The Department of Justice (DOJ) told a federal judge on Tuesday that Boeing violated an agreement that allowed it to escape criminal prosecution following the two crashes of 737 Max aircraft a few years ago.
The DOJ now needs to figure out whether it will bring charges against the aviation giant, according to the Associated Press. According to the department, prosecutors will inform the court of their plans in early July.
Glenn Leon, chief of the DOJ’s criminal fraud section, said Tuesday in a letter filed with the Federal Court in Texas that Boeing violated the terms of a $2.5 billion January 2021 settlement over two 737 Max jet crashes in 2018 and 2019.
He said Boeing violated the agreement to avoid lawsuits “by failing to design, implement and enforce a compliance and ethics program to prevent and detect violations of U.S. fraud laws throughout its operations.”
A conclusion that Boeing violated the terms of the agreement by not making the changes could result in the company being prosecuted “for any federal criminal violation of which the United States is aware,” the DOJ said.
Boeing has continued to face high-profile safety issues and public scrutiny, most recently in January when a door plug on a 737 Max 9 aircraft exploded during an Alaska Airlines flight.
Boeing confirmed that it received communication from the Department of Justice and a request for response regarding the alleged violations of the non-prosecution agreement.
“We believe we have honored the terms of this agreement and look forward to the opportunity to respond to the Department on this matter,” he said in a statement.
“In doing so, we will interact with the Department with maximum transparency, as we have done throughout the term of the agreement, including in responding to its questions following the Alaska Airlines 1282 crash.”
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