Anna Kline, also known as Jordana Weber, a 35-year-old woman from Sparks, Nevada, has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for operating a multimillion-dollar advance fee Ponzi scheme and attempting to obstruct a government investigation. The sentencing, announced by U.S. Attorney Alina Habba, took place in Camden federal court before U.S. District Judge Christine P. O’Hearn. In addition to her prison term, Kline was ordered to serve three years of supervised release and pay $3.4 million in restitution to her victims.
Between April 2017 and July 2019, Kline ran multiple shell companies claiming to offer large business loans—often exceeding $100 million. Victims, primarily small business owners, were told they had to pay advance fees, typically around 5% of the loan amount, in order to secure funding. After receiving payments, Kline would delay the process using false explanations and forged documents, such as doctored bank statements that gave the illusion of financial legitimacy. In many cases, victims received neither a loan nor a refund.
Authorities determined that at least six victims wired a total of approximately $7 million to bank accounts controlled by Kline. She and her partner, Jason Torres, used the money for personal expenses, including luxury cars, vacations, artwork, and to pay off earlier victims in typical Ponzi fashion.
Following her arrest in July 2019, Kline made efforts to obstruct the federal investigation by providing falsified evidence. She submitted a fake forensic Cellebrite report through her attorney, claiming it showed threatening iMessages from Torres. However, forensic analysts discovered the report was fabricated. The alleged forensic expert, “Drew Andrews,” was a fictitious character created by Kline, who had also used the alias in a California family court custody case to falsely support her claims.
Further analysis of a computer Kline provided revealed manipulated data and timestamps, including altered iTunes backup files, all aimed at supporting her fabricated narrative and misleading prosecutors. The FBI, led by Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly, conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Kogan of the Cybercrime Unit in Newark prosecuted the case.
Officials emphasized that this case highlights the federal government’s commitment to prosecuting financial crimes, especially complex fraud schemes that surfaced during the economic volatility of the COVID-19 era.
