Hampton Bays Man Accused of Stealing $81K From American Legion, Faking Purple Hearts

On the eve of Veterans Day, Suffolk DA Ray Tierney exposes an alleged scheme of stolen money and stolen valor.

Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney announced charges Tuesday, on the eve of Veterans Day, against a Hampton Bays man accused of stealing more than $81,000 from the local American Legion while allegedly posing as a decorated war hero with two Purple Hearts, prisoner-of-war status and decades of military service that never happened.

David Agtsteribbe, 58, the finance officer of American Legion Hand-Aldrich Post 924 on Ponquogue Avenue, allegedly stole $81,798.31 from the veterans organization between September 2022 and August 2026, using the money for personal expenses including Amazon purchases, household utility bills, streaming services, travel, clothing and business-related expenses.

But the alleged theft was only part of a much larger deception.

According to prosecutors, Agtsteribbe falsely claimed to have served in elite military operations, received two Purple Hearts and retired from the U.S. Army as a lieutenant colonel. In reality, he was court-martialed in 1987 after pleading guilty to stealing money from another soldier, sentenced to five months’ confinement and given a bad-conduct discharge. He formally separated from the Army in 1988 as a private and never served again.

“There is something particularly despicable about fabricating a military record and claiming honors you have never earned,” Tierney said Tuesday at a news conference in Hauppauge. “This defendant allegedly took that disgraceful deception even further. He is accused of falsely portraying himself as a war hero, infiltrating an organization for those who actually served this country and then betraying their trust by stealing their money.”

Prosecutors allege that Agtsteribbe falsified his military discharge papers, known as DD Form 214, to claim an honorable discharge, additional military service, combat wounds and a Purple Heart. The altered document also listed his rank as specialist, rather than private.

A Claim of Two Purple Hearts and Elite Military Unit Status in Irag/POW

Among his claims were that he earned one Purple Heart while serving with an elite military unit in Panama and another after being wounded while protecting a U.S. senator in Iraq.

He also claimed to have been a prisoner of war. According to prosecutors’ statements at the news conference, investigators determined that during the period he claimed to have been held captive, he was actually incarcerated in an upstate New York prison following a grand larceny conviction.

Membership in Veterans Organizations Dating back to 2019

The fabricated military history allegedly helped Agtsteribbe gain membership in veterans organizations dating back to 2019, including the Military Order of the Purple Heart. Prosecutors said he used false military credentials to attend recognition ceremonies, make media appearances, promote his businesses and obtain government-issued documents and privileges.

In 2021, he joined the Hampton Bays American Legion using allegedly fraudulent military credentials, despite being ineligible for membership because of his bad-conduct discharge. He served as the post’s finance officer, giving him access to its funds.

Investigators allege he transferred American Legion money into his personal checking account and used organizational funds to cover his own expenses.

“Our investigation revealed that the defendant should never have been able to join the American Legion in the first place,” Tierney said. “So not only did he steal from veterans, he pretended to be one as well.”

The alleged deception also reached Southampton Town government.

The town’s official website features Agtsteribbe as a Hometown Heroes honoree, with a biography describing military accomplishments prosecutors now say were fabricated, including two Purple Hearts, prisoner-of-war recognition and retirement as a lieutenant colonel.

According to prosecutors, Agtsteribbe submitted falsified military documents to Southampton Town in 2023 to avoid a $50 resident permit fee. In 2024, he allegedly submitted multiple letters to the town clerk’s office seeking handicap permits, identifying himself as a combat-wounded veteran and Purple Heart recipient.

The criminal investigation began after American Legion officials discovered financial irregularities and contacted Southampton Town Police.

The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Public Corruption Squad conducted the investigation, with assistance from Southampton Town Police and the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant District Attorney Patrick Rooney of the Public Corruption Bureau is prosecuting the case.

Suffolk County Sheriff Errol Toulon, whose office assisted in the investigation, described the allegations as “a new type of low.”

Agtsteribbe was arrested Monday, Nov. 9, by Southampton Town Police and arraigned Tuesday before Southampton Town Justice Karen M. Sartain.

He faces charges of second-degree grand larceny, second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument, two counts of first-degree offering a false instrument for filing and three counts of first-degree falsifying business records.

He was remanded to custody and is scheduled to return to court Friday, Nov. 13. He is represented by the Legal Aid Society. Prosecutors say he faces up to 25 years to life in prison if convicted on the top charge.

The charges come as veterans and their families prepare to gather across the East End for Veterans Day observances Wednesday, Nov. 11.

The Hampton Bays American Legion is scheduled to hold its own ceremony at 11 a.m. at its headquarters at 55 Ponquogue Ave.

“This case is about alleged fraud, theft, and the exploitation of resources that exist to support and honor those who have served our country,” Tierney said. “That’s what they’re for. They’re for our veterans. They are not for fraudsters.”

Angela LaGreca

Editor, Co-Founder/Publisher

Angela LaGreca, Editor-in-chief and co-Founder/Publisher of Spark Hamptons, is a four-time Emmy Award-winning journalist, producer, writer and comedian/host. Her TV credits include NBC’s “Today,” ABC’s “The View,” and, most recently, the primetime cable news program “Cuomo” on NewsNation. On the East End, she was the Creative Director at LTV, VP Features/Events/Photo Editor at Dan’s Papers, and has performed at Guild Hall, Bay Street Theater and the WHBPAC. Her publishing career began at Modern Photography, where she was managing editor. LaGreca lives in Manhattan and East Hampton and can be reached at angelatvmedia@gmail.com and angela@sparkhamptons.com .