Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' US unit has pleaded guilty to a criminal conspiracy and will pay $300 million in a deal with prosecutors to end a Justice Department fraud investigation, court documents show. For years, the US government has been discussing emissions, according to Reuters.
Under the agreement, the group's US unit, which is now part of the Stellants Group, will pay that huge amount as a criminal penalty stemming from its efforts to evade the emissions requirements of more than 100,000 Ram trucks. Lightweight SUVs and Jeeps in the US, CNBC Arabia reports.
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' US unit has been involved in a years-long scheme to mislead regulators and customers in the United States, Assistant Attorney General Kenneth Polite said, adding that the department would hold companies seeking to To provide profits on disclosure, frankness, good governance and address matters in a timely manner.
U.S. District Court Judge Nancy Edmonds in Detroit has set July 18 as the date for sentencing, and the settlement includes a $203.6 million penalty and a $96.1 million fine.
The government noted that FCA's US unit had previously paid $311 million in civil fines and more than $183 million in compensation to more than 63,000 people, As part of a class-action lawsuit related to diesel emissions.
The US unit will be monitored for three years, and the automaker must conduct an initial review of its Clean Air Act compliance and inspection and testing procedures, and report and prepare at least two reviews. and two follow-up reports.
The US Department of Justice said Fiat Chrysler's US unit developed software designed to bypass regulatory scrutiny and fraudulently help diesel vehicles meet required emissions standards.< /p>
The department added that the company intentionally tampered with emissions control systems to produce fewer emissions during federal testing procedures and then under normal driving conditions.
