California Man Receives Natural Life Sentence Maricopa County In Murder-for-Hire Scheme

A California man, Robert Celifie, has been sentenced to natural life in prison for the murder of Ilya “Mike the Barber” Shimonov.

According to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, the victim, Mr. Shimonov, operated a mobile barber from a converted school bus. On the evening of January 3, 2022, Mr. Shimonov had just completed a haircut appointment in the parking lot of a Scottsdale hotel when he was shot multiple times. He died from those injuries. Investigators quickly realized that Mr. Shimonov’s phone had been stolen.

Police were able to track the stolen phone from the crime scene to Las Vegas and then to Los Angeles. Detectives learned that the stolen phone was traveling in a car that belonged to Robert Celifie of Los Angeles. Through their investigation, detectives found that Chaze Cable had traveled to Scottsdale in Celifie’s car and that Celifie’s gun was used to kill Mr. Shimonov. Further investigation showed that, in addition to the car and gun, Celifie provided Cable with money, pictures of Mr. Shimonov, the time and place of the murder, instructions to take a phone, and directions for after the murder.

This investigation involved forty-eight search warrants in 5 states, surveillance video from dozens of locations, and terabytes of data. The Scottsdale Police Department was assisted by the Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s Office, Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, Arizona Department of Public Safety, Las Vegas Metro Police Department, Henderson (Nevada) Police Department, Los Angeles Police Department, Texas Department of Public Safety, and the Texarkana (Arkansas) Police Department.

Chaze Cable was tried in 2025 and found guilty by a jury of Conspiracy, Premediated First-Degree Murder, and Burglary in the First-Degree. He received a natural life sentence. On August 25 of this year, another jury found Robert Celifie guilty of the same offenses, and he also received a natural life sentence.

“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,” said Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell. “Thanks to the work of Scottsdale Police Department, and prosecutor Richard Dusterhoft, this violent individual will spend the rest of his life in prison.”

“The resolution of this case reflects the exceptional work, determination, and persistence of our Scottsdale detectives and the many law enforcement partners who assisted in this complex, multistate investigation. I am proud of their efforts and grateful to the County Attorney’s Office for helping bring this case to a successful conclusion,” said Scottsdale Police Chief, Joe LeDuc. “Most importantly, we hope this outcome brings some measure of justice and peace to the victim’s family.”