Boeing to plead guilty to fraud in US probe of fatal 737 Max crashes
- Plea deal relates to two 737 Max crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia in 2018 and 2019 that killed 346 people
Boeing has agreed to plead guilty to a criminal fraud conspiracy charge to resolve a US Justice Department investigation linked to two 737 Max fatal crashes, the US government said in a court filing.
The plea, which requires a federal judge’s approval, would brand the planemaker a convicted felon. Boeing will also pay a criminal fine of US$243.6 million, the Justice Department (DOJ) said in a document filed in federal court in Texas on Sunday that provided an overview of the agreement in principle.
The charge relates to two 737 Max crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia over a five-month period in 2018 and 2019 that killed 346 people and prompted the families of the victims to demand that Boeing face prosecution.
A guilty plea potentially threatens the company’s ability to secure lucrative government contracts with the likes of the US Defence Department and Nasa, although it could seek waivers.
Boeing became exposed to criminal prosecution after the Justice Department in May found the company violated a 2021 settlement involving the fatal crashes.
