San Diego

Two former General Dynamics employees and an East County real estate agent were charged Friday with conspiring to defraud the defense contractor of nearly $50,000 by submitting fake invoices for work that was never performed.

Charged in San Diego County Superior Court with grand theft and conspiracy to defraud were Walter Merle Carlson, 56, of La Mesa; Bernice Marie Padua, 43, of San Diego, and Kathryn Elizabeth Padilla, 54, of San Diego.

Carlson, former manager of customer relations for General Dynamics’ Convair Division, and Padua, his former executive secretary, were fired in July after company auditors working with FBI and Defense Department investigators detected the alleged thefts. Padilla works as a real estate agent in East County, according to Assistant U.S. Atty. Larry Burns, who will prosecute the case in state court under an arrangement with the district attorney’s office.

A criminal complaint alleges that Carlson ordered invoices from a San Diego printer for several non-existent businesses and then billed General Dynamics for products and services that were never delivered. The complaint says Padua and Padilla cashed checks issued by the company as payment for the fictitious bills.