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By agreeing to the guilt, Boeing will pay another fine, bringing the total to USD 487.2 million, which the Justice Department says is the legal maximum for the fraud charge
Families of Boeing crash victims continue to blame the company’s behaviour for agreeing to plead guilty. Boeing, analysts say, made the calculation that admitting to a crime is better than enduring a long public trial. The deal with U.S. prosecutors only relates to Boeing’s culpability about the 2018 and 2019 crashes.
By agreeing to the guilt, Boeing will pay another fine, bringing the total to USD 487.2 million, which the Justice Department says is the legal maximum for the fraud charge. The deal also requires the company to invest at least USD 455 million to improve safety. It will be on court-supervised probation for three years, and the Justice Department will name an independent monitor to oversee Boeing’s compliance with the terms of the plea agreement.
Boeing’s board of directors will be required to meet with the families of the victims. Now it’s up to a federal judge whether to accept the plea and a sentence that is part of a deal that includes a USD 243 million fine. Boeing paid a fine for the same crime in 2021.
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The company still faces investigations into the blowout of a panel from an Alaska Airlines Max in January, increased oversight by the Federal Aviation Administration, and accusations from current and former employees about poor workmanship and retaliation against whistleblowers.