Washington, May 7 (RHC)-- The U.S. Justice Department has charged a former Volkswagen CEO with criminal conspiracy over his role in rigging diesel engines to circumvent air pollution standards. 

A U.S. federal grand jury indictment unsealed in Detroit says CEO Martin Winterkorn knew in 2014 that his company’s cars contained software that lowered carbon dioxide emissions under testing conditions, even though the cars’ emissions rose dramatically under real-world conditions.

Volkswagen has admitted to rigging some 11 million vehicles worldwide.  The automaker has already paid $26 billion in fines and civil damages, and faces a $10 billion lawsuit by shareholders.