July 1 (UPI) -- The Justice Department is planning to present Boeing with a plea deal related to two fatal crashes of the embattled American aerospace company's 737 Max 8 jet that lawyers representing the victims' families describe as a "sweetheart deal" that they will "strenuously object" to.
The Justice Department has been investigating Boeing and its safety practices following a series of recent issues that have plagued the company's public image, most notably when a door plug flew off a 737 Max jet in January mid-flight.
Last month, federal prosecutors said those issues violated a 2021 agreement that shielded it from criminal charges stemming from the two crashes of 747 Max jets that killed 346 people in 2018 and 2019.
The conditions of the plea deal have not been publicly disclosed but lawyers representing the families said it was presented to them during a two-hour call on Sunday. If Boeing accepts, it means a criminal trial will be avoided.
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