Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney joined law enforcement this week to announce the arrest and criminal charges against a former member of the military who allegedly stole more than $80,000 from the Hampton Bays American Legion and other fraudulent benefits.
Since 2019, Agtsteribbe has allegedly submitted falsified documents to receive personal and financial benefits, including memberships in multiple veteran organizations, recognition ceremonies, media appearances, business promotion and other services.
The services are “for our veterans," Tierney said. “They are not for fraudsters."
David Agtsteribbe, 58, was discharged from the U.S. Army for bad conduct following a court-martial conviction in 1988, but Tierney said he presented himself as a highly decorated veteran with more than three decades of service.
Agtsteribbe is facing charges including grand larceny and criminal possession of a forged instrument.
“We can never fully repay our veterans for all they have sacrificed for us and our country, but we can honor them by protecting the integrity of that service,” Tierney said.
