U.S. Department
of Justice
United States v. Mykalai Kontilai (aka Michael Contile)
United States v. Mykalai Kontilai (aka Michael Contile)
Court Docket No.: 2:20-CR-109
Court Assigned: This case is assigned to the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada, Lloyd D. George Federal Courthouse, 333 Las Vegas Blvd. South Las Vegas, NV 89101 before Judge Cristina D. Silva.
Latest Updates:
A detention hearing as to defendant Kontilai has been set for May 28, 2024 at 2:30 PM in Courtroom 3C before Magistrate Judge Nancy J. Koppe. Defendant is temporarily detained pending the detention hearing.
A jury trial is set for July 15, 2024 at 9:00 AM in Courtroom 9B before Judge Cristina D. Silva.
Criminal Charges:
In an indictment unsealed on October 13, 2020, Mykalai Kontilai, aka Michael Contile, formerly of Las Vegas, Nevada and New York, New York, was charged with one count of securities fraud, six counts of wire fraud, six counts of laundering of money instruments, one count of money transaction in property derived from specified unlawful activity, and four counts of willful failure to file tax returns for his alleged participation in an investment fraud scheme. According to the indictment, Kontilai allegedly misappropriated approximately $6.1 million in investor-funds, manufactured evidence to mislead an investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and concealed the proceeds of his fraudulent scheme from the IRS.
The indictment alleges that from 2012 through 2018, Kontilai lured investors into giving him money to start an e-commerce auction business. Kontilai allegedly falsely told investors that he invested millions of dollars of his own money in the business and was not taking “a dime of salary.” According to the filing, Kontilai led bank officials to believe that money he withdrew was for business purposes when, in fact, it was for himself. On one occasion alone he allegedly withdrew approximately $770,000 in cash from a company bank account, not to purchase inventory for the company, but for his personal use. He also allegedly used investor funds to purchase a Cadillac with the vanity tag, “MYKALAI,” to pay for private school tuition, and for rent on luxury homes throughout the country. Kontilai is also charged with failing to file tax returns for tax years 2015 through 2018 when he was engaged in this scheme.
Kontilai has also been charged in the District of Colorado with one count of conspiracy to obstruct proceedings, two counts of obstruction of proceedings, one count of tampering with documents, and two counts of false statements. See United States v. Mykalai Kontilai, a/k/a Michael Contile, No. 1:20-cr-00083-WJM (D. Colo. Mar. 10, 2020)
For more information about the charges in United States v. Mykalai Kontilai, please see below:
Victim Impact Statement: If you would like to submit a Victim Impact Statement, you may do so by mailing the Victim Impact Statement below (or a letter to the court) to: Victim Witness Unit, U.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Fraud Section, 10th & Constitution Avenue, NW, Bond Building, Room 453, Washington, DC 20530. You also may submit the Victim Impact Statement via email at Victimassistance.fraud@usdoj.gov or by fax at: (202) 514-3708.
The information on this website will be updated as new developments arise in the case. If you have any questions, please call the Victim Assistance Line toll-free at (888) 549-3945 or email us at VictimAssistance.fraud@usdoj.gov.
Presumption of Innocence: It is important to keep in mind that a criminal indictment is merely an allegation, and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty and that presumption requires both the court and our office to take certain steps to ensure that justice is served.
Crime Victims’ Rights Act and Right to Retain Counsel: Because charges have been filed in this case in federal court, you also may be entitled to the following rights, according to the Crime Victims’ Rights Act, Title 18, United States Code, Section 3771: (1) The right to be reasonably protected from the accused; (2) The right to reasonable, accurate, and timely notice of any public court proceeding, or any parole proceeding, involving the crime or of any release or escape of the accused; (3) The right not to be excluded from any such public court proceeding, unless the court, after receiving clear and convincing evidence, determines that testimony by the victim would be materially altered if the victim heard other testimony at that proceeding; (4) The right to be reasonably heard at any public proceeding in the district court involving release, plea, sentencing, or any parole proceeding; (5) The reasonable right to confer with the attorney for the Government in the case; (6) The right to full and timely restitution as provided in law; (7) The right to proceedings free from unreasonable delay; (8) The right to be treated with fairness and with respect for the victim’s dignity and privacy; (9) The right to be informed in a timely manner of any plea bargain or deferred prosecution agreement; and (10) The right to be informed of the rights under this section and the services described in section 503(c) of the Victims’ Rights and Restitution Act of 1990 (34 U.S.C. § 20141(c)) and provided contact information for the Victims’ Rights Ombudsman of the Department of Justice. The Crime Victims’ Rights Act (18 U.S.C. § 3771) applies only to victims of the counts charged in federal court, and thus individuals may not be able to exercise all of these rights if the crime of which the individual is a victim was not charged.
Section 3771(c)(2) of this Act requires that we advise you that you have the right to retain counsel. Although the statute specifically sets forth your right to seek advice of an attorney with regard to your rights under the statute, there is no requirement that you retain counsel. The Government may not recommend any specific counsel, nor can the Government (or the Court) pay for counsel to represent you. Government attorneys represent the United States.
If you elect to obtain counsel to represent your interests, please have your attorney notify this office in writing at: U.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Fraud Section, 10th & Constitution Avenue, NW, Bond Building, 4th Floor, Washington, DC 20530, Attention: Victim Witness Unit; fax: (202) 514-3708; or email: victimassistance.fraud@usdoj.gov. If you elect not to retain counsel to represent your interests, you do not need to do anything.
Plea Agreements: Please be aware that many criminal cases are resolved by plea agreement between the Department of Justice and the defendant. You should also know that it is not unusual for a defendant to seek to negotiate a plea agreement shortly before trial is scheduled to begin. Plea agreements can be made at any time and as late as the morning of trial, leaving little or no opportunity to provide notice to you of the date and time of the plea hearing. If the court schedules a plea hearing in this case, we will use our best efforts to notify you of available information as soon as practicable. If you want to inform the prosecutor of your views regarding potential plea agreements, or any other aspect of the case, please contact the prosecutor assigned to this case or call the Victim Assistance Line toll-free at (888) 549-3945 or email us at victimassistance.fraud@usdoj.gov.