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4d ago

DOJ Considers Deal Allowing Boeing to Avoid Prosecution for 737 MAX Crashes

The tentative agreement would avoid a June trial, with Boeing paying $444.5 million more to victims' families, but families plan to formally object.

Families and friends who lost loved ones in the March 2019 Boeing 737 Max crash in Ethiopia, hold a memorial protest in front of the Boeing headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, in 2023 to mark the four-year anniversary of the event. Attorneys for those families say that the Justice Department is looking at dropping criminal charges against Boeing that arose out of the crash.
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Family members hold photographs of Boeing 737 MAX crash victims lost in two deadly 737 MAX crashes that killed 346 people as they arrive for Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg's testimony before a Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee hearing on “aviation safety” and the grounded 737 MAX on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., October 29, 2019. REUTERS/Sarah Silbiger/File Photo

Overview

  • The U.S. Department of Justice is weighing a nonprosecution agreement with Boeing over fraud charges tied to the 737 MAX crashes, which killed 346 people in 2018 and 2019.
  • Under the proposed deal, Boeing would avoid a guilty plea and trial, instead paying an additional $444.5 million into a victims' fund, on top of the $500 million paid in 2021.
  • Families of crash victims have expressed outrage, calling the proposal insufficient for accountability and vowing to file formal objections with the court.
  • The agreement would prevent Boeing from being labeled a felon, a designation that could jeopardize its eligibility for government contracts and defense work.
  • No final decision has been made, and the DOJ has stated it will consider the families' objections before determining whether to proceed with the agreement or go to trial.