Talk about disrespecting America’s pastime. A Tennessee man accused of using hundreds of dead and retired professional baseball players’ names in a fraud scheme is up against a slew of federal charges, prosecutors said. Ironically, the man has the same legal name as baseball icon Babe Ruth. He allegedly used hundreds of dead and retired professional baseball players’ names to fuel a brazen and “elaborate” scheme to steal more than $550,000, federal prosecutors said.
George Herman Ruth Charged With Fraud & Identity Theft
George Herman Ruth, 69 is a resident of Morristown, about a 50-mile drive northeast from Knoxville. He was charged with mail fraud, aggravated identity theft, fraudulent use of Social Security numbers, money laundering and other federal offenses in a lengthy 91-count indictment last month.
According to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee, Ruth was also involved in a separate, seven-year scheme in which prosecutors said he defrauded the Social Security Administration, the Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service out of more than $1M in Social Security benefits.
Ruth Served Five Years For Defrauding Social Secuirty Administration, IRS and Treasury Department Out Of $1M
Back in 2020, Ruth was sentenced to nearly five years in prison for that offense, which according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana took place in that state.
Court documents show he was previously incarcerated from approximately 1984 to 2014 with brief periods of release from custody. He was on supervised release when he was charged in Tennessee. Former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Josh J. Minkler, said at the time, “Mr. Ruth has tried making a career of getting something for nothing.” “He was not that good at it and this sentence should put an end to it,” Minkler added.
Prison Didn’t Stop Ruth From Getting Back In Fraud Game
Ruth spent all of his time in prison coming up with another scam, according to prosecutors. From January 2023 through July 2025, Ruth put his brain to work, locating different pending class action lawsuits and filed “hundreds of fraudulent claim forms” in the names of dead or retired professional baseball players, Tennessee prosecutors said.
He also used Social Security numbers belonging to “numerous unwitting victims” when filing the claims, according to prosecutors.
Ruth Used Dead & Retired MLB Players In Social Security Scam
The victimized Major League Baseball players were not named in Ruth’s indictment. However, according to the indictment, some of the professional athletes include former St. Louis Cardinals and San Diego Padres pitchers. Also a second and third baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Cleveland’s franchise, who is deceased
Ruth left no league or team unscathed as his racket also victimized a retired first baseman for the Toronto Bluejays, Miami Marlins and New York Mets.Ruth used “the fraud proceeds he obtained to pay for personal expenses and trips, such as a trip to Las Vegas and to casinos in Virginia, North Carolina and elsewhere,” according to prosecutors.
How Did George Herman Ruth Operate His Scheme?
Ruth opened different post box addresses throughout eastern Tennessee and opened a phony business called El Mundo Marketing LLC, according to reports. Ruth used the dummy business for money laundering, according to prosecutors. In addition, Ruth is reportedly also facing charges of making false statements to his probation officer and possessing firearms as a convicted felon, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
So this guy has a lot of charges pending and it looks like his reign of deception is coming to an end.
When Is Ruth Going To Trial?
Ruth’s Trial is scheduled for Jan. 27, according to prosecutors and Ruth faces up to 20 years in prison, as well as a “mandatory, consecutive two-year sentence,” up to three years of supervised release and a maximum potential fine of $250,000, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Batter up.