Another Little League Official Accused of Stealing Youth Baseball Money to Gamble
Posted on: June 5, 2026, 01:39h.
Last updated on: June 5, 2026, 01:40h.
- Prosecutors in Massachusetts allege a Little League official stole $250,000 to pay for his gambling debts
- The crime is additionally alleged to have paid for credit card debt, car payments, and a country club
- The case is the second theft report involving a Little League in the Northeast
Little League Baseball chapters should take a close look at their finances following a recent run of embezzlement cases involving local officials.
On Friday, federal prosecutors in Massachusetts charged Christopher Gerstel, 50, with 17 counts in connection with a scheme to defraud a local Little League out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. A grand jury returned 12 counts of wire fraud, two counts of filing false tax returns, and three counts of failure to file tax returns.
Prosecutors say Gerstel, as chair of the Needham Parks and Recreation Commission, had sole access to the Needham Baseball and Softball (NBS) financial holdings. Needham is a town in Norfolk County, roughly 10 miles southwest of Boston.
The indictment alleges that, from June 2019 through October 2024, Gerstel stole over $250,000 in NBS funds by making more than 200 wire transfers to his banking accounts.
Much of the money, the complaint alleges, went to cover Gerstel’s gambling, with Mohegan Sun his preferred destination.
Little League Funds Cover Gambling Expenses
The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts alleges that Gerstel used the $250,000 not only to gamble but also to pay his credit card debt, car payments, and country club bill. Gerstel has been arrested and appeared today before the federal court in Boston.
Specifics of Gerstel’s alleged crimes are not public, as a motion to seal the indictment was approved. The federal prosecutors’ statement on the case said the crimes came to light after the NBS Board of Directors hired a treasurer in 2024 and noticed the financial discrepancies.
Gerstel is facing decades in prison if convicted on all counts. He isn’t the first to be accused of dipping his hand into a Little League account to fund a gambling problem.
In September 2025, Casino.org reported on a case in Connecticut that police said involved the treasurer of a Little League Baseball and Softball chapter in Union City. Kenneth Grohs Jr. served as the treasurer and a coach of Union City Little League for almost two decades.
Before his sudden death in May 2025, police believe Grohs began swindling money from the Little League to pay his debts on FanDuel. In Connecticut, FanDuel offers both online casino and sports betting through a partnership with Mohegan Sun.
An investigation concluded that Grohs transferred $115,000 from the Little League to his FanDuel account. He also withdrew $50,000 from casino ATMs.
The Union City Little League received a $200,000 state grant in October 2024. No cause of death was made public for Grohs’ sudden passing at the age of 57.
Little League Isn’t All That Little
Little League Baseball and Softball, operating as Little League Baseball Inc., is based in Williamsport, Pa. Founded in 1939 by Carl Stotz, the nonprofit organization is the largest youth sports organization in the world.
In 2024, Little League Inc. reported revenue of $42.2 million on similar expenses. The nonprofit’s total assets are estimated at more than $100 million.
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