A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge ruled Tuesday that a criminal case against a Los Angeles model and social media influencer accused of burglarizing the homes of men she met on a dating app can go to trial.
Adwa Lavi, 28, has been charged with two counts of grand theft; One count of first-degree residential burglary in the presence of a person and one count of first-degree residential burglary. He is scheduled to go to trial on April 6 and is currently out on bail with an ankle monitor. He has been ordered to stay away from his alleged victims.
“At his trial, we will prove beyond a reasonable doubt that this defendant took advantage of the trust built through online relationships to gain access to victims’ homes and steal from them,” L.A. County Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman said in a News release. “Her ability to fraudulently influence others, whether in person or online, has now ended. Our office is committed to holding accountable anyone who uses deception and manipulation to prey on others.”
According to the release, between 2023 and 2025, Lavi allegedly used dating apps and developed relationships to steal from wealthy older men and young women in Westlake Village, West Hollywood, Los Angeles and Beverly Hills.
Authorities say Lavi allegedly posed as their girlfriend and stole cash, gold and expensive designer items from their homes. If found guilty, he could face 11 years and eight months in jail.
The model first attracted international attention in October, when the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department issued a special bulletin with Lavi’s photo and physical description – 5 feet 7 and 104 pounds – and encouraged potential victims to contact sheriff’s detectives.
Lavi — who authorities say is also known as Mia Ventura, Shoshana and Shana — allegedly used dating apps and social media platforms to target elderly people for theft across the county. After posing as a girlfriend or partner, Lavi would burglarize men’s homes, investigators said.
According to investigators, his charges stem from incidents involving five alleged victims.
Since the Sheriff’s Department issued its initial bulletin, more than 10 other potential victims have come forward with allegations, Det. Angela Lopez told The Times last year. The alleged victims have also filed a police report against Lavi in ​​Hermosa Beach; Henderson, Nev.; Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Also in France and Italy.
According to Lopez, in addition to older men he met online, Lavi also allegedly stole from younger men and women as well as businesses. Lavi will reportedly target high-end items like designer clothes and purses.
“It wasn’t just older men,” Lopez said. “It evolved into… basically whoever she got the opportunity to steal from, she would steal from them, whether it was a man, a woman, a business or anything else.”
