US DoJ Reportedly To Charge Boeing With Fraud In 737 Max Crashes: Guilty Plea Or Trial Risk

(RTTNews) - The U.S. Justice Department plans to charge Boeing Co. (BA) with criminal fraud. Boeing now faces a decision between pleading guilty or risking a trial, according to several media reports citing people familiar with the matter.

According to reports, Boeing has been given until the end of the week to decide whether to plead guilty to the charge, as communicated to the families of victims of two fatal 737 Max crashes and their attorneys in a meeting on Sunday by the Justice department.

The Justice Department has offered Boeing the plea deal after accusing the airplane manufacturer of violating the terms of a 2021 deferred prosecution agreement established in the aftermath of two 737 Max crashes in 2018 and 2019.

Boeing would pay a fine and undergo a three-year probationary period as part of the latest deal presented to the company.