Boeing knowingly continued flying the 737 MAX after the first 189 passengers died in a crash, leading to an additional 157 deaths in another crash. Despite knowing the issues, Boeing prioritized share buybacks and eliminated quality control. This chain of events was considered a felony that required a vast conspiracy. Boeing was under criminal investigation but managed to avoid prosecution through a deferred prosecution agreement in 2021, where the Justice Department agreed not to prosecute due to the belief that the company's problems were not systemic and involved only a few individuals.