According to a court document on Wednesday, Boeing has pled guilty and agreed to pay at least $243.6 million after violating a 2021 agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice, facing charges of criminal fraud conspiracy.
The Department of Justice stated that Boeing allowed work with potential risks within its factory and failed to ensure the accuracy and completeness of key aircraft records, thus violating the 2021 deferred prosecution agreement.
On July 7, Boeing agreed to admit to charges of conspiring to deceive the Federal Aviation Administration after the government alleged Boeing made intentional false statements regarding critical software on the 737 MAX.
Boeing confirmed on Wednesday that it had submitted a detailed plea agreement to the Department of Justice. The company stated, "We will continue to transparently cooperate with regulators and take significant actions to further enhance Boeing's safety, quality, and compliance programs."
In May, the Department of Justice stated that Boeing had violated its obligations under the agreement, which shielded it from criminal prosecution over false statements regarding key software features involved in the fatal 2018 and 2019 737 MAX crashes that claimed 346 lives.
This finding was made after an Alaska Airlines 737 MAX experienced an in-flight panel rupture in January, exposing ongoing safety and quality issues at Boeing, just two days before the 2021 agreement's protection from previous fatal crash prosecutions was set to expire.
