The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has determined that Boeing violated a deferred prosecution agreement from 2021, which had shielded the company from criminal charges related to the fatal crashes of its 737 Max aircraft in 2018 and 2019, resulting in 346 deaths. The agreement was part of a $2.5 billion settlement to avoid prosecution on a single charge of fraud for misleading regulators. The breaches could expose Boeing to potential criminal prosecution. The DOJ's findings, communicated to a federal court on May 14, highlight Boeing's failure to design, implement, and enforce a compliance and ethics program to prevent and detect violations of fraud laws throughout its operations.