Omaha, Nebraska – A Columbus, Nebraska, man has been sentenced to federal prison after a jury found him guilty of carrying out a fraud scheme tied to millions of dollars in loans obtained to build and operate a local car wash business.
United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Aaron T. Luneke, 44, was sentenced on July 13, 2026, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, after being convicted of bank fraud and attempted bank fraud.
U.S. District Judge Brian C. Buescher ordered Luneke to serve 36 months in federal prison. Because the federal system does not offer parole, he will be required to serve his sentence under federal rules before beginning five years of supervised release. The judge also imposed a $10,000 fine.
The convictions stemmed from loans Luneke pursued in connection with Legacy Express Wash, a car wash business located in Columbus.
Fraud involved inflated invoices and hidden debts
According to evidence presented during the trial, Luneke attempted to deceive Stearns Bank in St. Cloud, Minnesota, while seeking a $3.5 million refinancing loan.
Prosecutors said he submitted fraudulent and inflated contractor invoices to make the car wash property appear more valuable than it actually was. Investigators also showed that Luneke failed to disclose significant personal debts he owed to members of his own family when applying for the refinancing loan.
The jury additionally concluded that Luneke defrauded Bank of the Valley by again using false and inflated contractor invoices to obtain additional money through construction financing.
Those actions resulted in two loans totaling approximately $4.32 million, according to federal prosecutors.
During sentencing, Judge Buescher determined that several factors made the offenses more serious.
The court found that Luneke abused his position as Chief Financial Officer at Bank of the Valley, giving him an advantage that significantly helped him carry out and conceal the fraudulent conduct against the bank.
Judge Buescher also ruled that Luneke used sophisticated methods to execute the scheme. In addition, the court found that he acted as an organizer or leader by directing and supervising others involved in parts of the fraud.
The judge further concluded that Luneke obstructed justice by providing false testimony during his trial. The court also determined that his actions caused one of the victims to suffer substantial financial hardship, which was considered another aggravating factor during sentencing.
The investigation involved several federal agencies working together to examine the financial transactions and loan applications.
Those agencies included the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Omaha Field Office, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General, the Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General, and the Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.
The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Sean Lynch and Sarah Hinrichs, while Special Assistant United States Attorney Alejandro A. Abreu assisted during the trial.
Federal officials said the case highlights the serious consequences of providing false financial information and using fraudulent documents to obtain multimillion-dollar loans from financial institutions. The sentence brings the years-long criminal case to a close after a federal jury determined that Luneke knowingly attempted to mislead lenders in pursuit of financing for his Columbus car wash project.
