Local News in Brief : 3 Indicted in Fraud Plot

Robert Butler, president of two Southern California aerospace companies, was indicted Thursday with two other company officials on charges that they cashed hundreds of thousands of dollars in checks for expenses they never incurred.

Butler, 54, head of Butler Industries Inc. of Valencia and Purkey Co. Inc. of North Hollywood, is charged with conspiracy and income tax violations in federal grand jury indictments returned in a crackdown on defense industry fraud.

Also named in the indictments are John Cave, 43, of Beverly Hills, secretary and general manager of Purkey Co., and Steven Wooten, 30, of Newhall, general manager of Butler Industries.

They are accused of conspiring to write company checks to fictitious payees, endorsing and cashing the checks, keeping the money and then taking tax deductions for the phony expenses.