Former Boeing pilot acquitted of Max 737 fraud case

A former Boeing 737 Max technical pilot was acquitted in a fraud case brought on by the Justice Department, in its only criminal case against an individual linked to the troubled aircraft.

The Justice Department indicted Mark Forkner in 2021 on allegations of scamming customers to make millions of dollars for the company and deceiving the Federal Aviation Administration’s Aircraft Evaluation Group regarding Boeing’s 737 Max airplane.

A jury in Texas found Forkner not guilty on the charges after two hours of deliberation, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The 737 Max flight control system that Forkner was accused of lying about was blamed for two crashes that killed more than 300 people.

“There was a bit of discussion about what more he could have done” to communicate with the agency, one juror said, according to the Journal. However, the Justice Department gave “very little evidence to support” Forkner intentionally lying to the FAA.

The juror said the fault laid more on the “corporate and regulatory failure of communication.”

The trial lasted for four days as prosecutors said Forkner purposely lied about the system and the training needed for it, claims the defense denied, saying Forkner only provided the information he received. 

“We had a great team and client — and a smart, fair, and independent judge and jury. We are very grateful,” Forkner’s attorney, David Gerger, said in a statement to The Hill.

The Justice Department told the outlet they stand by their investigation and work of their prosecutors. 

“While we are disappointed in the outcome, we respect the jury’s verdict,” the spokesperson stated.

The Justice Department told The Hill they stand by their investigation and work of their prosecutors. 

“While we are disappointed in the outcome, we respect the jury’s verdict. The Justice Department stands by the hard work of the prosecutors and our law enforcement partners in investigating and trying this case,” a spokesperson said.