Exclusive-US pushes for Boeing to plead guilty in connection with fatal crashes, sources say By Reuters

By Mike Spector and Chris Prentice

(Reuters) – The U.S. Justice Department is pressing Boeing Co to plead guilty to a criminal charge after finding the planemaker violated a settlement over deadly 737 Max crashes in 2018 and 2019 that killed 346 people, two people familiar with the matter said on Sunday.

The Justice Department is expected to formally submit the plea agreement to Boeing later today, the sources said.

Spokespeople for Boeing and the Justice Department declined to comment.

U.S. Justice Department officials disclosed their decision to family members of the victims during a phone call earlier Sunday. The plea agreement will require Boeing to plead guilty to conspiring to defraud the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration in connection with the two fatal crashes, the sources said.

They added that the agreement would also require an independent monitor to review Boeing’s safety and compliance practices for three years.

The sources said that Justice Department officials intend to give Boeing until the end of the week to respond to the offer, which they will initially present as non-negotiable. They added that if Boeing refuses to admit guilt, prosecutors intend to take the company to trial.