April 24 (Reuters) - U.S. Justice Department officials

are planning to decide as soon as late May whether Boeing ( BA )

violated an agreement that shielded the planemaker from criminal

prosecution over fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019, people familiar

with the matter said.

Justice Department officials revealed the timeline during a

meeting on Wednesday with families of the victims of two fatal

Boeing 737 MAX crashes in 2018 and 2019.

The Justice Department declined to comment. Boeing ( BA ) was not

immediately available for comment.