Billionaire and former gubernatorial candidate Stephen Cloobeck was free on bond Wednesday after being arrested in West Hollywood for allegedly trying to dissuade multiple people from testifying in a criminal case pending against his fiancée.
Cloobeck, a real estate magnate who dropped his bid for governor late last year and threw his support behind now-disgraced candidate Eric Swalwell, was arrested Tuesday morning and freed on $300,000 bond, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department online inmate records.
Cloobeck, 64, was charged on 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 his fiancée’s case.
It was unclear when Cloobeck might appear in court, with no arraignment date immediately set.
Cloobeck’s fiancée, 28-year-old model and social media personality Adva 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.
According to prosecutors, she would pose as a girlfriend and travel companion to gain access to the alleged victims’ homes, then would steal cash, gold and other 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, the Democratic U.S. representative from Northern California 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, however, Lavie is barred from leaving the state due to her pending criminal case.