Vocational retraining programs at the Togus Regional Office of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs are under federal investigation.

Regional Office Director Dale Demers confirmed Thursday that an investigator from the Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General is on-site examining the programs administered by the division of vocational rehabilitation and employment. Demers also said that the director of the division, Fred Judkins, is on indefinite sick leave.

Demers said a routine visit by an inspector in September revealed that files on veterans enrolled in the retraining programs were missing. Demers said he did not know how many files were involved or what the financial impact of the investigation might be if it turns out that client files were falsified in order to divert funds.

“The IG’s job is to find out if [the files] ever existed,” he said.

The official investigation commenced Oct. 6.

Asked how long the investigation might take, Demers responded, “In reading other fraud investigations, they can take years.”

Judkins, who has directed the vocational rehab division for about 25 years, requested sick leave before the OIG visit in September, according to Demers. No charges have been filed.

Preliminary estimates reported by other media that “millions of dollars” may be involved are way too premature, Demers said.

“We are at the very beginning of this investigation,” Demers stressed. “It could just be a case of faulty judgment.”

Attempts to reach Judkins for comment Thursday were unsuccessful.

All division services will continue during the investigation, according to Demers. There is no impact on other programs, he added.

He also stressed that there was no connection between the investigation at the regional office and a current inspection at the Togus medical center.

Jack Sims, director of the Togus medical center, confirmed that OIG officials are at the hospital this week for a routine inspection but that only minor irregularities have been found there.

“Mostly housekeeping issues,” Sims said.