Bellevue Bookkeeper Joya Kinney Sentenced for $452K Embezzlement

Bellevue, Neb. – Joya M. Kinney, 45, a former bookkeeper for an incorporated private school in Nebraska, was sentenced to nine months’ imprisonment and ordered to pay $495,652.13 in restitution after being found guilty of embezzling over half a million dollars from federal aid funds.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that Kinney was sentenced on September 24, 2025, by Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. Upon her release, she will serve a 3-year term of supervised release.

Kinney admitted to four unauthorized $10,000 cash withdrawals from the school’s accounts. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigation revealed that between March 2016 and May 2023, Kinney embezzled approximately $452,176 by taking cash, paying her personal credit card with school funds, making unauthorized purchases, and receiving unauthorized checks.

The school received a Paycheck Protection Program loan of around $302,500 under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Kinney’s embezzlement was discovered in May 2023 when an outside auditor reported inconsistencies in the school’s accounting records.

During her tenure as bookkeeper from 2014 until her termination in May 2023, Kinney was responsible for handling funds and making financial entries into the school’s accounting system. She was terminated following her confession to school staff.

This case was investigated by the FBI and the Bellevue Police Department. United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods emphasized the severity of the offense, stating that embezzlement from federal aid programs is a serious crime that affects both the organization and the public.”