BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (FBI)– A Campbellsville man pleaded guilty before the United States District Court on Friday to five counts of wire fraud.
Officials say this was part of a scheme to obtain money from clients of his legal practice, by means of misappropriating funds, in order to pay personal expenses including gambling losses.
Danny Butler, 72, was indicted Nov. 15. According to the indictment, Butler was a licensed attorney. He operated a legal practice in Greensburg and provided clients with a broad range of legal services including probate, general civil, and government benefits.
According to the plea agreement before the court, from August 2009 through October 2016, Butler obtained money by false pretenses from the clients of his legal practice by not performing work for his clients and by stealing funds belonging to estates of his clients.
Butler misappropriated funds from the following clients:
- Approximately $148,106 from the estate of L.A.;
- Approximately $29,987.07 from the estate of L.P.;
- Approximately $401,500 from the representation of B.M.;
- Approximately $50,000 from the representation of D.M.;
- Approximately $50,000 from the estate of D.B.;
- Approximately $90,000 from the representation of J.R.B.;
- Approximately $90,000 from the estate of E.U.;
- Approximately $25,000 from the estate of E.M.;
- Approximately $59,000 from the representation of J.W.S.;
- Approximately $25,000 for the representation of E.S.; and
- Approximately $125,000 from the estate of L.P.M.
Butler could be sentenced to a maximum 100 years in prison, fined $1,250,000, and be required to serve a three year period of supervised release. Sentencing is scheduled for March 4, 2019.
