Stephen Cloobeck, an eccentric, lefty billionaire who’s burned more than $1 million supporting Rep. Eric Swalwell’s run for California governor, is engaged to a Penthouse Pet and Israeli OnlyFans model who’s facing a string of criminal charges for allegedly burglarizing the homes of rich old men in Los Angeles.
The Post can reveal that Swalwell’s campaign benefactor recently became engaged to Adva Lavie, who also goes by the name Shoshana and has been accused of posing as a romantic partner or travel companion before stealing cash, gold, and high-end designer goods.
In an exclusive interview, Cloobeck told The Post that his new fiancée – whom he started dating just eight months ago – is not a “menace to society” but rather a victim like himself.
“The story is twisted. Her story has not been told,” Cloobeck said.
“She has been abused. I’m a man that has been abused by women. You don’t think I’ve done my homework?”
The alleged honeytrapper is set to be arraigned Monday on six felony charges, including two counts of grand theft, two counts of burglary and two counts of unauthorized use of personal identifying information.
Cloobeck and Shoshana’s engagement party was held in March at Cloobeck’s $26 million home – the same Beverly Hills mansion where Swalwell has been posting promotional videos for his campaign while missing votes in Congress.
Social media posts show Swalwell appears to have visited Cloobeck’s palatial 9,700-square-foot estate numerous times since September.
A luxury real estate listing for the home notes that it is “double gated,” presumably to keep criminals out. But it now appears the full house has also included a woman with an ankle monitor.
Prosecutors allege that between 2023 and 2025, Lavie used dating apps to cultivate relationships with wealthy older men and younger women across Los Angeles County, including in Beverly Hills and West Hollywood.
District Attorney Nathan Hochman said Lavie “exploited trust built through online relationships to gain access to victims’ homes and steal from them.”
However, Cloobeck scoffed at the charges filed by Hochman.
“I’m very disappointed my dear friend Nathan Hochman, and my lawyer David Hochman, did not tell me she’s a menace to society,” Cloobeck told the Post.
Swalwell also seems to be on friendly terms with Cloobeck’s alleged honey-trapper fiancée, with congressman following her on Instagram. He’s also spent extended time at Cloobeck’s 9,700-square-foot mansion, raising questions about whether he actually has a residency in California.
Neighbors in Livermore, where Swalwell claims residency, told The Post they’ve never seen the congressman.
“Eric told me when I met her, because he’s a prosecutor: ‘Do your homework, Stephen,’” Cloobeck told The Post, adding that he did a “deep, deep, deep dive.”
Cloobeck posted an Instagram video last month showing himself turning around in a crowded room while holding a microphone and saying: “Shoshana, would you be my wife?” Through a squinted smile she said “yes” to Cloobeck before repeating the word in Hebrew.
The couple are planning to get married on June 18 near the Western Wall in Jerusalem, Cloobeck told The Post in a text message.
Cloobeck said his fiancée was involved in the dark underbelly of Los Angeles society, where rich men pay hundreds of dollars to women to join them at dinner.
The expectation is at least one of the women will then go home with the man.
“These predators think they get something for it,” Cloobeck said. “It’s gross, it’s disgusting.”
“I never even knew this world existed. There is this whole underbelly of this craziness.”
Detective Angela Lopez, who investigated Lavie’s case, told the Post that the alleged honeytrapper committed crimes against eight victims and showed no remorse.
If convicted on all counts, Lavie faces up to 11 years and eight months in state prison. Lavie has previously pleaded not guilty on all charges.
Cloobeck, who declined to say if he is paying for his fiancée’s lawyers, suggested the defense will note the trauma Lavie has experienced, from being raped at age 17 to being abused by her father.
“It’s a story of abuse, and a story of a woman being accused by an obsessed elderly man,” Cloobeck said. “And believe me, I was so cautious.”
Chanse Corbi, a social media influencer who appeared on season four of “Love Island USA,” called out Lavie in two TikTok videos this month, saying she stole clothes, purses, and money from her and others.
“I know so many people who have been personally affected, including myself, by this girl,” Corbi said.
“Did this guy not do any background research on her? Did he not look her up at all?”
Corbi added, “Billionaires are smart; they don’t just let people con them out of their money. So, either he really just didn’t know, and that’s kind of dumb, or he knew and just didn’t care, which is even worse.”
Lavie’s newly discovered relationship with Cloobeck and Swalwell adds another layer of intrigue.
Cloobeck, the founder of Diamond Resorts and a multiple guest star on the TV show “Undercover Boss,” not only gave Swalwell’s gubernatorial campaign a max contribution of $39,200, but he also threw $1 million into an independent committee supporting Swalwell.
“I’m the one who convinced him to get into the race,” Cloobeck told The Post.
Beyond campaign support, Swalwell reported last year that Cloobeck gifted him a $31,000 trip to France.
Swalwell’s campaign did not respond to The Post’s emailed questions about the congressman’s relationship with Cloobeck and his fiancée.
As for the pending nuptials, Cloobeck’s dating history suggests the billionaire’s engagement to an alleged honeytrapper may not end well.
He is divorced and has had multiple relationships in recent years that ended with lawsuits.
After just eight months of dating Lavie, Cloobeck thinks this time will be different.
“I don’t think anything’s [moving] fast,” Cloobeck said. “Guess what, I have a life to lead.”
In an interview with the San Francisco Standard last year, Cloobeck said that he’d previously been the “victim of a cunning serial fraudster.” He now seems content to once again be playing a dicey game of relationship roulette.
