DOJ considers dropping criminal charges against Boeing over Max jet crashes that killed 346

The Justice Department said Friday the agency is considering dropping criminal charges against Boeing, the maker of the 373 Max jets that crashed in 2018 and 2019. 

Justice Department attorneys discussed the plan in a virtual meeting with the families of 346 victims of crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia, in 2018 and 2019, respectively, according to the victims' lawyers.

The Boeing jets were owned and piloted by Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines, respectively.

Boeing had previously agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to defraud the Federal Aviation Administration regarding a crucial flight control system on the jets, which included a $487.2 million fine and three years of oversight by an independent monitor, Newsweek reported.

The DOJ is considering dismissing the criminal case and substituting a non-prosecution agreement.

"We hope that this bizarre plan will be rejected by the leadership of the department," said Paul Cassell, attorney for many of the families. "If not – and if the department moves to dismiss the case – we will strenuously object" in court. 

Lorinda Laryea, the acting chief of the department's Criminal Fraud Division, said that a final decision hasn’t been made. 

However, Cassell said that this decision is a “prearranged conclusion” that “clearly is not in the public’s best interest.”

Robert A. Clifford, lead counsel in the civil litigation, said regarding Boeing's earlier agreement to plea guilty: "They can’t just walk back from that. These are facts that they agreed to. You have all the facts you need to prosecute this case. These families are willing to take the risks that their government apparently is unwilling to take to hold these criminals responsible.”

The suggestion of a non-prosecution agreement comes after Qatar signed a deal on Wednesday to purchase 160 aircraft from Boeing.