Latest news with #ButlerAssociates
The Sun
03-07-2025
- The Sun
Who are the P.I. Moms and where are they now? Private investigators hired by Chris Butler
Who were the members of the P.I. Moms? THE P.I. Moms were a unique group of college-educated "soccer moms" Chris Butler recruited and trained as private investigators for his company, Butler & Associates. They were based in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, specifically in the East Bay area, which included the Diablo Valley. Meet the four P.I. Moms Michelle Allen: Background in acting, she directed operations while working undercover. Charmagne Peters: With a B.A. in rhetoric and communications, she carried out undercover decoy work and supervised sting operations. Denise Antoon: Holding a B.A. and J.D. in criminal justice, as well as teaching the subject, she carried out fraud investigations and surveillance. Ami Wiltz: A former cop who featured on shows including 48 Hours and Dr. Phil, where she described what it was like to juggle P.I. Moms investigations and family life. What was Chris Butler's vision? The disgraced former cop's idea was to use mothers' inherent skills and inconspicuousness for the following purposes: Undercover surveillance Sting operations Decoy work in infidelity and domestic cases General private investigations Assisting with his "Dirty DUIs scheme" What did Chris Butler's Dirty DUIs scheme involve? His female helpers would encourage men (often those going through tough divorce cases) to excessively drink alcohol. Once the men were drunk, the helpers would get them to drive. Corrupt police officers who worked with Butler, would pull these men over and arrest them for drink driving. These were planned traps meant to get people in trouble. Many of the arrests and charges from these tricks were later canceled and removed from people's records. Where are the PI Moms are now? Most of the original P.I Moms have quietly withdrew from the spotlight returned to private life and no longer work as high-profile investigators. Have the P.I. Moms reunited? The foursome have not appeared in any follow-up projects since the initial media storm, when Ami Wiltz was on 48 Hours and Dr. Phil. What did the P.I Moms say about the show? Ami talked about the excitement of the show's initial premise and the shock and disappointment as the truth about Butler's operations was exposed. The Canceled P.I. Moms TV Show Which channel was it supposed to air on? The P.I. Moms were supposed to get their own reality show on Lifetime. Why was the show canceled? The television programme never aired because a scandal broke out. Therefore, the network quickly dropped the show and there is no indication of a reboot or a revival. Was the P.I. Moms show scripted or reality-based? It was portrayed as reality but later revealed to be largely staged and fabricated for the cameras. Were there any legal issues involving the P.I. Moms? Michelle Allen, Charmagne Peters, Denise Antoon and Ami Wiltz were not directly involved in any criminal activity. Their boss, Chris Butler, pleaded guilty to the following: Robbery Extortion Illegal wiretapping Selling police-confiscated drugs including crystal meth, anabolic steroids, and marijuana Profiting from and receiving protection for an illegal massage parlor (brothel) Conspiring to stage illegal search-and-seizure operations against sex workers His associate, Norman Wielsch, pleaded guilty to: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana and meth Theft from programs receiving federal funds. Two counts of civil rights conspiracy Stealing drugs from evidence facilities. Participating in phony "sting" operations, including false detentions and warrantless searches. How to watch Netflix's Trainwreck: P.I. Moms When does Trainwreck: P.I. Moms premiere? This new true crime documentary premieres on Netflix on July 22, 2025. What is Trainwreck: P.I. Moms about? The doc revisits the 2010 reality show P.I. Moms and the scandal that followed. It explores how the show unraveled when journalists and producers began to suspect that not everything was as it seemed. The documentary details the true story behind the show's collapse, the criminal allegations, and the broader impact on reality TV and law enforcement.
The Sun
01-07-2025
- The Sun
Who is Chris Butler and where is the cop turned private investigator, drug dealer and brothel manager now?
DISGRACED former cop Chris Butler promoted the 2010 reality TV concept P.I. Moms before his spectacular fall from grace. He was later convicted of drug dealing and running a brothel, as well as an array of other crimes — here's everything we know about him. 3 3 Who is Chris Butler? Christopher Butler is a former police officer, who worked in Antioch, California. He became a private investigator and gained notoriety for his involvement in a series of high-profile crimes. These include drug dealing, operating a brothel and orchestrating fraudulent DUI arrests. In the mid-2000s, Butler founded a private investigations firm — Butler & Associates Private Investigations — in Concord, California. He was also known for promoting the 2010 Lifetime show P.I. Moms of San Francisco, featuring female investigators catching cheating husbands red-handed while filming them. Butler's criminal activities came to light in 2011 when he and Norman Wielsch — then-commander of the Contra Costa County Narcotics Enforcement Team (CNET) — were arrested and indicted on multiple felony charges. The charges included selling confiscated drugs — with Butler's assistance, Wielsch stole methamphetamine, marijuana and steroids from police evidence lockers and sold them on the street. Butler also rented office space in Pleasant Hill, California, where he managed a brothel disguised as a massage parlor. The parlor's sex workers were required to make weekly payments, which Butler shared with Wielsch, in exchange for Wielsch's agreement to provide protection from law enforcement. Butler and Wielsch staged fake police raids, seizing money and possessions under the guise of law enforcement. In addition, Butler orchestrated stings to frame men for drunk driving at the request of ex-wives. He used his female investigators to lure targets into drinking with them before notifying police. Where is he now? In May 2012, Butler pleaded guilty to seven federal felony charges, including drug offenses, conspiracy, extortion and illegal wiretapping. His cooperation with federal investigators led to a plea deal, but the severity of his crimes resulted in an eight-year federal prison sentence. 3 Prosecutors noted that Butler's actions, motivated by a desire for fame and money, caused significant harm to individuals and undermined public trust in law enforcement. While he was eligible for release by around 2020, there is no recent public information indicating that Butler has returned to public life or resumed any professional activities, as of July 1, 2025. Netflix's Trainwreck: P.I. Moms A new true crime documentary revisits the reality show and the scandal that followed. The original P.I. Moms show aired in 2010 and was marketed as an inside look at women balancing motherhood and undercover detective work. The Netflix doc explores how the show unraveled when journalists and producers began to suspect that not everything was as it seemed. Allegations surfaced that the agency was being used as a front for drug dealing and that a local police officer was involved, leading to a full-blown scandal. The documentary promises to detail the true story behind the show's collapse and criminal allegations, as well as the broader impact of the case on reality television and law enforcement Trainwreck: P.I. Moms drops on Netflix on July 22, 2025.
