Former CEO Christopher L. Butler, 49, of Porter Ranch, California, has been charged with 15 felonies after prosecutors said he embezzled more than $5 million over seven years from The Painted Turtle, a nonprofit co-founded by Paul Newman for children with serious medical conditions.
Butler is expected to be arraigned Thursday in Los Angeles, according to the case described by prosecutors. The charges stem from allegations that the embezzlement totaled about $5.2 million.
Prosecutors said Butler worked for The Painted Turtle from 2018 until the summer of 2025. The Painted Turtle, based in Lake Hughes, California, provides free programs for children with chronic or life-threatening illnesses, and is funded as part of Newman’s “SeriousFun Children’s Network,” according to the description of the nonprofit.
The criminal complaint, as summarized in the reporting, said Butler embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars each year and that the total allegedly reached about $5.2 million. Prosecutors also said Butler served as the organization’s controller for a time and attempted to hide evidence by modifying or deleting computer records.
A new controller discovered “irregularities” in the organization’s financial records in August 2025, according to the complaint. The charges carry a potential sentence of more than 18 years in prison, the reporting said.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman, in a news release, said that “Abusing a position of power to steal funds from a camp dedicated to helping children with serious medical conditions is an affront to both the law and our deepest values.” Hochman added: “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.”
A phone number for Butler could not be located, and a public defender who represented Butler briefly during his first court appearance declined to comment because she is no longer handling his case, according to the reporting. Officials with The Painted Turtle did not immediately respond to a voice message requesting comment.