A former Major League Baseball player with the Toronto Blue Jays and the Tampa Bay Rays and his spouse have been charged after allegedly defrauding families who enrolled their children in a youth baseball training program in Durham Region.
Durham Regional Police Service (DRPS) say in 2025 multiple victims registered and paid fees for their kids to take part in the Ontario Devil Rays baseball training program. Payments were made to accounts associated with Ontario Devil Rays Inc., a baseball club and travel program for youth ages 10 to 18 that is based in Bowmanville, police said.
Investigators determined roughly $60,000 was deposited into a bank account associated with Ontario Devil Rays over the span of seven months.
“Funds from this account were subsequently transferred to other accounts associated with the suspects,” DRPS said in a news release.
“Investigators allege the funds were not used for the training program and the services initially agreed upon were not provided by the Ontario Devil Rays organization.”
Business claimed to be bankrupt: police
Const. Bharat Sharma, of DRPS, told CTV News Toronto on Tuesday afternoon that on Oct. 19, 2025, affected families “received an email advising that the business (Ontario Devil Rays Inc.) had been dissolved as a result of financial hardship and (it) is claiming bankruptcy.”
“It was ultimately determined that there was in fact no initiation of any bankruptcy or insolvency for proceedings and as a result, the regional police continued an investigation in which these charges were linked,” he said.
Police added that they later ascertained that the lawyer’s name on that email had reportedly been used without his knowledge or permission, and no bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings were initiated.
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Durham police say they have concerns there may be other victims.
Richard Butler, 53, and Michelle Butler, 52, both of Frankford, Ont., have each been charged with one count of fraud over $5,000, possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000, and uttering a forged document. The allegations against the accused have not been tested in court.
Richard Butler played seven games for the Blue Jays in 1997. He played in another 79 Major League Baseball games with the Tampa Bay Rays over the following two seasons.
This investigation is ongoing and anyone with further 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 Crime Stoppers anonymously.
