VW Emission Exec Pleads Not Guilty, Remains Jailed in U.S.

Oliver Schmidt, the Volkswagen AG executive arrested in Miami last month on charges of helping to develop and hide ways to cheat on diesel emission tests, will remain in jail as an extreme flight risk.

Schmidt, 48, was denied bail last month pending his trial. Five other current or former VW executives face similar charges. But they are in Germany and aren’t likely to be extradited.

Schmidt once managed VW’s emission compliance in the U.S. He now faces 11 felony counts with a maximum penalty of 169 years in prison, Automotive News reports.

Previous reports noted that Schmidt became aware in April 2014 that a lab at West Virginia University had uncovered VW’s so-called defeat device. He promptly emailed a colleague, writing that “it should be first decided whether we are honest. If we are not honest, everything stays as it is.”

U.S. regulatory officials publicly announced discovery of the cheating five months later. VW then conceded it rigged 11 million diesels worldwide. The company has since agreed to pay more than $23 billion in fines and restitution in the U.S. and Canada alone.