Ex-MLB Player Charged Over Missing Youth Baseball Fees

Parents paid a former major-league player’s organization to train their children. Police say about C$60,000 went into the program’s account, then moved to other accounts associated with him and his wife while the promised services went undelivered.

Durham Regional Police announced charges October 20 against Richard Butler, 53, and Michelle Butler, 52, of Frankford, Ontario. Each faces fraud over C$5,000, possession of property obtained by crime over C$5,000 and uttering a forged document.

Richard Butler played for the Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Devil Rays. The allegations concern the separate Ontario Devil Rays youth training organization, where families registered children for the 2025-26 season.

Families Paid for the Coming Season

According to police, parents paid fees into accounts associated with Ontario Devil Rays Inc. Investigators traced approximately C$60,000 deposited between April 1 and October 31, 2025.

The money was subsequently transferred to other accounts associated with the suspects, police allege. Investigators say the funds were not used for the training program and that the organization did not provide the services agreed upon.

The announcement did not describe individual families’ losses or identify the children involved. The amount reported by Canadian authorities is in Canadian dollars, rather than a U.S.-dollar valuation of the fees.

The case concerns what happened to money paid for a particular season’s training. Neither Butler has been convicted of the allegations announced by police, and the transfers and failure to provide services remain part of the prosecution’s case to prove.

An Email Claimed the Business Was Bankrupt

Families received an email October 19, 2025, saying the business was being dissolved because of financial hardship and claiming bankruptcy. The notice arrived after parents had registered for the program.

Police say their investigation found no bankruptcy or insolvency proceeding had been initiated. They also allege that the name of a lawyer included in the email was used without that person’s knowledge or permission.

The bankruptcy account was therefore part of investigators’ public explanation of the case, alongside their findings about the registration payments. Their announcement described both the email received by families and the absence of an insolvency proceeding supporting its claims.

Police publicly named the couple in the October 2026 announcement and released their photographs. They also said investigators were concerned that other families might have experienced similar circumstances.

His Playing Career Included Toronto and Tampa Bay

Butler signed with Toronto as an undrafted free agent in September 1990, according to local reporting on his baseball career. He spent seven years in the minor leagues before reaching the Blue Jays in September 1997.

He appeared in seven games for Toronto that season. Tampa Bay then selected him in the expansion draft, and he played 72 games during the Devil Rays’ inaugural 1998 season.

He returned for another seven major-league appearances in 1999. The Canadian Press reported that his career total was 86 games between 1997 and 1999, with seven home runs and 22 runs batted in.

His later career included time outside the majors, including the Toronto Maple Leafs baseball club. His brother Rob also played for the Blue Jays, including their 1993 World Series team.

The criminal allegations are against Richard and Michelle Butler in connection with the Ontario training business. Police have not accused either of Richard’s former major-league teams, and Rob Butler is not identified as a suspect in the announcement.

Investigators Are Seeking Other Families

Durham’s Financial Crimes Unit is asking anyone with information about the program, or who believes they experienced a similar incident, to contact investigators. Police also provided an anonymous Crime Stoppers reporting option.

The request leaves the investigation open to additional accounts from parents beyond those already examined. For the families described in the announcement, the case now concerns both the money they paid and the explanation they received when the expected training did not materialize.

References: Professional Baseball Player and Spouse Charged in Fraud Investigation | Parents Paid Former MLB Player to Train Their Kids. Police Say He and His Wife Pocketed $60K Instead | Former Blue Jays player Rich Butler, wife, charged with fraud in Ontario | Former Blue Jays outfielder, wife charged in youth baseball fraud probe

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