Ex-Atlanta lawyer convicted of stealing millions from clients sentenced

ATLANTA - A former owner of an Atlanta law firm who pleaded guilty in October to federal charges of wire fraud has been sentenced.

Authorities say 48-year-old Matthew Allen Dickason, the once-owner of a local firm focusing on real estate law, misappropriated millions of dollars from his clients to pay his own expenses.

Dickason was ordered to serve 27 months in prison followed by three years of probation and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of more than $3 million.

"As a lawyer, Dickason swore an oath to uphold the law and represent his clients with integrity. Instead, he violated their trust and defrauded innocent victims," said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. "Hopefully, this sentence sends the message that the FBI will doggedly work to protect American citizens and the real estate market from predators who drag down our economy by deception for their own personal gain."

"Closing attorneys serve a vital role for all real estate transactions in Georgia. They are entrusted with protecting their clients during the real estate transaction process. Dickason’s actions violated that trust and put many taxpayer-insured FHA mortgages at risk of default. HUD-OIG and our law enforcement partners consider this conduct egregious and hope that today’s sentence will deter anyone who contemplates engaging in this conduct," said Tyrone Hardy, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, Southeast Region.

"As a mortgage industry insider and attorney, Dickason had a fiduciary duty to his clients and the banks funding the mortgage transactions, but instead he illegally siphoned funds for himself and his mortgage-closing company," said Edwin Bonano, Special Agent-in-Charge of FHFA-OIG’s Southeast Region. "Today, justice was served. We are proud to have worked alongside our partner agencies on this case to arrive at today’s conclusion."

Former Atlanta attorney convicted for stealing millions from clients

According to information presented in court, Dickason was responsible for his work for overseeing hundreds of real estate transactions that totaled millions of dollars.

Investigators say Dickason took millions of dollars from his clients designated to purchase real estate and used it on his own debts and expenses. He would then use new client funds to complete the old transactions.

"It is shameful for an attorney to abuse the trust placed in him by his clients, but that is exactly what Dickason did," said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan.  "He misappropriated millions of dollars belonging to his clients for his personal benefit with no regard for how his clients would be affected."

While trying to hide his fraud, officials say Dickason uploaded fraudulent information into his firm's accounting system to make it appear like it was paying off mortgages.

By the time the victims realized what was going on, officials say they had "suffered millions of dollars in losses."

"Wire fraud is an offense that the FBI takes very seriously, especially when innocent victims are being defrauded. In this case, it is especially troubling that the crime was orchestrated by a lawyer who swore an oath to uphold the law and represent his clients with integrity," said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. "Dickason was in debt through his own fault and chose to steal from his clients and firm to pay back that debt and finance his business. Now he will pay back his debt to society in prison."

The former lawyer, who now lives in Ohio, pleaded guilty in federal court to wire fraud.