BANGOR (AP) – A man who ran a program at the Togus Veteran Affairs office pleaded guilty Monday to stealing federal funds from the facility.

Fred S. Judkins II, 61, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to two counts of conversion of government property and one count of obstruction of a federal audit. Judkins formerly lived in Waterville and now lives in Gainesville, Fla.

Judkins, a Vietnam War veteran, admitted to investigators that he used a federal credit card to buy computers and other electronics for himself.

Prosecutors said Judkins also admitted to deleting one veteran’s file from a national database to conceal $36,000 in credit-card purchases used to buy tools and to pay the veteran to repair and renovate properties owned by Judkins and his wife.

Under a plea agreement, Judkins acknowledged that he had “abused a position of public or private trust and tried to conceal the offense.” He agreed to pay $20,000 in restitution prior to sentencing, which is expected in the next two to three months.

Under federal guidelines, the conversion charges each carry a maximum of 10 years in prison, and the obstruction charge carries a maximum penalty of five years. Each offense carries a maximum fine of $250,000.

Dale Demers, director of the Veterans Affairs regional office at Togus, said Judkins worked there for almost 30 years, heading the department that retrains and pays benefits to disabled veterans.

“This is very disheartening,” Demers said. “We are doing our best to try to restore credibility to this very worthwhile program.”

Demers said the investigation was launched by the U.S. Office of the Inspector General when veterans’ files were reported missing in September 2003.