A former professional baseball player and his wife have been charged with fraud over a youth baseball training program scam that swindled families out of thousands of dollars.
Authorities have unveiled a case involving the Ontario Devil Rays baseball training program, which promised services for the 2025-2026 season to young athletes but allegedly failed to deliver.
Families reportedly paid registration fees to Ontario Devil Rays Inc., with around $60,000 deposited into the organization’s bank account between April 1 and Oct. 31, 2025. However, investigators claim the funds were siphoned off to other accounts belonging to the suspects instead of being used for the program.
Further complicating matters, families were notified via email on Oct. 19, 2025, that the business was going under due to financial struggles and bankruptcy. The email, allegedly sent using a lawyer’s name without authorization, turned out to be false as no bankruptcy proceedings had been initiated.
Former MLB player Richard Butler, 53, and his wife, Michelle Butler, 52, both of Frankford, face charges related to the scam, including fraud over $5,000 and possession of property obtained by crime.
Richard Butler, who played for the Toronto Blue Jays and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays during his professional baseball career, attended East York High School and has been accused of forging documents in connection to the fraudulent scheme.
Michelle Butler, also charged in the case, is alleged to have been involved in the financial wrongdoing related to the deceptive youth baseball program.
Investigators suspect there may be more victims and urge anyone affected by similar circumstances to come forward and assist in the ongoing investigation.
