TALLADEGA, Ala. – Loaning money to Danny Butler did not always center on regulatory orders, court fights and alleged forgeries as it has over the last few months. When in his prime, Danny Butler said he showered the fruits of his success on executives and lawyers at Alabama One Credit Union and West Alabama Bank and Trust in the form of wholesale priced-vehicles, free trips to beachfront properties and seats in one of the exclusive skyboxes at the University of Alabama's Bryant-Denny Stadium.

According to court records, Butler, who is serving a sentence for defrauding the Small Business Administration and kiting checks between West Alabama Bank and Trust and the $602 million, Tuscaloosa-based credit union, made sure executives at both institutions, along with their families and friends, had access to the good things in life, particularly cars at wholesale prices.

Over 30 years, Butler built a very successful business wholesaling cars that, he said in an interview with CU Times, eventually led to his doing business with all of Tuscaloosa's automobile retailers. He said automobile retailers took used cars in trade for new ones, sold them to Butler for an agreed-upon price, and Butler then found buyers for them.