{{Short description|Engineer convicted for violating emissions standards}} {{Infobox criminal | name = Oliver Schmidt | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1969|1|9}} | birth_place = [[Stadthagen]], [[West Germany]] | criminal_penalty = 84 months (7 years) imprisonment, $400,000 fine and deportation to Germany | conviction = {{Start date and age|2017|12|06}} | criminal_status = Inmate 09786-104; released from [[FCI Milan]] in September 2020; transferred to German custody where he was ultimately released in January 2021 | imprisoned = [[Federal Correctional Institution, Milan]], [[Milan, Michigan]], U.S. | occupation = Engineer, former business executive | children = 2 | apprehended = {{Start date and age|2017|01|11}} | alma_mater = [[Leibniz University of Hannover]] (Diploma) | spouse = {{marriage|Kerstin Gerdes<br>|2000}} }}
'''Oliver Schmidt''' (born January 9, 1969)<ref>{{Cite web |title=FBI arrests Volkswagen executive Oliver Schmidt for fraud over Dieselgate emissions scandal |url=https://www.carbuyingtips.com/articles/blog/fbi-arrests-vw-executive-oliver-schmidt-for-dieselgate-fraud.htm |access-date=2023-05-11 |website=www.carbuyingtips.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>Florida Booking Records</ref> is a German engineer and former senior executive for [[Volkswagen]] in [[Germany]] and the [[United States]]. In December 2017, Schmidt was sentenced to 84 months (7 years) in federal prison for his role in the [[Volkswagen emissions scandal]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-12-06 |title=Volkswagen Senior Manager Sentenced to 84 Months in Prison for Role in Conspiracy to Cheat U.S. Emissions Tests |url=https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/volkswagen-senior-manager-sentenced-84-months-prison-role-conspiracy-cheat-us-emissions-tests |access-date=2023-05-11 |website=www.justice.gov |language=en}}</ref> He was the second German national, after James Robert Liang, to be convicted and sees himself as pawn sacrifice in the entire case.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-08-25 |title=Volkswagen Engineer Sentenced for His Role in Conspiracy to Cheat U.S. Emissions Tests |url=https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/volkswagen-engineer-sentenced-his-role-conspiracy-cheat-us-emissions-tests |access-date=2023-05-11 |website=www.justice.gov |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2021-01-20 |title=Ex-VW Manager Released Early From Diesel-Rigging Prison Term |language=en |work=Bloomberg.com |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-01-20/ex-vw-manager-schmidt-gets-early-release-from-diesel-prison-term |access-date=2023-05-11}}</ref>
==Early life and education==
Schmidt was born January 9, 1969, in [[Stadthagen]], [[Lower Saxony]] then [[West Germany]] to Dieter and Elke Schmidt.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Werner |first=Kathrin |title=VW-Manager muss in den USA sieben Jahre in Haft |url=https://www.sueddeutsche.de/wirtschaft/diesel-skandal-vw-manager-in-den-usa-zu-sieben-jahren-haft-verurteilt-1.3780800 |access-date=2023-05-11 |website=Süddeutsche.de |language=de}}</ref><ref>Court Correspondence
https://s3-prod-europe.autonews.com/s3fs-public/CA10924833.PDF</ref> His father worked for a software company and enjoyed mechanically working on cars, therefore Schmidt was basically growing-up with up to 26 different cars his father has owned throughout his lifetime.<ref>{{Citation |title=Alte Schule, Folge 174 mit Oliver Schmidt 1/2 (der Podcast) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtdtffYg8R4 |access-date=2023-05-11 |language=en}}</ref> After completing his [[Abitur]], he studied [[mechanical engineering]] at the [[University of Hannover|Leibniz University of Hannover]] in [[Hanover|Hannover, Germany]].<ref>{{Cite web | title=Wirtschaft und Börsen-Nachrichten {{!}} tagesschau.de | url=https://www.tagesschau.de/wirtschaft/portraet-schmidt-101.html | access-date=2025-08-21 | website=www.tagesschau.de}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Budras |first=Corinna |title=Was der verhaftete VW-Manager Oliver Schmidt mit dem Dieselskandal zu tun hat |language=de |work=FAZ.NET |url=https://www.faz.net/aktuell/wirtschaft/auto-verkehr/was-der-verhaftete-vw-manager-oliver-schmidt-mit-dem-dieselskandal-zu-tun-hat-14652359.html |access-date=2023-05-11 |issn=0174-4909}}</ref>
