An alleged scheme portraying a Long Island man as a decorated combat veteran unraveled this week after prosecutors said he was actually discharged for misconduct and stole more than $81,000 from a veterans organization.
David Agtsteribbe, 58, allegedly presented himself as a wounded war hero and falsely claimed he had received a Purple Heart.
The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office said Tuesday that Agtsteribbe was arrested two days before Veterans Day.
Prosecutors said he served for about a year before being discharged as a private in 1988. The year before, he was court-martialed and pleaded guilty to stealing money from another service member.
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David Agtsteribbe allegedly posed as a decorated combat veteran while prosecutors say he took $81,000 from a veterans’ organization. (David Agtsteribbe/Facebook)
Agtsteribbe later allegedly altered his discharge paperwork to make his military record appear honorable. Prosecutors said the falsified documents helped him obtain a finance officer position with a local veterans’ organization, where he allegedly diverted funds to pay for personal expenses.
“There is something particularly despicable about fabricating a military record and claiming honors you have never earned,” District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney said.
“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. 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.”
Military honors prosecutors described as “fake” were displayed during a news conference announcing charges against David Agtsteribbe. (Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office)
Prosecutors said Agtsteribbe joined the Hampton Bays American Legion in 2021, after allegedly falsifying his discharge records to meet the organization’s membership requirements.
The altered documents also allegedly listed a higher retirement status, which prosecutors said may have enabled him to receive free health care and other benefits.
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Beginning in 2022, Agtsteribbe allegedly moved money from the organization’s accounts into his personal checking account. The funds were reportedly used for Amazon purchases, household bills, a private business membership, streaming subscriptions, travel, leisure activities, clothing and accessories.
The alleged theft totaled $81,798.31, prosecutors said.
Officials also said Agtsteribbe had applied for and obtained membership in other veterans’ groups as far back as 2019, including the Military Order of the Purple Heart.
In 2023 and 2024, he allegedly submitted the falsified discharge documents to the Town of Southampton in an effort to avoid a $50 resident permit fee and secure a handicap parking permit.
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Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney called the alleged military honors “fake, fake, fake” while detailing the case against Agtsteribbe. (Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office)
Some of the allegedly falsified records also identified him as a retired lieutenant colonel, even though his actual discharge rank was private.
Agtsteribbe 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.
If convicted of the top charge, he could face 25 years to life in prison as a persistent felony offender.
Prosecutors sought significant bail, pointing to his criminal history and the allegations. Their request included $100,000 cash, a $200,000 secured bond or a $1 million partially secured surety bond to guarantee his return to court.
Agtsteribbe is scheduled to appear again in court on Nov. 13, 2026.
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