DOJ Lets Boeing Escape Felony Charges Over Deadly Plane Crashes

The Department of Justice (DOJ) will let aerospace giant Boeing avoid criminal prosecution related to a fraud case stemming from two deadly plane crashes involving their jets, the department said in court filings released Friday.

The DOJ agreed on a settlement with Boeing, ensuring the aerospace company will not risk a felony charge while still being obligated to pay out $444.5 million to crash victims on top of a massive $243.6 million fine, court documents show. The two crashes, Lion Air Flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, killed a total of 346 people caused by mechanical failures from the 737 MAX jets.

“Although this decision does not lessen the immense pain this tragedy has caused our family, we feel it is in our best interest, spiritually and emotionally, to resolve this matter once and for all and concentrate on healing,” one family member wrote to Boeing in the court documents. “We acknowledge the complexities involved, and we agree that completing this agreement will enable us to start the process of closure.” (RELATED: ‘Absolutely Foreseeable’: Dead Boeing Whistleblower’s Family Reportedly Sues Company)

A Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 takes of from Paris Roissy Charles De Gaulle (CDG) airport on May 17, 2025. (Photo by DANIEL SLIM/AFP via Getty Images)

Boeing board members will also be required to meet with the affected families to hear their thoughts “about the impact of the Company’s conduct, as well as the Company’s compliance, safety, and quality programs,” according to the court. An official motion to dismiss is expected in the next week.

The fraud charge stemmed from the 2021 settlement of a case in which the company was accused of defrauding the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The settlement deal required Boeing to pay $500 million to the victims’ families and $1.7 billion to customers that could not use the 737 MAX jets for business as a result of a 20-month ban on its use.

In May 2024, the DOJ found Boeing in violation of the agreement when it allegedly did not implement an ethics program aimed at stopping fraud.

Boeing did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.

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