Cloobeck, 64, was arrested in West Hollywood and released on $300,000 bail; his fiancée faces separate burglary and theft charges
Stephen Cloobeck, a real estate developer who briefly ran for California governor last year, faces three felony counts of attempting to dissuade witnesses from testifying in a criminal case against his fiancée, according to The New York Times.
Jail records show Cloobeck, 64, was processed at the West Hollywood station at 11:19 a.m. and walked free later that day once $300,000 bail had been posted, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Each of the three felonies charges him with trying to stop witnesses from coming forward "by force or threat," according to The New York Times. An additional misdemeanor count relates to phone calls he allegedly made to Lou Shapiro, the attorney representing Lavie, during which he reportedly directed profanity at Shapiro and issued threats against Shapiro, his family, and his property, according to the Los Angeles Times. Shapiro had no comment. An arraignment is set for Aug. 7.
Cloobeck's attorney denied the allegations. "These charges are false and we look forward to our day in court," attorney Elias Dabaie said, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Lavie, 29, who goes by the name Mia Ventura online, has been charged with multiple felonies. Between 2023 and 2025, Lavie allegedly weaponized dating apps to build trust with affluent older men and younger women before breaking into their residences and making off with cash, gold, and high-end goods, prosecutors said, according to the Los Angeles Times. She has pleaded not guilty. If convicted on all counts, she faces up to 11 years and eight months in state prison.
The charges against Cloobeck were filed April 28 and cover alleged conduct between last December and this February, according to CBS News.
Diamond Resorts International, the timeshare company Cloobeck built, fetched $2.2 billion when he sold it in 2016, according to the Los Angeles Times. After a short-lived bid for the California governorship, he dropped out in November 2024 and threw his support to then-congressman Eric Swalwell, who subsequently abandoned the race and left Congress following sexual misconduct allegations he denies.