Federal prosecutors in the United States (US) have recommended to the Department of Justice (DOJ) that criminal charges be brought against Boeing after the planemaker violated a settlement, according to Reuters.
In May 2024, the DOJ decided that Boeing violated its 2021 deferred prosecution agreement put in place following the 737 MAX fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019.
Reuters reported that two people familiar with proceedings said that Boeing and the DOJ are in talks about a resolution, but no final decisions have been made.
Under the 2021 agreement, Boeing was forced to pay a $2.5 billion settlement and agree to abide by several conditions in the future.
The DOJ found that Boeing violated that agreement when a plug door separated from an Alaska Airlines 737-8 MAX on January 5, 2024, just two days before it was set to expire.
The DOJ has until July 7, 2024, to inform a judge how it wishes to proceed. Boeing has denied it has violated the 2021 deferred prosecution agreement.
According to Reuters, one resolution that would not involve criminal charges includes a fine and a third-party being used to monitor Boeing’s compliance.
A criminal conviction against Boeing could complicate existing deals its defense segment has with the US government.
On June 19, 2024, families of some of the victims that perished in the 737 MAX crashes urged the DOJ to fine the planemaker $24 billion and move ahead with criminal prosecution.
In a letter sent to the DOJ, Paul Cassel, a lawyer representing 15 families, said the large fine was justified because Boeing’s “crime is the deadliest corporate crime in US history” and therefore “legally justified and clearly appropriate”.