Arrested VW Exec to Remain Jailed Pending 2018 Trial

A federal judge in Detroit has ruled that Volkswagen AG executive Oliver Schmidt must remain behind bars in the U.S. until he goes on trial next January for his role in VW’s diesel emission cheating scandal.

Schmidt, who was arrested in Miami in January, was in charge of VW emission compliance in the U.S. He has been held since then as an extreme flight risk.

In today’s hearing, Judge Sean Cox rejected Schmidt’s plea to be released on more than $1.6 million bail, surrender his German passport, wear an electronic tracking device and be housed in a private home outside Detroit, Automotive News reports.

Cox acknowledged Schmidt’s situation but describes the charges against him as “very, very serious.” He also said he believes “there’s no condition or combination of conditions” that would guarantee Schmidt’s appearance for trial.

Schmidt’s trial was to begin April 18 in Detroit. But Cox postponed it until January at the defense’s request. AN says the judge also agreed to a motion last month that Schmidt be moved to a federal prison in Milan, Mich.