Man arrested for allegedly posing as decorated combat veteran to steal $80k

A New York man has been arrested for posing as a decorated and wounded combat veteran to steal more than $80,000 from the veterans’ organization where he worked, according to prosecutors. David Agtsteribbe, a 58-year-old from Hampton Bays on Long Island, is accused of Grand Larceny, Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument and several other charges for funneling money from a local American Legion into his personal bank account to pay for bills, clothes, travel and Amazon purchases, Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced earlier this week. “Our veterans earned their honors through sacrifice and service. This defendant allegedly exploited those sacrifices for his own selfish gain. It is a shameful abuse of trust, and one that we will prosecute,” Tierney said in a statement. Agtsteribbe enlisted in the Army in 1986, but a year later, he was court-martialed and pleaded guilty to stealing money from another soldier. He left the Army in 1988 after receiving a bad-conduct discharge.David Agtsteribbe, a 58-year-old from Hampton Bays, New York, has been arrested for posing as a decorated and wounded combat veteran to steal more than $80,000 from the veterans’ organization where he worked, according to prosecutors (Suffolk County Police Department)In 2021, Agtsteribbe became the Hampton Bays American Legion’s finance officer by using fake military credentials, including a wounded-in-combat designation and a Purple Heart award given to soldiers who are injured or killed in action, according to prosecutors. The American Legion does not allow veterans with a bad-conduct discharge to join, but Agtsteribbe claimed to have been honorably discharged. From September 2022 to this past August, Agtsteribbe stole nearly $81,800 to pay his personal expenses, according to prosecutors. Agtsteribbe was arrested Monday and ordered during his arraignment Tuesday to remain in custody as his case plays out. He faces 25 years to life in prison if convicted on the top count of Grand Larceny in the Second Degree. ‘Our veterans earned their honors through sacrifice and service. This defendant allegedly exploited those sacrifices for his own selfish gain,’ Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney said (AFP via Getty Images)Agtsteribbe, who had already been in jail twice for grand larceny, pleaded not guilty to the new charges Tuesday, NBC New York reported.Bill Coderre, Suffolk County’s American Legion commander, said it was “a case of stolen valor” and a “serious breach of our trust” in a statement shared by the outlet. "It's bad theft. Especially for people who need it, and there’s a lot of people who do need it, especially vets,” veteran Rodney Smith told CBS News New York. Simone Scotto, who owns Scotto's Pizza in Hampton Bays, told the outlet, "I feel bad for the American Legion of Hampton Bays because they do a lot of things for the community.”The Independent has reached out to the Hampton Bays American Legion for comment.