Current:Home > BackJustice Department defends Boeing plea deal against criticism by 737 Max crash victims’ families-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
Justice Department defends Boeing plea deal against criticism by 737 Max crash victims’ families
View Date:2024-12-23 15:00:08
DALLAS (AP) — The Justice Department is defending a plea deal it struck with Boeing over planes that crashed and killed 346 people, saying in a court filing Wednesday that it lacks evidence to prosecute the company for more serious crimes.
Prosecutors said if the plea deal is rejected and the case goes to trial, they will not offer testimony or evidence about the causes of two crashes in 2018 in Indonesia and 2019 in Ethiopia, nor will they charge any Boeing individuals.
Boeing agreed last month to plead guilty to a single felony charge of conspiracy to commit fraud for deceiving regulators who approved the 737 Max. Under the plea deal, Boeing would pay a fine of at least $243.6 million, invest $455 million in compliance and safety programs, and be placed on probation for three years.
The Justice Department made Wednesday’s court filing in response to relatives of some of the people killed in the crashes, who asked a federal judge in Texas to reject the settlement. The relatives argue that the sentence approved by prosecutors is light punishment considering the loss of lives.
U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor in Fort Worth, Texas, can accept the plea agreement and proposed sentence, or he could reject the deal, which likely would lead to new negotiations between Boeing and the Justice Department.
Prosecutors said if the case goes to trial, they would still try Boeing on the same conspiracy charge, and not for two more serious charges: manslaughter or death resulting from fraud involving aircraft parts.
“The agreement is a strong and significant resolution that holds Boeing accountable and serves the public interest. It holds Boeing to account for the most serious, readily provable offense,” department officials told the judge.
The department repeated its previous position that even with the deal, Boeing could still be charged in connection with the blowout of a panel from the side of an Alaska Airlines Max during a January flight.
Boeing, which is based in Arlington, Virginia, is alleged to have hidden details about new flight-control software from the Federal Aviation Administration. In both crashes, the software caused the nose to pitch down repeatedly and forcefully based on faulty readings from a single sensor, and pilots were unable to regain control.
Boeing blamed two relatively low-ranking employees for the deception under a 2021 settlement that would have let the company escape criminal prosecution. However, the Justice Department revived the possibility of prosecution in May, when it told the judge that Boeing violated terms of that settlement.
Judge O’Connor has previously ruled that he lacked power to overturn the 2021 deal, called a deferred-prosecution agreement, and it is unclear whether he would scuttle a plea agreement.
The judge has accused Boeing of “egregious criminal conduct.” He also ruled that the Justice Department violated a law granting rights to crime victims by not telling families of the passengers about secret negotiations with Boeing before the 2021 deal.
This time, prosecutors “have repeatedly and extensively consulted with the families,” including discussing the terms of a plea agreement,” said the deputy chief of the Justice Department’s fraud section, Sean Tonolli.
“Their voices have been heard, considered, and incorporated into the government’s decision-making,” he said.
veryGood! (58)
Related
- Dave Coulier Says He's OK If This Is the End Amid Stage 3 Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Battle
- Cigna sells Medicare business to Health Care Services Corp. for $3.7 billion
- Sen. Tom Cotton repeatedly grills Singaporean TikTok CEO if he's a Chinese Communist
- New Hampshire school worker is charged with assaulting 7-year-olds, weeks after similar incident
- TikToker Campbell “Pookie” Puckett Gives Birth, Welcomes First Baby With Jett Puckett
- TikToker Campbell Pookie Puckett Apologizes for Harm Caused by Insensitive Photos
- Botched's Dr. Terry Dubrow Shares Health Update After Quitting Ozempic
- Terry Beasley, ex-Auburn WR and college football Hall of Famer, dies at 73
- Bohannan requests a recount in Iowa’s close congressional race as GOP wins control of House
- The cost of hosting a Super Bowl LVIII watch party: Where wings, beer and soda prices stand
Ranking
- Women’s baseball players could soon have a league of their own again
- The crane attacked potential mates. But then she fell for her keeper
- Federal officials issue new guidelines in an effort to pump the brakes on catchy highway signs
- Teen falls to his death while taking photos at Utah canyon overlook
- Cameron Brink set to make Sports Illustrated Swimsuit debut
- The Best Valentine's Day Gifts Based On Each Love Language
- Missouri Republicans are split over changes to state Senate districts
- Nikki Haley has called out prejudice but rejected systemic racism throughout her career
Recommendation
-
NBA today: Injuries pile up, Mavericks are on a skid, Nuggets return to form
-
Pilot error likely caused the helicopter crash that killed 2 officers, report says
-
California teenager charged with swatting faces adult charges in Florida
-
'Black joy is contagious': Happiness for Black Americans is abundant, but disparities persist
-
Is Kyle Richards Finally Ready to File for Divorce From Mauricio Umansky? She Says...
-
Former professor pleads guilty to setting blazes behind massive 2021 Dixie Fire
-
How to Grow Thicker, Fuller Hair, According to a Dermatologist
-
A look at atmospheric rivers, the long bands of water vapor that form over oceans and fuel storms