Matthew Dickson pleads guilty to stealing more than $70G from Dix Hills Soccer Club

The former president of the Dix Hills Soccer Club pleaded guilty on a charge related to embezzling tens of thousands of dollars from the organization, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office said Friday.

Matthew Dickson, 44, of Dix Hills, pleaded guilty to stealing more than $70,000 from the soccer club, which offers various soccer programs for children and teens, back in 2022, according to a news release from the district attorney.

Before his plea, prosecutors forced Dickson to pay $76,237 in restitution to the soccer club and write an apology letter to its board of directors, the district attorney’s office said.

"Justice has been served for the members of our club and community,” current Dix Hills Soccer Club president Martin Targett said in the district attorney's release.

James Misiano, the Brentwood-based defense attorney representing Dickson, was not immediately available for comment Friday evening.

Dickson admitted that between April and November 2022, while he was vice president and then president, he was responsible for paying the soccer club’s bills, according to the release. But instead of paying expenses, authorities said Dickson wrote the soccer club’s checks to himself and his corporation without permission from the board of directors.

The former president also collected payments from club members through his personal Venmo account for soccer-related events, but failed to deposit them into the organization’s bank account, according to the release. He also failed to reimburse the club for expenses he charged on its credit card.

“This defendant executed a scheme to line his own pockets with funds that were intended to benefit children,” Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney said in the release. “Today’s 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.”
Dickson pleaded guilty to petit larceny, a misdemeanor, before Supreme Court Justice John B. Collins on Friday. As part of his plea, Dickson must serve three years of probation and complete over 400 hours of community service, according to the district attorney’s office. He is due back in court for sentencing on Nov. 15.