Former Long Island soccer club president pleads guilty to stealing over $70K from youth program

DIX HILLS, N.Y. (1010 WINS) — The former president of the Dix Hills Soccer Club pleaded guilty on Friday to stealing more than $70,000 from the youth organization, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office said Friday.

Matthew Dickson, 44, pleaded guilty to petit larceny, a class A misdemeanor, for the 2022 embezzlement, which went on from April through November that year.

During that time, Dickson, of Dix Hills, was responsible for paying the bills associated with the Dix Hills Soccer Club, which offers various soccer programs for children and teens. He served as vice president, then president, of the club in that span of months.

Before his guilty plea, the district attorney’s office had Dickson pay $76,237 to the club in restitution and write an apology letter to the organization’s board of directors.

“This defendant executed a scheme to line his own pockets with funds that were intended to benefit children,” said District Attorney Ray Tierney. “[The] guilty plea not only holds him accountable for his betrayal of trust, but is also an important step towards making his victims feel whole again as my office required the defendant pay back the full amount of money to the soccer club.”

While he was in leadership positions at the club, Dickson began writing checks to himself and his corporation from the organization’s account without the permission of the board of directors.

He also collected Venmo payments from club members to his personal account for soccer-related events, but never deposited them into the club’s bank account, and made payments on the club credit card he didn’t pay back.

Dickson will serve three years probation and complete over 400 hours of community service as conditions of his plea.

“Justice has been served for the members of our club and community,” current Dix Hills Soccer Club president Martin Targett said. “We are pleased our procedures allowed us to identify the wrongdoing, and we are grateful for the professionalism and collaboration with the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office.”