Boeing will plead guilty to a criminal fraud conspiracy charge from two deadly crashes of its 737 Max 8 planes that killed 346 passengers and crew, and will cough up a $243.6 million fine, the Department of Justice said on Sunday night.
The plea deal came after federal prosecutors gave Boeing the choice to enter a plea deal and pay a fine or face trial on the federal criminal charge of conspiracy to defraud the United States. The settlement now must be approved by a judge, but the deal will save Boeing from a criminal trial despite advocacy from the families of those killed in the crashes.
The $243.6 million fine is on top of the same amount paid in 2021 under a settlement the DOJ said the company breached. Additionally, Boeing vowed to invest at least $455 million over the next three years to tighten its safety and compliance programs, according to the DOJ.
