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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.
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.
