The former CEO of a camp for children with serious medical conditions has been charged with 15 felonies after prosecutors said he embezzled more than $5 million over seven years from the nonprofit co-founded by Paul Newman.
Christopher L. is expected to be summoned. Butler, 49, of Porter Ranch, California, on Thursday in Los Angeles. He is accused of embezzling funds from The Painted Turtle, one of several camps for children with chronic or life-threatening illnesses that the late actor Newman co-founded.
Like other camps funded through Newman’s “SeriousFun Kids Network,” Lake Hughes, Calif.-based Painted Turtle relies on donations and offers free programming, allowing campers to have fun with other kids with similar medical conditions.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. “Abusing a position of authority to steal money from a camp dedicated to helping children with serious medical conditions is an affront to the law and our deepest values,” Hochman said in a press release. “My message is crystal clear: If you steal from the most vulnerable members of our community or the organizations that serve them, this office will use every tool the law allows to hold you fully accountable.”
Butler’s phone number could not be located, and the public defender who briefly represented Butler during his first court appearance declined to comment because she is no longer handling his case. Officials at The Painted Turtle did not immediately respond to a voice message seeking comment.
According to the criminal complaint, Butler worked for The Painted Turtle from 2018 until the summer of 2025, and prosecutors say he embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars each year — the total allegedly amounting to about $5.2 million. He also served as a controller for the organization for a time, according to the complaint, and prosecutors say he tried to hide evidence of the alleged crimes by modifying or deleting computer records.
A new auditor discovered “irregularities” in the organization’s financial records in August 2025, according to the complaint.
These charges carry a potential prison sentence of more than 18 years.