He claimed to be a war hero with two Purple Hearts, but police say his entire military story was a lie

• The fake war hero identity built over several years was uncovered following a police investigation in Hampton Bays.

• David Agtsteribbe faces serious criminal charges for stealing more than $81,798 allocated to American Legion veterans.

• Prosecutors demonstrated that the defendant was expelled from the Army and served prison time while claiming to be a captive abroad.

A 58 year old Long Island man claimed to be a war hero, but his military past hid a very different story after Southampton police arrested him on Monday in Hampton Bays under accusations of falsifying military documents and embezzling $81,798.31 from the local American Legion where he served as financial officer, as confirmed by the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office on the eve of Veterans Day, a deeply significant national observance honoring those who served in the United States Armed Forces, proving that this Long Island man engaged in severe deception.

Furthermore, this Long Island man maintained a public reputation for years as a decorated member of the United States Armed Forces, leveraging that fabricated prestige to join veterans organizations, participate in official ceremonies and divert financial resources intended for individuals who genuinely served the country, meaning that the Long Island man deceived everyone around him.

The fabricated background of the supposed war hero and his actual military discharge

Beginning in 2016, Agtsteribbe manufactured virtually his entire military record by presenting himself to various organizations as a service member with over 3 decades of service and extensive special operations experience, claiming he earned 2 Purple Heart medals, which a prestigious official decoration honors exclusively among military personnel wounded or killed as a direct result of enemy action, illustrating how a war hero façade was systematically constructed.

Moreover, he asserted that he participated in Combat Applications Group missions in Panama and protected a United States senator during a deployment to Iraq, but an investigation by the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office revealed that his true trajectory contrasted sharply with the war hero image he projected in public because the Army discharged him following a court-martial and disciplinary conviction, and during the exact period he claimed to remain an enemy prisoner of war, he was actually serving a grand larceny sentence in an upstate New York correctional facility, highlighting the downfall of a fake war hero.

Illegal benefits and fund misappropriation attributed to the Long Island man

• Adulterated official paperwork: The defendant presented forged records to obtain a government veteran identification card, official permits, and license plates featuring the Purple Heart insignia, acting as a false war hero.

• Municipal fee evasion: He utilized fraudulent credentials to bypass municipal parking fees at public beaches valued at a mere $50 and secured a disability parking authorization as detailed by local outlet 27East, showcasing how this Long Island man abused the system.

• Systematic capital diversion: Operating as the financial officer for the Hampton Bays American Legion since 2021, he transferred institution funds into his personal bank accounts between September 2022 and August 2026, robbing fellow citizens who respected the war hero.

• Personal expenses funded by fraud: Court records demonstrate that he used the stolen money to pay for Amazon purchases, home electricity and cable bills, travel, clothing, streaming services, and a private business membership, cementing the guilt of this Long Island man.

Prosecutor’s forceful stance and judicial proceedings in Southampton

During a press conference covered by News 12 Long Island, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney displayed the adulterated credentials and declared categorically that “everything is false; false, false, false, false, false”, while questioning how an individual managed to infiltrate the American Legion by masquerading as a decorated combat veteran with 3 decades of combat to steal funds belonging to true service members, exposing the fake war hero.

Additionally, during a Tuesday hearing in Southampton Town Justice Court before Judge Karen Sartain where a prosecutor noted that Agtsteribbe previously admitted to lying about his military history and stealing the funds, the Legal Aid Society defense entered a general denial to charges including grand larceny in the second degree, 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, with Agtsteribbe appearing in handcuffs and limiting his remarks strictly to confirming he understood court instructions before his next scheduled appearance on November 13, 2026, facing a potential maximum sentence ranging from 25 years to life imprisonment for this infamous Long Island man.