A California man will never walk free again after orchestrating a murder-for-hire plot to kill a Scottsdale barber.
A Maricopa County judge sentenced 46-year-old Robert Celifie to natural life in prison for the murder-for-hire plot and shooting death of Ilya “Mike the Barber” Shimonov. After 23 minutes of deliberation, Celifie was found guilty and convicted by a jury of conspiracy, first-degree murder, and burglary.
“This defendant may not have been the one who pulled the trigger, but through his actions he condemned this victim to death just the same. Thanks to the work of Scottsdale Police Department, and prosecutor Richard Dusterhoft, this violent individual will spend the rest of his life in prison,” said County Attorney Rachel Mitchell, according to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.
On Jan. 3, 2022, Shimonov, who operated a mobile barbershop from a converted school bus, had just completed a haircut service for a client in the parking lot of a Scottsdale hotel when he was fatally shot several times.
When investigators arrived at the scene, they found the victim’s phone missing and decided to track it. As a result, the detectives discovered the phone had been travelling from the crime scene via Las Vegas to Los Angeles in a car that belonged to Celifie. The investigation led authorities to the trigger man, Chaze Cable, who had driven Celifie’s car to the crime scene and used the defendant’s gun to kill Shimonov.
Furthermore, investigators uncovered payments for the hire made by Celifie to Cable, including a picture of the victim, the location for the murder, instructions to take Shimonov’s phone, and to await further instructions after the murder.
The evidence in the case involved 48 search warrants in five states and dozens of surveillance videos.
Cable was arrested and found guilty and convicted by a jury in 2025 for Conspiracy, Premediated First-Degree Murder, and Burglary in the First-Degree.
The motive for the killing remains unclear.
Shimonov’s mother, Bella, thanked the authorities and described her son as a happy, business-oriented individual, especially for his idea for the barbershop on wheels.
"That was his dream, and he made it happen. Makes me proud. He was a smart boy," said Bella, reported ABC 15.
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