Volkswagen AG will plead guilty to three criminal charges and pay a total $4.3 billion in fines to settle the emissions cheating scandal known as "dieselgate," US officials announced on Wednesday.

The US Justice Department said VW is charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States and violate the Clean Air Act with defeat devices on its diesel vehicles that evaded emissions standards.

The company will pay $2.8 billion in criminal fines, and $1.5 billion in civil fines. That is in addition to $17.5 billion already agreed in settlements with car owners, dealers and for environmental cleanup.