McKinsey & Company will pay $650 million to settle criminal charges related to its role in advising Purdue Pharma on boosting sales of the opioid OxyContin. The settlement resolves a U.S. Department of Justice investigation into allegations that McKinsey helped “turbocharge” OxyContin sales, fueling the opioid epidemic.

The firm entered a five-year deferred prosecution agreement, agreeing to strengthen compliance measures, cooperate with oversight from federal agencies, and resolve related civil investigations under the False Claims Act. Prosecutors also charged a former senior McKinsey partner, Martin Elling, with obstruction of justice for deleting documents tied to the firm’s work for Purdue.

McKinsey expressed regret for its past work with Purdue Pharma, stating, “We should have appreciated the harm opioids were causing in our society.” The company previously settled lawsuits for nearly $1 billion without admitting liability and ceased all opioid-related consulting in 2019.