The U.S. Justice Department intends to criminally charge Boeing for violating an agreement related to the two killings 737 Max airliner crashesaccording to reports from Bloomberg And ReutersThe federal government is reportedly seeking a guilty plea from Boeing, which could include a $243.6 million criminal fine and forcing the planemaker to hire an independent compliance monitor.
The Boeing-DOJ settlement follows a 2017 accident in Indonesia that killed all 189 people on board; and a crash in Ethiopia in 2018 that killed all 157 people on board. Despite the opposition from some lawmakers and relatives of those killed in the incidents, Boeing obtained $2.5 billion settlement In 2021, the Justice Department announced it had temporarily shielded the aircraft manufacturer from criminal prosecution. The agreement required it to report evidence and allegations of fraud and “strengthen its compliance program.”
Then, in January, a panel blew up a Boeing plane operated by Alaska Airlines, exposing ongoing safety and compliance problems at the company. Four months later, the federal government said in a court filing that Boeing had broke its 2021 agreement by failing to “design, implement and enforce a compliance and ethics program to prevent and detect violations of U.S. fraud laws throughout its operations.”
The DOJ has now decided to pursue criminal charges against Boeing and wants the aircraft manufacturer to accept a plea deal, according to multiple reports. Such a deal would include about a quarter of a billion dollars in additional fines, according to Bloomberg; it could also require Boeing to bring in an independent monitor to ensure the company is complying with anti-fraud laws, according to AP News.
The Justice Department reportedly notified the families and attorneys of victims of the 737 Max crash of the settlement reached Sunday, and gave the planemaker a week to decide whether to accept the offer or fight its case in court. Boeing did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the reports.
