The founder of a luxury beauty and wellness brand is accused of stealing $2.3 million from fellow entrepreneurs and spending the funds on opulent items.
Bobbi Awad, known professionally as Bobbi Vargas, could face up to 20 years behind bars after she allegedly swindled real estate investors Grant and Elena Cardone out of millions.
Awad used five credit cards belonging to the Cardones to make nearly $450,000 in fraudulent purchases on Amazon between April 2021 and March 2024, according to a Las Vegas Metro police arrest report obtained by KLAS.
She allegedly purchased 7,400 items online, including a brick pizza oven, 83-inch TV and a dual-range gas stove, the report states.
Police say the Bodela wellness brand founder ‘co-mingled legal and illegal funds’ by withdrawing with nearly $2 million from four of the couple’s credit cards to fund a PayPal account.
Awad allegedly used those funds to purchase designer clothing, luxury home goods, and to pay for a personal shopper and housekeeper, as well as fund Bodela’s business expenses and payroll.
She is further accused of using Bodela as a ‘front company’ to ‘launder the proceeds of this theft’, police alleged in the arrest warrant.
Awad appeared in Las Vegas Justice Court on Wednesday morning. She faces 19 felony charges, including some that could carry an eight to 20-year prison sentence.
Police began investigating Awad’s alleged multi-million-dollar theft scheme in February 2024 after American Express notified Mrs Cardone about ‘suspicious transactions’ and ‘unusual purchase patterns’ on her credit card, the report states.
Among those transactions were 10 Amazon gift cards send to Awad, whom Mrs Cardone identified as a friend who did not have permission to use her credit cards.
Investigators discovered that Awad spent $450,000 on Amazon and used the Cardones’ money to fraudulently fund a PayPal account, police allege.
She spent $169,000 on designer merchandise and made 147 payments totaling $800,000 to Bodela, according to the arrest report.
Police allege Awad used the stolen funds to pay her employees, as well as a personal shopper, housekeeper, electrician and contractor.
She also allegedly shopped at Net-A-Porter, Pottery Barn and eBay.
A third alleged victim, identified only as a ‘friend’, claimed that Awad failed to payback multiple loans, including a recent one totaling $100,000, the report says.
The friend alleges that instead of paying her back, Awad provided her with a shoebox filled with fake cash.
According to the report, detectives contacted propmoney.com and learned that ‘Awad purchased a total of $103,0000 in various denominations’.
The faux cash was delivered to Awad’s home three days before she allegedly delivered it to the victim.
Awad is a motivational speaker and the founder of Bodela, a wellness product company that touts its use of sustainably sourced and eco-friendly ingredients.
She was a speaker at the Top Entrepreneurship and Leadership Conference 2023 and claims to be passionate about women’s empowerment and helping females find financial freedom, according to her social media.
Her Instagram account highlights her membership on the Forbes Council, but her profile on the organization’s website is no longer accessible.
When DailyMail.com visited the webpage, the following message appeared: ‘his member is no longer active.’
Awad allegedly has a background in luxury sales and claims to have previously worked with top brands including Chanel, Versace, and Christian Dior.
She also served as a celebrity makeup artist for Christina Aguilera and the Jay Leno show, her biography on the Bodela website alleges.
Her husband, identified by Awad’s attorney as Joe Vargas, is a self-proclaimed ‘hustler’ and the founder and CEO of ‘BuyLegalMeds CBD Dispensary’, his LinkedIn profile states.
The couple currently reside in a 4,704sf home in Las Vegas, according to property records reviewed by DailyMail.com.
The five-bedroom, four-bathroom property, which features an inground pool and multi-car garage, valued at an estimated $1.1 million.
Awad appeared before Judge Eric Goodman in Las Vegas Justice Court on Wednesday morning.
Her attorney Michael Christalli told the court that Awad had lived with the Cardone family and had permission to use their credit cards, KLAS reports.
He also argued on behalf of bail leniency, citing her lack of criminal record, alleged cancer diagnosis, and the fact that she is the primary caregiver to her son who has autism.
‘Isn’t that something to think about before you allegedly steal 2.3 million dollars?’ Goodman said, according to the news outlet. ‘Isn’t that a concern before you’re in court in front of me?’
The judge allowed Awad to leave the hearing without posting bail, but warned that the ‘first problem I have with you will be the last problem I have with you’.
He added: ‘I’ll put you into custody. I’ll keep you in custody.’
Awad faces 19 felonies including six counts of theft greater than $100,000; two counts of theft with a value greater than $25,000 and less than $100,000; four counts of launder or attempt to launder money or property; six counts of obtaining or using another person’s identification causing a loss of more than $3,000; and one count of obtain or possess a credit or debit card without the cardholders consent.
She is scheduled to appear back in court next month. Her husband is not a defendant in the theft case.