Theft/Property — Kearney, NE — reported 2026-07-15

SUMMARY

The Younes family's businesses are accused of fraudulently obtaining over $4 million in Paycheck Protection Program loans during the COVID-19 pandemic.

KEY FACTS

  • Incident type: Theft/Property
  • Location: Kearney, NE
  • Date reported: 2026-07-15
  • Suspect: not stated

REPORTED DETAILS

  • The Younes family's businesses applied for and obtained more than $4.6 million in Paycheck Protection Program loans from the federal government.
  • Paul Younes was on probation when the applications were submitted, making the business ineligible for aid under initial rules.
  • The rules were later modified to allow greater eligibility, but the government is investigating whether the Younes businesses 'fraudulently obtained' the loans and their forgiveness.
  • A letter from the Youneses' lawyer states that they did not intend to defraud anyone in their application, but rather followed the advice of professionals to comply with the law.