The Justice Department has filed a court document defending a plea agreement reached with Boeing concerning two plane crashes that took the lives of 346 individuals. In the filing on Wednesday, the department stated that they do not possess enough evidence to pursue more severe charges against the company.
According to the deputy chief of the department’s criminal fraud section, if the case were to proceed to trial, prosecutors would not present any evidence or testimonies regarding the causes of the two crashes in 2018 and 2019, and they would not bring charges against any individuals at Boeing.
Last month, Boeing accepted a plea deal to plead guilty to one felony charge of conspiracy to commit fraud related to the 737 Max. The agreement entails Boeing paying a minimum fine of $243.6 million, committing to invest $455 million in compliance and safety initiatives, and being placed on probation for three years.
In response to objections from some relatives of the crash victims, who urged a federal judge in Texas to reject the settlement, the Justice Department defended its position in the court filing. These family members argue that the punishment stipulated in the plea deal is too lenient given the substantial loss of lives incurred.
