Key figure in VW emissions scandal appears in federal court in Detroit

DETROIT - A Volkswagen executive appeared in Detroit federal court on Thursday on charges of conspiracy and other crimes.

Oliver Schmidt is the 8th defendent to be charged. The German man is accused of covering up an emission scandal.  He was arrested in florida, and brought to Michigan for the arraignment. A not-guilty plea was entered on his behalf.

Investigators say roughly 585,000 vehicles dubbed 'clean deisel' by Volkswagen were fitted with software that could tell when the vehicles were being tested by the EPA for poisonous exhaust.

Schmidt was named in court documents as a VW employee who intentionally misled government agencies by not mentioning the software used to deceive the tests.
It's alleged any tests that showed high levels of pollution were labeled 'irregularities and abnormalities.'

FOX 2 is told VW is cooperating and expected to take a guilty plea in the next few weeks. They will likely have to pay more than $4 billion in criminal civil penalties.

Schmidt is currently in custody without bond. Five other VW executives charged in the case are in Germany.    

The Associated Press contributed to this report.