Former Toronto Blue Jays Outfielder Charged in Fraud Case

A former Toronto Blue Jays outfielder has been charged with three counts of fraud related to money taken in from supposed services related to the Ontario Devils Rays youth baseball program.

TSN was among the outlets to file the report.

According to the Durham Regional Police Service (DRPS), Rich Butler, and his wife Michelle, are alleged to have taken thousands of dollars from families, based on findings from an investigation into the Devil Rays' program. The couple are charged with fraud over $5,000, possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000 and uttering a forged document.

DRPS alleges that approximately $60,000 was deposited into an account related to the program between April 1 and October 31 of 2025, which were then transferred into different accounts connected to the Butlers. In October of that year, the Butlers sent an email to involved families that the program was being dissolved due to financial difficulties and that the Devil Rays were declaring bankruptcy. However, DRPS could find no evidence that bankruptcy was filed.

Butler's Brief History With the Blue Jays

Born in Toronto, Butler made his major league debut with the Blue Jays in 1997 at the age of 24 after being signed as an undrafted free agent. He would play just seven games for his hometown team, slashing a line of .286/.375/.357 with four base hits, including a double, and two RBI.

Butler would be left exposed in the 1997 expansion draft, where he was selected 10th overall by what was then known as the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. He then played 79 games across two seasons in Tampa Bay, hitting .219/.274/.350 while amassing seven home runs and 20 RBI. He holds the distinction of being the first major league hitter to homer off of Blue Jays legend Roy Halladay.

Upon becoming a free agent following the 1999 season, Butler would sign a contract with the Seattle Mariners, but never made it back to the majors.

Butler's older brother, Rob, had two stints in Toronto, including being part of the club's 1993 World Series championship. Both men starred for the Toronto Maple Leafs baseball team of the semi-pro Intercounty Baseball League (IBL) in the early 2000's. In 2023, Rob became the manager of the team.

For Butler, the fraud charges darken what had been a wholesome local success story of a Toronto-born baseball player who made the majors with the Blue Jays and turned that into a lifetime of helping develop the sport in the city.