Justice Department defends Boeing plea deal against criticism by 737 Max crash victims’ families

AP Business Writer

DALLAS (AP) — The Justice Department is defending a plea deal it struck with Boeing over planes that crashed and killed 346 people. A senior Justice Department official said Wednesday in a court filing that prosecutors lack the evidence to prosecute Boeing for more serious crimes. Under the agreement, Boeing would plead guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud for deceiving regulators who approved the 737 Max. Two of the planes crashed in 2018 in Indonesia and 2019 in Ethiopia. Boeing would pay a fine of at least $243.6 million. Relatives of some of the people killed in the crashes have asked a federal judge in Texas to reject the plea deal and force the company to go through a public trial.