Former Blue Jays player Rich Butler and wife charged in youth baseball fraud case
Durham police allege the couple used the Ontario Devil Rays program to collect fees for training services that were never provided.
BOWMANVILLE — A former Toronto Blue Jays player and his wife are facing fraud charges after police allege they collected about $60,000 from families for a youth baseball training program that never operated.
Richard Butler, 53, and Michelle Butler, 52, of Frankford, Ont., are each charged with fraud over $5,000, possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000, and uttering a forged document.
Durham Regional Police said families registered and paid fees for the 2025-26 Ontario Devil Rays baseball training program in Bowmanville.
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According to police, families paid registration fees into accounts associated with the Ontario Devil Rays after enrolling their children in the baseball program for the 2025 season.
"Approximately $60,000 was deposited into a bank account associated with Ontario Devil Rays between April 1 and Oct. 31, 2025," police said in a statement.
Investigators allege funds from that account were transferred to other accounts associated with the suspects and were not used for the training program.
Police said the services initially agreed upon were not provided by the Ontario Devil Rays organization.
Bankruptcy claim allegedly forged
Families were told by email on Oct. 19, 2025, that the business was being dissolved due to "financial hardship and bankruptcy."
Police revealed that investigators later determined the lawyer named in the email had allegedly been used without his knowledge or permission, and no bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings were initiated.
The Ontario Devil Rays program later closed, and its website is now offline.
Police believe there may be additional victims and are asking anyone who believes they may have been affected by a similar incident to come forward.
"Anyone with information about this incident or who believes they may have been a victim in a similar circumstance is asked to contact Det. Const. Peden of the Financial Crimes Unit at 1-888-579-1520 ext. 5241 or anonymously by calling Durham Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477," police said.
A brief major league career
Rich Butler, known professionally during his playing days, is a Toronto native who played seven games with the Blue Jays in September 1997 after seven years in the minors.
He was then selected 10th overall by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the 1997 Major League Baseball expansion draft and played 79 games in parts of two seasons with the club.
He played 86 major league games total over three seasons, batting .223 with seven home runs, 22 RBIs and 30 runs scored.
Following his stint in the MLB, Butler played for the minor league Toronto Maple Leafs in 2001 and 2002.
His brother, Rob Butler, played parts of four seasons with the Blue Jays and Philadelphia Phillies and was on Toronto's 1993 World Series-winning team, making two plate appearances during the team's championship run.
Rob Butler has served as manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Canadian Baseball League since 2023.
The charges against the Butlers come during an off-season where the Blue Jays organization has faced other public scrutiny, including controversial contract comments from star Vladimir Guerrero Jr..
With files from The Canadian Press, blogTO and Barrie 360
Grant Whitfield covers product recalls, prices and consumer rights for Novello Desserts.