Former NFL player and St. Louis man allege fraud in suit against Scott Credit Union

A former St. Louis Cardinals football player and a St. Louis man are suing Scott Credit Union and its officers alleging consumer fraud that has left them on the hook for millions in past due accounts.

Dave Butz of Swansea, who played as a defensive lineman for the Cardinals for two seasons and for the Washington Redskins for 14, and Eugene Schill of St. Louis filed a lawsuit April 22 in St. Clair County Circuit Court. The suit names Scott Credit Union; Ted Longust, individually and as director of Scott Credit Union’s board of directors; Frank Padak, Chris Browner, Steve Stryker, Adam Koisher, Sridhar Kondapalli, Brian Waldron, Marna Asbury, Janice Pyszka, Scott Peters, Dale Beard and Craig Burkhard.

According to the complaint, Scott Credit Union removed currency and opened unsecured lines of credit from the plaintiffs’ accounts. The suit also claims the defendants falsified documents, forged signatures, attempted to collect millions from past due accounts that were unauthorized and unsupported and that they willfully used the plaintiffs’ names to extend commercial lines of credit to fictitious and/or random companies unrelated to the plaintiffs.

Butz and Schill says they endured obstacles in their ability to legitimately borrow money, start new business ventures and uphold their professional reputations. They claim they are now personal guarantors for millions of dollars in fraudulent lines of credit that are now in arrears. They further claim violations of the Illinois Credit Union Act and breach of fiduciary duty.

The plaintiffs seek injunctive action to remove officers alleged to have made infringements, along with damages in excess of $50,000, plus attorney fees and costs. They are represented by attorney Grey Chatham Jr. of Chatham & Baricevic in Belleville.

St. Clair County Circuit Court case number: 15-L-234.