July 24 (Reuters) - The Justice Department said Boeing ( BA )

has agreed to plead guilty to a criminal fraud conspiracy

charge and pay a fine of $243.6 million after the Justice

Department said the planemaker had breached a 2021 deferred

prosecution agreement, according to a court filing.

The planemaker on July 7 had agreed in principle to plead

guilty to conspiring to defraud the Federal Aviation

Administration after the government said the planemaker

knowingly made false representations about key software for the

737 MAX.

The Justice Department said Boeing ( BA ) and the government had

finalized the details of the plea deal.