Former Louisiana insurance commissioner Jim Brown made a trip to federal prison in Oakdale, La., on Oct. 16, but not without some last-minute mileage arrangements. Brown, who was convicted in 2000 of making false statements to the FBI about his role in a state settlement with a failed insurance company, started his last day of freedom by stopping by the courthouse to pay a $50,000 fine.

According to the Associated Press, he later joked about the fact that the federal court would not accept a check, but allowed him to pay with a credit card that earned him 75,000 frequent flyer miles.