Ex-Volkswagen CEO Indicted for Fraud Over Diesel Scandal

Volkswagen's former chief executive Martin Winterkorn has been charged with conspiracy and wire fraud in connection with the company's scheme to cheat U.S. diesel vehicle emissions requirements.

The charges against Winterkorn, 70, were announced Wednesday by the U.S. Attorney's Office of Eastern Michigan, after a grand jury reccomended the indictment.

Winterkorn faces four counts, including that he conspired with other senior VW executives to defraud U.S. customers and violate the Clean Air Act. The remaining three counts relate to wire fraud in connection to the scheme.

Winterkorn resigned from the company on Sept. 23, 2015 several days after the revelation that the Volkswagen used cheat software to evade testing standards for the company's "clean diesel" vehicles.

Volkswagen has paid $4.3 billion in penalties relating to the case.

Related: Volkswagen Storing 300,000 Diesels Around U.S.