Prosecutors to Seek Guilty Plea From Boeing Tied to 737 MAX Crashes
The plane maker will have a week to accept the plea or fight a fraud conspiracy charge in court. Justice Department officials will present the offer as nonnegotiable, the sources said. Should Boeing refuse to plead guilty, prosecutors will take the company to trial.
Boeing and the Justice Department declined to comment.
The Justice Department decided to charge Boeing after finding it violated a 2021 agreement that had shielded it from prosecution over the fatal crashes involving 737 MAX jets. The deadly crashes took place in 2018 and 2019, killing 346 people.
The decision to move toward criminally charging Boeing deepens an ongoing crisis engulfing the plane maker, exposing the company to additional financial ramifications and tougher government oversight.
A guilty plea could also carry implications for Boeing’s ability to enter into government contracts such as those with the U.S. military that make up a significant portion of its revenue. Companies with felony convictions can receive waivers, and it remained unclear to what extent the Justice Department’s proposed plea deal addresses the issue.