After years of online whispers and angry group chats, Anne Bergstedt-Jordanova, a Long Beach woman long accused of posting fake rental listings, walked out of custody Tuesday with a plea deal, two years of probation, and a hefty bill.
A judge ordered Bergstedt-Jordanova to pay $47,100 in restitution to 14 victims and said she will face more jail time only if she violates the terms of her probation. She had already spent about 63 days in custody following her November arrest.
In court, Bergstedt-Jordanova pleaded no contest to two counts of grand theft as part of a deal that wiped out most of the other charges, according to Long Beach Post. Prosecutors had accused her of taking security deposits that ranged from $1,500 to $4,000 from would-be tenants. Under the agreement, she admitted to roughly $5,300 in theft, while the judge still ordered the larger restitution amount to make the victims whole.
How the Scam Worked
Victims and local reporting say Bergstedt-Jordanova posted rental listings on marketplaces and housing sites, sometimes even touring people through units in person or over FaceTime before collecting deposits through payment apps, as described by Longbeachize. After the money changed hands, she would allegedly cut off contact…