The Needham Channel

UPDATE: Gerstel pleaded not guilty to all 17 charges.

Chris Gerstel, who formerly served on the Needham Baseball & Softball board of directors, is charged with allegedly defrauding the Little League organization out of more than $200,000.

Gerstel, chair of the Park and Recreation Commission, was arrested Friday morning in connection with 12 counts of wire fraud, two counts of filing false tax returns and three counts of failure to file tax returns, according to federal prosecutors.

The alleged conduct took place between June 2019 and October 2024.

Park and Rec Commission Chair Accused of Stealing Funds From Local Little League – Needham Local Needham Parks and Recreation Youth Sports Park and Rec Commission Chair Accused of Stealing Funds From Local Little League Cameron Morsberger June 5, 2026 • Chris Gerstel, who formerly served on the Needham Baseball & Softball board of directors, is charged with allegedly defrauding the Little Lea...

How about Needham girls tennis?! Still undefeated and they beat Andover 4-1 Tuesday in playoff action! The Rockets advance to the Quarterfinals, where they'll visit Boston Latin Thursday at 1pm, but here's a few photos Derick snapped during Tuesday's matchup at the new NHS Courts.