.

Volkswagen said in a statement that it is “continuing to cooperate with the U.S. Department of Justice,” but couldn't comment on the indictment.

Liang was indicted on one count of conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government, to commit wire fraud and to violate the Clean Air Act. According to the plea agreement, after he and his “co-co-conspirators” realized they couldn’t design a diesel engine that met strict U.S. regulations, they designed and implemented so-called “defeat devices” that would recognize when vehicles were being tested.

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8:55 a.m.: This article was updated throughout with staff reporting.

This article was originally published at 8:20 a.m. </s> DETROIT — 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.

James 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.

In this 2016 file photo, Volkswagen engineer James Robert Liang, left, leaves court, in Detroit, after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy in the company's emissions cheating scandal. U.S. prosecutors are seeking a three-year prison sentence for a Volkswagen engineer who had a key role in the company's diesel emissions scandal. Liang is scheduled to be sentenced Friday, Aug. 25, 2017, in Detroit federal court. He is one of two VW employees to plead guilty, although others charged in the case are in Germany and out of reach.

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," defense 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 cooperate 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. </s> DETROIT - 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.

 

 James 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," defense 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 cooperate 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. Earlier this month, Oliver Schmidt, 48, a former manager of a VW engineering office in suburban Detroit, pleaded guilty to conspiracy and fraud charges related to the scandal. He is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 6.

 

 VW itself pleaded guilty in March to defrauding the U.S. government and agreed to pay $4.3 billion in penalties, on top of billions more to buy back cars.

►Related: Judge sentences Volkswagen to $2.8B criminal fine for emissions cheating

 

 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. </s> A Volkswagen engineer was sentenced Friday to 40 months in prison for his role in the diesel emissions cheating scandal, which severely tarnished the German automaker’s reputation.

US District Judge Sean Cox issued the sentence in a Detroit court against 63-year-old James Liang, who was also fined $200,000, Xinhua reported.

Liang has been cooperating with U.S. authorities and pleaded guilty last year to a charge of conspiracy.

“Your cooperation and regret is noted, but it doesn’t excuse your conduct,” Cox told Liang.

The judge said Liang was “an important and key player in a very serious crime,” who helped devise software that cheated emissions tests.

The illegal software was designed to turn on emissions controls to pass government tests and turn them off while on the road. Nearly 600,000 diesel vehicles were reportedly tampered with over the past decade.

Besides Liang, six other current and former Volkswagen executives have also been indicted. The German automaker was forced to pay tens of billions in fines and civil penalties. </s> A Volkswagen engineer pleaded guilty to U.S. federal charges for his role in the diesel emission cheating scandal.

James Robert Liang, 62, who worked at Volkswagen for more than 30 years, faces up to five years in federal prison. They were the first U.S. criminal charges in the Volkswagen (VLKAF) case, where the company sold about 500,000 cars loaded with software that cut back on pollution during emissions testing. The same cars emitted up to 40 times the allowed level of various pollutants when actually driven.

Liang has agreed to cooperate with the investigation of other Volkswagen employees. He might also have to pay a fine of up to $250,000.

"Volkswagen is continuing to cooperate with the U.S. Department of Justice. We cannot comment on this indictment," said VW spokeswoman Jeannine Ginivan.

Liang, a German citizen, helped to develop the so-called "clean diesel" engine for Volkswagen while working in Germany. According to court documents, he and his co-conspirators realized they could not design a diesel engine that would meet the stricter U.S. emissions standards. So they designed and implemented software to cheat the tests.

In 2008, Liang moved to the United States to help win regulatory approval of the diesel engines. He attended meetings with environmental regulators and answered questions about the engines' test results, knowing that that were false, according to the court documents. He faces being deported once he serves his prison term.

Volkswagen has admitted that its cars contained the illegal software. The company still faces a U.S. criminal probe. Volkswagen says its own probe has determined top executives did not know of the cheating scandal, and that it was the work of lower level employees.

But the attorneys general of New York and Massachusetts have filed a suit accusing top executives of engaging in a "massive fraud" to break environmental laws.

The company also has agreed to pay $15.3 billion in civil penalties to compensate owners of its U.S. diesel cars, including an agreement to fix or buy back the cars. </s> DETROIT (AP) — A Volkswagen engineer has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy in the company's emissions cheating scandal and has agreed to cooperate in the widening criminal investigation.

James Robert Liang, 62, of Newberry Park, California, entered the plea Friday in U.S. District Court in Detroit to one count of conspiracy to defraud the government through wire fraud. Liang is the first person to enter a plea in the emissions-cheating scheme.

Volkswagen has admitted to installing software on about 500,000 2-liter diesel engines in VW and Audi models in the U.S. that turned pollution controls on during government tests and turned them off while on the road. The Environmental Protection Agency found that the cars emitted up to 40 times the legal limit for nitrogen oxide, which can cause human respiratory problems.

Liang was indicted in June on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and another count of violating the Clean Air Act. According to a plea agreement unsealed Friday, Liang admitted that he and others planned a special software function, known as a defeat device, that could cheat U.S. emissions tests after recognizing that a diesel engine they were designing could not meet customer expectations and stricter emissions standards. Using the defeat device enabled VW to obtain a certificate from the Environmental Protection Agency needed to sell the cars in the U.S.

Liang pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charge before Judge Sean Cox. He will be sentenced on Jan. 11. The judge said that sentencing guidelines call for Liang to serve five years in prison.

The cooperation of Liang, who began work in Wolfsburg, Germany, and also worked in the U.S., is a major breakthrough in the Justice Department's investigation into the automaker's cheating scandal. His cooperation could lead to other criminal charges against VW and the unidentified co-conspirators.

Volkswagen wouldn't comment on the plea but said Friday that it continues to cooperate in the investigation.

In one 2007 meeting in Ann Arbor, Michigan, with government officials, Liang participated as his co-conspirators misrepresented that VW's diesel vehicles complied with U.S. emissions standards, according to the plea agreement.

"Liang knew that VW was cheating by implementing the defeat device and that he and his co-conspirators were considering deceiving EPA in this meeting," the plea agreement states.

In May 2008, the indictment says Liang transferred from Volkswagen headquarters in Germany to the U.S. to help oversee the launch of the new "clean diesel" models. Investigators uncovered internal company emails that show Liang and other VW engineers exchanged ideas about how to "effectively calibrate the defeat device" so that the cars would recognize when they were undergoing U.S. emissions testing. The software was designed to recognize when the cars were being tested on a treadmill-like device called a dynamometer.

In 2013, Liang and others exchanged messages in German about software that recognized when the engine was revving but the steering wheel was not moving, an indication that the car was undergoing a dynamometer lab test. The software then calibrated the engine to run cleaner than it would in real world driving, in order to pass the test, according to the indictment.

"If this goes through without problems, the function is probably truly watertight! ;-)" one of the VW employees messaged Liang in German.

Eric Tucker and Michael Biesecker in Washington contributed to this report. </s> A Volkswagen engineer who had a key role in the company's diesel emissions scandal has been sentenced to more than three years in prison and fined $200,000.

The sentence handed down Friday in Detroit was steeper than prosecutors requested for Robert Liang.

During the hearing, U.S. District Court Judge Sean Cox said Liang knew the German automaker was cheating and worked to cover it up. The judge imposed a 40-month prison sentence.

Liang declined to speak on his own behalf Friday.

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. Others charged in the case are in Germany but out of reach. </s> DETROIT — 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.

James 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," defense 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 cooperate 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.

This story has been updated to restore Liang's first name, James.
An engineer from Volkswagen pleads guilty for his role in the emissions cheating scandal.