Former Greensburg attorney pleads guilty to embezzlement

U.S. Attorney Russell M.Coleman says a Campbellsville man pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Greg N. Stivers on Friday, to five counts of wire fraud as part of a scheme to obtain money from clients of his legal practice, in order to pay personal expenses including gambling losses.

Danny Butler, 72, was indicted on November 15, 2017. According to the indictment, Butler operated a legal practice in Greensburg. According to his plea agreement, from August 2009 through October 2016, Butler obtained money by false pretenses, by not performing work for his clients and 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 up to $1,250,000, and be required to serve a three-year period of supervised release. His sentencing is scheduled for March 4, 2019.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bryan Calhoun, and was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Kentucky State Police.