Former gubernatorial hopeful pleads not guilty in criminal case

VAN NUYS (CNS) - Billionaire and former gubernatorial candidate Stephen Cloobeck pleaded not guilty today to charges that he tried to dissuade people from testifying in a criminal case against his then-fiancée, a model and social media personality.

Cloobeck -- a real estate magnate who dropped his bid for governor late last year and threw his support behind now-disgraced former Rep. Eric Swalwell -- was charged April 28 with two felony counts of attempting to prevent or dissuade a witness/victim from attending a proceeding by force or threat, and one felony count of preventing or dissuading a witness or victim from attending or testifying at a trial or proceeding.

He was also charged with a misdemeanor count of annoying telephone calls -- allegedly directed at the attorney of one of the alleged victims in his fiancée's case.

The victims named in the criminal complaint against Cloobeck are all alleged victims in the case of his former fiancée, Adva Lavie.

Cloobeck remains free on $300,000 bond posted within hours of his arrest May 12 by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. A date is scheduled to be set Oct. 7 for a hearing to determine if there is enough evidence to allow the case to move forward to trial.

The California Post reported that Cloobeck has called off his engagement to Lavie.

Lavie, also known as Mia Ventura, was charged last year with stealing money and other property from people she met through dating apps -- including wealthy older men and some younger women.

Prosecutors say she targeted victims in Westlake Village, West Hollywood, Los Angeles and Beverly Hills from 2023 to 2025. They say she posed as a girlfriend and travel companion to gain access to the victims' homes and then allegedly stole cash, gold and high-end designer items.

She was charged with two counts each of grand theft and unauthorized use of personal identifying information, along with one count each of first-degree residential burglary and first-degree residential burglary with a person present, according to the District Attorney's Office. She is due back in court Monday for a pretrial conference.

Cloobeck had been closely tied with Swalwell, D-Dublin, who suspended his gubernatorial campaign and resigned from Congress after a woman alleged he drugged her and sexually assaulted her in a West Hollywood hotel in 2018. Swalwell has denied her account and other allegations of sexual misconduct.

Swalwell had been a house guest of Cloobeck until the latest allegation surfaced, when Cloobeck withdrew his financial backing of the disgraced politician, according to published reports.

Cloobeck and Lavie had publicly announced plans to get married in Jerusalem, but Lavie was subsequently barred from leaving the state due to her pending criminal case.

Lavie is due back in a Van Nuys courtroom Monday after being ordered last week to remain jailed without bail following her arrest on a similar case in Riverside County.

One of her attorneys, Jeremy Lessem, told reporters outside court after last week's hearing that the defense may file a motion to have Lavie placed in a mental health diversion program.

Lavie had been free on bail, but she was arrested last week in connection with a warrant issued in Riverside County, where she was charged with grand theft. According to the Indio Police Department, a man invited Lavie to his home and attend the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival in April of last year. The man later accused her of stealing an $8,600 Rolex watch, $700 Louis Vuitton Aviator glasses and an $1,800 Louis Vuitton cardholder wallet, according to an arrest warrant declaration filed by Indio police.

While she was free on bail, Lavie had been ordered to wear an ankle-monitoring device and stay away from the alleged victims, but she allegedly removed the monitoring device prior to her arrest last week.