Ex-Gov Candidate Arrested in Burglary Case

Stephen Cloobeck, the billionaire real estate developer who briefly ran for California governor in 2026, surrendered at the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station on May 12 on charges that he tried to stop witnesses from testifying in the criminal case against his fiancée, authorities said. (ktla.com) Los Angeles County sheriff’s records cited by local outlets show Cloobeck, 64, was booked on suspicion of violating California’s witness-dissuasion law and later released on $300,000 bail. (wehoonline.com) Adva Lavie, Cloobeck’s fiancée, is a Los Angeles model and social media personality who prosecutors say used dating apps to gain access to victims and burglarize their homes. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said on March 24 that Lavie, who also uses the name Mia Ventura, had been held to answer on six felony charges and would face trial. (da.lacounty.gov) The arrest ties a new criminal case to an older one that had already drawn attention because of the allegations against Lavie and Cloobeck’s public profile as a Democratic donor and founder of Diamond Resorts. Prosecutors have not publicly laid out their evidence in detail in the materials available online, but multiple reports say the alleged contacts were directed at victims or witnesses in Lavie’s pending case. (ktla.com) ### Which charges are prosecutors pursuing against Cloobeck? Los Angeles County prosecutors charged Cloobeck with three felony counts of attempting to prevent or dissuade a witness or victim from attending or giving testimony at a legal proceeding, according to reports that cited the criminal complaint. (da.lacounty.gov) A fourth count alleges misdemeanor annoying or harassing phone calls. KTLA, citing the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, reported that Cloobeck surrendered on an outstanding felony warrant at about 10:59 a.m. on May 12. Jail records showed he was released the same day after posting bail. (nbclosangeles.com) ### What is the case against Adva Lavie? The district attorney’s office said Lavie was held to answer on two counts of unauthorized use of personal identifying information, two counts of grand theft, one count of first-degree residential burglary with a person present, and one count of first-degree residential burglary. Prosecutors said she cultivated relationships online and then stole from people she met through those contacts. (wehoonline.com) NBC News reported in October 2025 that the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department had said Lavie used dating apps or sites to find mostly affluent older men, presented herself as a girlfriend or companion, and then burglarized their residences. (ktla.com) KTLA and other local outlets later identified her as an OnlyFans creator who had also appeared in men’s magazines. ### How does Cloobeck fit into California politics? Stephen Cloobeck is the founder and former chief executive of Diamond Resorts and had been known in California political circles as a wealthy Democratic donor before launching a short-lived gubernatorial bid. Bloomberg and other outlets identified him this week as a former California gubernatorial candidate arrested in Los Angeles County. (da.lacounty.gov) Politico described Cloobeck as a former Democratic donor and one-time candidate, while local reporting said he exited the governor’s race in November 2025. Those reports place the arrest less than a year after his campaign ended. (nbcnews.com) ### What have authorities said publicly about the alleged threats? The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said Cloobeck surrendered on a warrant alleging witness or victim intimidation under Penal Code 136.1, according to KTLA’s account of the department statement. NBC Los Angeles reported, citing law-enforcement sources, that the alleged calls were made to witnesses or victims in the prosecution of Lavie. (bloomberg.com) Court filings or a full probable-cause affidavit were not available in the source material reviewed, so the precise wording of the alleged threats was not public in the records and statements accessible Thursday. The public description so far comes mainly from the charge language and law-enforcement summaries reported by local media. (politico.com) ### What happens next in both cases? Lavie’s case was already moving toward a jury trial after the district attorney’s March 24 announcement that she had been held to answer on six felony charges. Prosecutors said at that stage that the evidence would next be presented before a jury. (ktla.com) Cloobeck’s next court appearance was not listed in the publicly available summaries reviewed Thursday, but the criminal complaint described in local reports means his case will now proceed separately through Los Angeles County court while Lavie’s burglary case remains pending. (wehoonline.com) (da.lacounty.gov) (ktla.com)