Billionaire Stephen Cloobeck arraigned on witness-tampering charges amid broken engagement

Stephen Cloobeck entered the Los Angeles Superior Court on Friday, maintaining a not-guilty stance to three felony witness-tampering counts and one misdemeanor for annoying phone calls. Prosecutors allege he tried to intimidate Michael Craine and Scott Thurman, both alleged victims in the criminal case against his fiancée, former Penthouse model Adva Lavie. Lavie was detained on six felony burglary charges after being caught stealing luxury items, including a Rolex, from a Tesla during the 2025 Coachella festival.

Following her second arrest in Beverly Hills, the couple called off their June 18 wedding in Jerusalem. Lavie's bail was revoked after she failed to wear a court-mandated GPS ankle bracelet, and she remains in custody awaiting a diversion hearing. Cloobeck, a major donor to former Congressman Eric Swalwell, could face up to ten years in prison, while Lavie faces up to eleven years.