Who are the P.I. Moms and where are they now? Private investigators hired by Chris Butler
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.
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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?
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
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.
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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.
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The Irish Sun
03-07-2025
- The Irish 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. Advertisement 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? 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 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. Advertisement 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 Irish Sun
01-07-2025
- The Irish 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 Chris Butler surrounded by his P.I. Moms investigators — (from left to right) Michelle Allen, Denise Antoon, Julia Brazina and Charmagne Peters Credit: Getty 3 Promo pic from reality shoe P.I. Moms (2010), which came to an end following Butler's arrest Credit: Paramount 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 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. Most read in The US Sun 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 Butler was sentenced to eight years behind bars after a plea deal Credit: Paramount 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. Read more on the Irish Sun 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.
Sunday World
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Couple who run heating oil company caught with 160,000 counterfeit cigarettes
SMOKED OUT | While Laura Murphy walked free after her four month jail sentence was suspended, her husband William was ordered to serve six months in prison Fraudsters William and Laura Murphy who were sentenced today While 32-year-old Laura Murphy walked free from Antrim Crown Court after her four month jail sentence was suspended for three years, her husband William (49) was ordered to serve his six month sentence in prison. Judge Alistair Devlin said he was distinguishing between the pair because Mrs Murphy had 'played a somewhat lesser role' in the offending. At an earlier hearing the couple, both from Craig's Road in Cullybackey, admitted that on 4 July 2023 they acquired possession of prohibited goods, namely 160,018 cigarettes, 'with intent to defraud His Majesty of any duty payable on the goods, or to evade any such prohibition or restriction.' They also admitted to being 'knowingly concerned in carrying, removing, depositing, harbouring, keeping or concealing, or in any manner dealing with the goods and that you did so so with intent to defraud His Majesty of any duty payable on the said goods, or to evade any such prohibition or restriction with respect to the said goods.' They further admitted they were 'knowingly concerned in, or in the taking of steps with a view to, the fraudulent evasion of VAT.' In his sentencing remarks today, Judge Devlin outlined that when HMRC officers attended the couple's business Town Fuels Ltd to test fuels they had stored, one of the officers spotted a blue Ford Transit van parked in a shed. 'It appeared to contain 15-16 boxes stored in the rear,' said the judge adding that when the couple were asked about it, Mr Murphy said it was 'nothing' while his wife said she was just about to the their children out in the van. The court heard when the HMRC officers examined the van however, they uncovered 16 boxes of Lambert & Butler cigarettes and Judge Devlin added that as well as not having duty paid stamps on them, it also transpired the cigarettes were 'entirely counterfeit.' In total, HMRC seized 160,000 cigarettes and the judge told the court that taking into account duty and VAT payable, there was a total loss to the Exchequer of £80,728. Despite their claims the cigarettes were for personal use, Judge Devlin said even if the pair smoked day after day, the haul 'would have lasted more than 10 years.' Fraudsters William and Laura Murphy who were sentenced today News in 90 seconds - June 2nd The judge was scathing in his comments regarding the approach taken by the couple, highlighting how they had given little cooperation to the investigation or of how they came to have the cigarettes or what they intended to do with them. He said while Mr Murphy claimed to a probation officer, after he admitted his guilt, that he was to be paid £400 to store the illegal cigarettes, 'the truth of that is completely impossible for the police to investigate or accept, given the grossly late stage that has been offered.' Describing the claim as potentially a 'cynical attempt to minimise his own role,' Judge Devlin said despite Mr Murphy's efforts to persuade the court 'just to take his word for it…the problem with that is that this defendant has shown himself as an individual whose word cannot be trusted.' 'Lies were told by the defendants,' the judge added so in circumstances where there is a doubt, 'that doubt should not be taken in their favour.' He told the court that apart from the loss to the Exchequer, the cigarettes in this case were counterfeit so while lawful cigarettes are harmful enough, 'manufacturers of counterfeit cigarettes are not likely to use quality materials' so they would be even more harmful. Judge Devlin said the authorities were clear in that deterrent sentences were called for in all but exceptional cases. In Mr Murphy case, he told the court 'I can find no such exceptionality' so he ordered him to serve his six month sentence in jail but Mrs Murphy, who is the primary carer of their children and her mother and who played a lesser role, had her four month sentence suspended for three years.
