U.S. Attorney Jason M. Frierson | U.S. Department of Justice
A Nevada man has admitted guilt in a wire fraud case related to an investment fraud scheme, where he misappropriated over $6.1 million from investors. Mykalai Kontilai, also known as Michael Contile, aged 55 and residing in Las Vegas, was involved in the fraudulent activities through his company Collector’s Coffee Inc., operating as Collector’s Café.
From 2012 to 2018, Kontilai deceived investors by making false claims about the company's business prospects. He falsely asserted that the company was set to launch an online auction platform for collectibles and misled investors into believing their funds would be used for legitimate purposes. In reality, Kontilai diverted approximately $6.1 million for personal expenses such as luxury items and real estate.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) began investigating these allegations around 2017. During this investigation, Kontilai obstructed justice by forging documents submitted to the SEC and providing false testimony under oath. He faced charges both in this case on June 3, 2020, and in a separate case in Colorado on March 10, 2020.
Kontilai fled to Russia while under investigation but before being charged; he was later arrested on an Interpol Red Notice in Germany in 2023 and extradited back to the United States earlier this year. As part of his plea agreement, prosecutors will request dismissal of the Colorado charges at sentencing.
Kontilai's guilty plea is limited to one count of wire fraud. His sentencing is scheduled for December 4th, where he could face up to a maximum of 20 years imprisonment based on federal guidelines.
This announcement came from Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada; FBI Special Agent Spencer L. Evans; and IRS-CI Special Agent Carissa Messick.
The FBI and IRS-CI led investigations with significant support from the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs during Kontilai's extradition process from Germany.
Prosecutors Brandon Burkart and Sara Hallmark from the Fraud Section along with Assistant U.S Attorney Jessica Oliva handled prosecution duties assisted by former trial attorney Emily Scruggs.