Dirty diesels are dominating the news cycle once again as the U.S. Department of Justice has a charged a senior manager from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles with a long list of crimes related to the company’s 3.0-liter EcoDiesel engine.
According to the government, 40-year-old Emanuele Palma has been charged with one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, to violate the Clean Air Act and to commit wire fraud. He also faces six counts of violating the Clean Air Act, four counts of wire fraud and two counts of making false statements to the FBI and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division.
The government says Palma led of team of engineers which were responsible for developing and calibrating FCA’s 3.0-liter EcoDiesel engine. While this isn’t unusual, the government alleges Palma and his co-conspirators “purposefully calibrated the emissions control functions to produce lower NOx emissions under conditions when the subject vehicles would be undergoing testing on the federal test procedures or driving ‘cycles,’ and higher NOx emissions under conditions when the subject vehicles would be driven in the real world.”
Also Read: Department Of Justice And EPA Sue Fiat Chrysler Over Diesel Emissions
The government says the group referred to this cheat as “cycle detection” and used it to mislead regulators. The government also contends the engine was calibrated to maximize fuel economy and longer service intervals, rather than to minimize NOx emissions.
The actions of Palma and others resulted in illegal and undisclosed software being installed on over 100,000 Ram 1500 and Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles from the 2014-2016 model years. As part of a settlement announced in January, FCA agreed to repair those vehicles, pay a $305 (£244 / €276) million civil penalty and implement a program to mitigate excess pollution from those vehicles. All told, the issue was expected to cost the automaker around $800 (£640 / €726) million.
In a statement, the Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division said “Cheating government regulators, customers, and the public for increased sales and compensation will be prosecuted by the Department of Justice to the fullest extent of the law.” Brian Benczkowski went on to say “The indictment unsealed today demonstrates that the Criminal Division is committed to investigating and prosecuting sophisticated criminal schemes and corporate crimes that violate the Clean Air Act and other federal laws.”
