East End American Legion officer accused of stolen valor, $81K theft

A finance officer for an American Legion post on the East End lied about his military service and stole more than $80,000 from the veterans’ organization, Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney alleged Tuesday.

The charges, announced the day before Veterans Day, accuse David Agtsteribbe, 58, of Hampton Bays, of using forged military records to claim honors and benefits he had not earned. He was arrested Monday by Southampton Town police.

Prosecutors said Mr. Agtsteribbe filed a falsified DD Form 214 — a military discharge record — with Southampton Town in 2023 to avoid paying a $50 resident permit fee.

“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,” said Suffolk DA Ray Tierney in a statement. 

He also allegedly claimed to be a retired lieutenant colonel. At the time of his bad-conduct discharge, however, he held the rank of private, prosecutors said.

“There is something particularly despicable about fabricating a military record and claiming honors you have never earned,” Mr. Tierney said. “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.”

From September 2022 through August 2026, Mr. Agtsteribbe allegedly stole $81,798.31 from the Hampton Bays American Legion, where he served as finance officer, according to the DA’s office.

Prosecutors said he transferred funds into his personal checking account and used the organization’s money to pay for Amazon purchases, residential electric and cable bills, a private business-membership program, streaming services, travel, clothing and other personal expenses.

According to prosecutors, Mr. Agtsteribbe enlisted in the Army in 1986. The following year, he was court-martialed and pleaded guilty to stealing money from another soldier. He was sentenced to five months’ confinement and received a bad-conduct discharge. He formally separated from the Army in 1988 and has not served since.

The investigation found that he had been using false documents since 2019 to join veterans’ organizations for which he was ineligible, including the Military Order of the Purple Heart, the DA’s office said.

He joined the Hampton Bays American Legion in 2021 and became its finance officer after allegedly presenting fabricated military credentials. Prosecutors said his bad-conduct discharge made him ineligible for membership.

“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,” Mr. Tierney said.

Mr. Agtsteribbe, who is the president and founder of Epic Payment Solutions, has received several accolades and recognitions for service in the last few years. In 2023, Brookhaven Town honored him by declaring Nov. 5 as Lieutenant Colonel Agtsteribbe Day, according to a Facebook post from the event. He has also been honored by the Hampton Bays School District.

Mr. Agtsteribbe was hit with seven felony counts: second-degree grand larceny, criminal possession of a forged instrument, two counts of offering a false instrument for filing and three counts of falsifying business records.

At his arraignment Tuesday, Southampton Town Justice Karen M. Sartain ordered him held without bail pending the case. He is represented by the Legal Aid Society and is due back in court Friday, Nov. 13.

He faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted on the top count, according to the DA’s office.