Former MLB Outfielder and Wife Accused of $60,000 Youth Baseball Scam

Ontario police announced Tuesday that Richard Butler – who spent a handful of seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays in the late‑1990s – and his wife, Michelle, are now facing a trio of fraud‑related charges.

The couple is accused of running a sham youth‑baseball training scheme called the “Ontario Devil Rays” for the 2025‑2026 season. From April 1 to Oct. 31 of last year, roughly $60,000 in registration fees were supposedly deposited into a bank account tied to the program. Instead, investigators say the money was later moved into personal accounts belonging to the Butlers.

Families who paid the fees received an email on Oct. 19, 2025, saying the organization had been dissolved because of financial hardship and that a bankruptcy filing was imminent. The email even quoted a lawyer’s name – but the lawyer later told police his name had been used without his permission, and no actual bankruptcy proceedings were ever started.

Because the promised training never materialized, the police charge both Richard and Michelle Butler with one count each of fraud over $5,000, possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000, and uttering a forged document.

Richard Butler’s baseball résumé is modest but respectable: 86 games played between Toronto and Tampa Bay from 1997‑1999, a .223 batting average, seven homers and 22 RBIs. His older brother, Rob Butler, enjoyed a longer career, appearing in 162 games and winning a World Series with the 1993 Blue Jays.

The case has raised eyebrows in the tight‑knit community of Ontario youth sports, where parents often trust former pros to deliver quality coaching. If convicted, the Butlers could face significant fines and possible prison time, underscoring the seriousness with which authorities are treating the alleged misuse of funds.

For now, the investigation is ongoing, and families who were duped are left hoping for restitution and a clear message that scams of this sort won’t be tolerated.