Romeoville Woman Faces PPP Loan, Unmployment Fraud Charges: Cops

ROMEOVILLE, IL — A 22-year-old Romeoville woman faces multiple felony charges after being arrested in connection with fraudulently obtaining more than $45,000 in Paycheck Protection Program loans and unemployment benefits.

Yunelly Bahena was arrested in March in connection with the charges that allege that she obtained PPP loans for a beauty salon business, police officials said. The indictment, which was brought in April, claims that Bahena wrote on her PPP loan application that she had a gross income of $110,000 while working as a “self-employed individual” in 2019.

Documents also indicate that Behena frequently obtained $4,710 in unemployment benefits from the Illinois Department of Employment Security. The indictment against her states that Behena was not eligible for unemployment funds because she had already secured the $41,666 in PPP loans from the federal government.

After being indicted on April 6, Bahena was arrested on May 31 and booked into the Will County Jail. She faces charges of theft, loan fraud, state benefits fraud, and wire fraud following the investigation, which was conducted by the Romeoville Police Department.

Bahena has since been released from jail after posting 10 percent of a $10,000 bond that was set by a Will County Judge. According to court records, Bahena was arrested in 2022 on drug charges and sentenced to two years probation.