Boeing has agreed to plead guilty to one charge of conspiracy to defraud the US and potentially pay up to $487 million in fines for repeated safety failures. The plea deal provides a path for Boeing to avoid trial, the Justice Department said in a court filing Sunday. But that fine is a fraction of the $24.8 billion that families of crash victims wanted the aircraft maker to pay. The guilty plea is a severe blow to the reputation of Boeing, a company once known for the quality and safety of its commercial jets. Beyond the two fatal crashes of the 737 Max jets, the company has faced a series of questions about the safety and quality of its planes.