Ex-MLB Star Richard Butler and Wife Charged in $60,000 Youth Baseball Fraud Scheme
Authorities allege the couple took money for a non-existent training program and used the funds for other purposes.
Former Major League Baseball player Richard Butler and his wife, Michelle, have been charged with fraud in connection with an alleged youth baseball scheme that defrauded families of approximately $60,000.
Butler, who played for the Toronto Blue Jays and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the late 1990s, is accused of soliciting fees for a 2025-2026 Ontario Devil Rays baseball training program that was never established. According to Durham Regional Police, the collected fees, totaling around $60,000, were transferred from the organization's bank account to accounts linked to the Butlers.
In October 2025, parents and guardians were informed via email that the business was dissolving due to financial hardship and declaring bankruptcy. However, police investigations revealed that no bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings were initiated. Furthermore, a lawyer named in the dissolution email had allegedly been included without their knowledge or consent.
Richard Butler, 53, and Michelle Butler, 52, each face three charges: fraud over $5,000, possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000, and uttering a forged document. Police are concerned there may be additional victims who have yet to come forward.
Butler's brother, Rob, was a member of the Toronto Blue Jays team that won the 1993 World Series.