Stephen Cloobeck, the wealthy real estate developer who briefly ran for California governor last year, was arrested Tuesday morning in West Hollywood on felony charges that he tried to intimidate witnesses in a criminal case against his fiancée, social media model Adva Lavie.
Cloobeck, 64, surrendered at the West Hollywood sheriff’s station before 11 a.m. and was booked on suspicion of attempting to prevent or dissuade witnesses from testifying.
He was released the same afternoon after posting $300,000 bail, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department jail records.
Los Angeles County prosecutors allege that Cloobeck committed the offenses between December of last year and February of this year, targeting three male victims connected to the criminal case against Lavie.
The felony arrest warrant states the threats involved “force and an express and implied threat of force and violence upon a victim.” Cloobeck is scheduled to be arraigned on August 7.
Beyond the felony counts, Cloobeck also faces a misdemeanor charge for allegedly making threatening and abusive phone calls to Lavie’s own defense attorney, Lou Shapiro.
According to the complaint, Cloobeck swore at Shapiro and threatened him, his property, and members of his family.
His attorney, Elias Dabaie, pushed back against the charges. “These charges are false and we look forward to our day in court,” Dabaie said in a statement.
Who Is Adva Lavie?
Lavie, 29, who goes by Mia Ventura online, is a model and social media influencer facing multiple felony charges of her own.
Prosecutors allege that from 2023 to 2025, she used dating apps to meet wealthy older men, posed as a romantic partner or travel companion, gained access to their homes, and then stole cash, gold, and designer items.
Alleged victims are spread across Los Angeles County, including Westlake Village, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, and the city of Los Angeles.
Lavie has pleaded not guilty to charges including residential burglary, grand theft, and unauthorized use of personal identifying information. She could face up to 11 years and eight months in state prison if convicted on all counts.
She remains free but wears an ankle monitor and cannot leave the country, which has reportedly derailed a planned wedding ceremony in Israel next month.
Cloobeck’s Rise and Turbulent Year
Cloobeck made his fortune founding Diamond Resorts, a Las Vegas timeshare company he sold to a private equity firm in 2016 for $2.2 billion.
He became a major Democratic donor and was close to the late Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. He appeared on two seasons of the reality show “Undercover Boss” and was instrumental in getting the Las Vegas airport renamed after Reid in 2021.
He entered the California governor’s race in 2024 but pulled out in November, endorsing then-Congressman Eric Swalwell.
Swalwell later exited the race in April amid sexual misconduct allegations, and Cloobeck publicly cut ties with him. Cloobeck has since said he is leaving the Democratic Party entirely and now identifies as a libertarian.
This is not the first time Cloobeck’s romantic life has drawn legal attention. He sued a previous girlfriend, an OnlyFans model, in 2021, alleging fraud, a case that produced its own wave of competing accusations and court filings.
