DA: Self-proclaimed war hero from Hampton Bays made up military service, stole more than $80K from American Legion

Well, on the eve of Veterans Day, allegations of stolen valor. A Hampton Bays man is accused of not only stealing tens of thousands of dollars from the American Legion, but also lying about his own military service. News 12's Cecilia Dowd has the latest. This is what our heroes get when they come home. We've seen these in our communities. That's hung in our communities. Problem investigators say David Axteriby is far from a hero. I'm hurt, you know, more than angry. I'm I'm hurt and I'm Disappointed. I'm disappointed in him. It's all fake. Fake, fake, fake, fake, fake, fake, fake, fake, fake, fake. Axteriby, the former finance officer for the Hampton Bays American Legion, is accused of stealing more than $80,000 from the Legion. Investigators say he lied about his service and claimed he was a decorated Purple Heart recipient. The exact... The price for a purple heart is someone's blood, sweat, and tears. That's what it costs for an actual person to win a purple heart. It cost him nothing but lies. Investigators say the defendant did enlist in the Army in 1986, but the next year was court-martialed. He pleaded guilty to stealing money from another soldier. He received a bad conduct discharge. He also claimed to be a prisoner of war, which is interesting because during the time he claimed to be a prisoner of war, he was a prisoner. He was just a prisoner in upstate New York for a grand larceny conviction. The DA says the self-proclaimed war hero used fake military credentials, benefiting from his lies by joining veterans organizations and even getting Purple Heart license plates. Veterans at the Hampton Bays American Legion are stunned. He was so good at it. You know, he fooled everybody. You know, he fooled this whole town. We weren't the only ones who got fooled. He stole a lot from us besides money. Because of money. Respect. The defendant is behind bars. Reporting from Hampton Bays in Suffolk County, Cecilia Dowd, News 12. Horrible allegations. News 12 spoke with the commander of the Hampton Bays American Legion. He had no comment.