"Ex-Volkswagen C.E.O. Charged With Fraud Over Diesel Emissions"

"The Volkswagen emissions scandal reached the highest echelons of the company on Thursday after its former chief executive was charged with conspiracy in the company’s rigging of diesel vehicles to feign compliance with federal pollution standards.

The indictment of the former executive, Martin Winterkorn, who resigned shortly after the emissions scandal erupted in September 2015, significantly raises the stakes for Volkswagen.

The charges contradict the German carmaker’s steadfast insistence that no members of its management board were involved in the emissions fraud. They also weaken the company’s defense in a related suit by shareholders — potentially adding billions of dollars to the scandal’s already astronomical cost."

Jack Ewing reports for the New York Times May 3, 2018.