A former treasurer of the North Manatee Soccer Club has been charged with defrauding the organization of more than $50,000, following an investigation that revealed the youth soccer club lost more than $146,000 over a three-year period.
Arrest details and bond
Nancy Fetzner, 52, of Parrish, was arrested on August 11. She was released two days later on a $50,000 bond. The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office removed her from her position after the arrest. Fetzner served as the treasurer for the club from 2015 until 2026. The affidavit for her arrest warrant states the team manager noticed transactions in the team’s accounts that appeared to be for personal use.
According to the sheriff’s office statement, they were notified of suspected financial fraud on June 29. Investigators found that Fetzner used club funds for tickets to sporting events, including Tampa Bay Rays and Tampa Bay Lightning games. She also purchased a Royal Caribbean Cruise and made purchases in Las Vegas. The affidavit notes these transactions occurred from August 2023 to July 2026.
After the deputy investigating the case informed the newly-appointed president of the North Manatee Soccer Club, Fetzner told him there was a “glitch” in the Chase banking system. She claimed this glitch made anyone looking at the business account see her personal account.
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When the investigator spoke with Fetzner’s husband, he said he had no idea of what had been happening. He offered to write a $30,000 check to the North Manatee Soccer Club to “make all the charges drop and disappear,” according to the affidavit.
Club response and financial recovery
The total loss to the North Manatee Soccer Club as a result of Fetzner’s activities was $146,686.73. The Mutiny Soccer Club, which operates under the North Manatee umbrella based in Palmetto, posted a statement on Facebook addressing the situation.
“The money involved is not simply numbers on a balance sheet,” the group wrote. “These are funds entrusted to Mutiny Soccer Club by our families, sponsors, donors and community partners.” The organization stated it has hired a professional bookkeeper to manage the club’s finances moving forward and has begun implementing additional financial controls and oversight.
Officials emphasized that the organization is fully cooperative with the investigation and will continue providing youth soccer services. “Mutiny Soccer Club is not in financial trouble,” the post read. “The club remains operational and financially capable of providing the programs and services our families expect.” The statement confirmed that practices and games will continue, and that the alleged actions of one individual will not determine the organization’s future.
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Fetzner was also the secretary/bookkeeper for Buffalo Creek Middle School in Palmetto. The school is conducting an internal investigation. Her arraignment is scheduled for September 25 in the Manatee County Judicial Center.
While the North Manatee club focuses on restoring its financial stability, this case highlights a recurring issue within volunteer-led youth sports organizations. These groups often rely on a single trusted individual to manage finances, creating a vulnerability that can be exploited when internal checks and balances are absent. When a treasurer is responsible for both recording transactions and authorizing payments, the potential for fraud increases significantly. Effective financial oversight in these settings usually requires a separation of duties, where one person cannot process and approve payments without another person verifying the action.
Fetzner’s arrest comes one month after the former treasurer of Sarasota Little League was sentenced to a year in jail for stealing more than $200,000 from that organization.