A man dishonorably discharged from the U.S. Army is accused of falsely casting himself as a decorated combat veteran and stealing tens of thousands of dollars from a veterans organization, prosecutors in New York said on the eve of Veterans Day as they announced criminal charges.
David Agtsteribbe, 58, of Hampton Bays, is accused of receiving benefits and stealing money from an American Legion post on Long Island by falsely portraying himself as the recipient of two Purple Hearts, when he had in fact received a bad-conduct discharge following a court-martial conviction in 1988, according to Suffolk County prosecutors.
The criminal complaint alleges that Agtsteribbe repeatedly falsified military records to obtain personal and financial benefits by claiming he received a Purple Heart for actions as a member of the elite Combat Applications Group in Panama and received his second Purple Heart for wounds received while protecting a U.S. senator in Iraq.
He is also accused of obtaining a leadership position in the Hampton Bays American Legion and stealing more than $81,000 from the organization. The stolen funds were allegedly used to pay for various personal expenses, including Amazon purchases, residential electric and cable bills, a private business-membership program, streaming services, travel and leisure, clothing and accessories, and other personal purchases, prosecutors alleged.
“This case is about alleged fraud, theft, and the exploitation of resources that exist to support and honor those who have served our country. That’s what they’re for. They’re for our veterans. They are not for fraudsters,” Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said during a news conference Tuesday announcing the charges.
For the better part of a decade, Tierney said Agtsteribbe submitted falsified military documents to obtain memberships in multiple veterans’ organizations, attend recognition ceremonies, make media appearances, promote his businesses, and obtain official government documents — including a veteran’s photo identification, Purple Heart license plates, and government permits.
“Our investigation revealed that the defendant should never have been able to join the American Legion in the first place, but was able to do so, only able to do so by falsely portraying himself as a decorated combat veteran with over three decades of service that never took place. So not only did he steal from veterans, he pretended to be one as well,” Tierney said.
He also claimed to be a prisoner of war. However, according to prosecutors, during the time he claimed to be a prisoner of war, Agtsteribbe was a prisoner in upstate New York for a grand larceny conviction.
Agtsteribbe is charged with grand larceny, criminal possession of a forged instrument, offering a false instrument for filing and falsifying business records. He was arrested on Monday by Southampton police.
He was ordered remanded during his arraignment on Tuesday and is due back in court later this week. He faces 25 years to life in prison if convicted on the top count, prosecutors said.
ABC News has reached out to the Legal Aid Society, his representation, and the Hampton Bays American Legion for comment on the case.
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