== Career == Since 1997, Schmidt was employed with [[Volkswagen]] in [[Wolfsburg]].<ref name="tagesschau">{{cite news|url= https://www.tagesschau.de/wirtschaft/portraet-schmidt-101.html |title= Oliver Schmidt - Der VW-Sündenbock |first= Martin |last= Ganslmeier |date= 2017-12-06 |access-date= 2018-05-13 |language= de |trans-title= Oliver Schmidt - The VW Scapegoat |website= [[tagesschau.de]]}}</ref> At the age of 35, Schmidt was transferred to the United States, where he from 2012 oversaw VW's emissions office in Michigan.<ref name="tagesschau" /><ref name="guardian">{{cite news|url= https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/dec/06/oliver-schmidt-jailed-volkswagen-emissions-scam-seven-years |title= Oliver Schmidt jailed for seven years for Volkswagen emissions scam |first= Dominic |last= Rushe |date= 2017-12-06 |access-date= 2018-05-13 |website= [[guardian.com]] }}</ref>
As of March 2022, Schmidt is employed in a [[Engineering|CNC-Engineering]] company of a friend, which primarily manufactures [[Car parts|auto parts]].<ref>Autoline After Hours 592, Min: 35:00
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IV-SFS15M8</ref>
== Volkswagen emissions scandal == In January 2017 while attempting to return to Germany after a vacation, Schmidt was arrested in a men's room at a Florida airport, charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States in the Volkswagen emissions scandal.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidkiley5/2017/12/06/vw-exec-oliver-schmidt-gets-seven-years-in-jail-for-dieselgate/#4e7f65545cc4|title = VW Executive Oliver Schmidt Sentenced to 7 Years for Dieselgate|website = [[Forbes]]}}</ref> Had Schmidt been able to board a plane and return to Germany, the chances of him being prosecuted would have been slim as it is unlikely that Germany would have extradited one of its own citizens to stand trial in the United States.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/dec/06/oliver-schmidt-jailed-volkswagen-emissions-scam-seven-years|title=Oliver Schmidt jailed for seven years for Volkswagen emissions scam|website=[[TheGuardian.com]]|date=6 December 2017}}</ref> In December 2017, having earlier pleaded guilty, a federal judge in Detroit sentenced him to seven years in prison and fined him $400,000.<ref name="guardian"/>
Schmidt was inmate number 09786-104 and was incarcerated at U.S. Federal prison [[FCI Milan]] in [[York Township, Michigan]]. His release date was set for 25 December 2022.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bop.gov/mobile/find_inmate/byname.jsp|title = BOP: Federal Inmates by Name}}</ref> In late September 2020, Schmidt was transferred to Germany where he was incarcerated at Hanover Correctional Center. In January 2021, he was released on parole after serving a bit more than half his sentence.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-01-20/ex-vw-manager-schmidt-gets-early-release-from-diesel-prison-term | title=Ex-VW Manager Released Early from Diesel-Rigging Prison Term | newspaper=Bloomberg.com | date=20 January 2021 }}</ref>
== Personal life == In 2000, Schmidt married Kerstin Gerdes, in [[Florida]], and they have two children.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Özgenc |first=Kayhan |date=2020-10-19 |title=Ex-Top-Manager Oliver Schmidt zurück in Deutschland: Das "Bauernopfer" des Dieselskandals war so loyal, dass er sogar in einem VW-Autohaus heiratete |url=https://www.businessinsider.de/wirtschaft/oliver-schmidt-auslieferung-usa-deutschland-diesel-abgasskandal-autohaus-a/ |access-date=2023-05-11 |website=Business Insider |language=de-DE}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web| title=Exhibit K | url=https://s3-prod-europe.autonews.com/s3fs-public/CA10924833.PDF | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221127051248/https://s3-prod-europe.autonews.com/s3fs-public/CA10924833.PDF | archive-date=2022-11-27}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Schmidt, Oliver}} [[Category:1969 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:German chief executives]] [[Category:Chief executives in the automotive industry]] [[Category:Volkswagen Group executives]] [[Category:21st-century German criminals]] [[Category:Criminals from Lower Saxony]]