Volkswagen will pay out a $2.8 billion criminal penalty for cheating on diesel emissions tests in the U.S., according to a sentence ordered on Friday. Six weeks earlier, the company admitted guilt on charges of conspiracy and obstruction of justice. The German automaker has acknowledged that it programmed 600,000 diesel cars in the U.S. to turn on pollution controls during testing but off while driving on the road. An attorney for the company, Jason Weinstein, called the criminal fine an "appropriate and serious sanction."
