Volkswagen this week agreed to plead guilty to three criminal felony counts and pay $2.8 billion in fines and penalties for cheating on diesel emissions tests and "lying and obstructing justice to further the scheme," according to a press release issued by the U.S. Department of Justice. The company has also agreed to pay almost $1.5 billion to resolve federal environmental and civil claims. The manufacturer was charged with "participating in a conspiracy to defraud the United States and [the company's] U.S. customers and to violate the Clean Air Act by lying and misleading the [Environmental Protection Agency] and U.S. customers about whether certain VW, Audi and Porsche branded diesel vehicles complied with U.S. emissions standards," according to the Justice Department.