Los Angeles ? A third former Boeing official was charged Tuesday in the alleged theft of sensitive materials from rival Lockheed Martin Corp. during competition for a $1.88 billion satellite launching contract.

Larry Satchell, 65, of Newport Beach, Calif., was charged with conspiracy, obstruction of justice, theft of trade secrets and violation of the Procurement Integrity Act, federal prosecutors said.

Last August, Kenneth Branch and William Erskine pleaded innocent to charges they plotted to secure trade secrets from Lockheed Martin. Boeing fired the two men in 1999 after an internal investigation.

Satchell has retired.

A call to Robert Corbin, Satchell’s attorney, was not immediately returned.

Last summer, the Air Force banned Boeing from satellite launches, accusing it of stealing extensive information from Lockheed Martin during the 1998 competition for the launch contract.