Woman Sentenced to 10 Years for $7 Million Ponzi Scheme and Obstruction

Anna Kline operated fraudulent lending companies and falsified evidence to mislead investigators and courts

A Nevada woman has been sentenced to 120 months in federal prison for running a multimillion-dollar advance fee Ponzi scheme and obstructing the government’s investigation, according to an announcement by U.S. Attorney Alina Habba. Anna Kline, also known as Jordana Weber, 35, of Sparks, Nevada, pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud and was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Christine P. O’Hearn in Camden federal court.

In addition to her prison sentence, Kline was ordered to serve three years of supervised release and pay $3.4 million in restitution to victims of the scheme.

Fraudulent Lending Operation

Between April 2017 and July 2019, Kline established and operated multiple shell companies that falsely claimed to offer high-value business loans, often exceeding $100 million. Victims, mostly small business owners, were told they had to pay advance fees—typically up to 5% of the total loan amount—before any funding could be secured.

After receiving payments, Kline delayed the purported loan process with fabricated explanations and fraudulent documents, including doctored bank statements suggesting the shell companies had the funds to fulfill the loans. These tactics were used to stall and further deceive victims, some of whom ultimately received no loan or reimbursement.

In total, at least six victims transferred approximately $7 million to accounts controlled by Kline. Authorities reported that Kline and her partner, Jason Torres, used the funds to finance personal expenses, including luxury vehicles, high-end artwork, vacations, and to repay earlier victims—hallmarks of a traditional Ponzi scheme.

Obstruction of Federal Investigation

Following her arrest in July 2019, Kline attempted to obstruct the investigation by submitting false evidence. Through her then-attorney, she gave federal prosecutors a falsified Cellebrite report that appeared to show threatening iMessages from Torres, in an effort to shift blame.

Subsequent forensic analysis revealed the report had been fabricated. Investigators discovered that “Drew Andrews,” the forensic examiner Kline claimed had produced the report, did not exist and was an alias she had created. Kline had used the same fictitious persona in a California Family Court custody hearing, where she again misrepresented the report’s origin.

Further forensic review of a computer Kline submitted to the government showed that timestamps and data—including an iTunes backup—had been manipulated to support her false claims.

Ongoing Federal Oversight

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation under Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Kogan of the Cybercrime Unit in Newark prosecuted the case.

The conviction underscores federal efforts to identify and prosecute financial fraud, especially schemes that emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic aftermath.