Guilty plea in fraud case tied to Robinson contracts
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Dan Hajducky, ESPN Staff Writer
Mykalai Kontilai, the broadcast executive-turned-entrepreneur who bought Jackie Robinson’s first major and minor league professional contracts and then used them to launch a sports memorabilia/auction business, pleaded guilty to wire fraud Thursday in Las Vegas.
He will be sentenced Dec. 4 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, according to the Department of Justice.
Kontilai, 55, purchased Robinson’s Montreal Royals contract for the 1946 season and Robinson’s 1947 Brooklyn Dodgers contract for $2 million in 2013, subsequently using their purported value to lure investors into his sports memorabilia/auction business called, at various times, Collector’s Café or Collector’s Coffee (“CCI”).
Kontilai then raised more than $23 million and misappropriated $6.1 million to bankroll his own “lavish lifestyle,” manufactured evidence to mislead federal investigators, and “concealed the proceeds of his scheme” from the IRS.
In mid-2019, Kontilai left the United States amid SEC and DOJ investigations, eventually unsuccessfully claiming asylum in Russia as a whistleblower of American corruption.
In 2020, he was charged in an 18-count indictment in Nevada that included securities fraud, multiple counts of wire fraud, money laundering and failure to file tax returns — and a six-count indictment in Colorado including conspiracy to obstruct proceedings, obstruction of proceedings, tampering with documents and false statements.
In April 2023, Kontilai was arrested in Germany on an Interpol red notice and held at the Stadelheim Prison in Munich for a year. In December, a jury in the Southern District of New York found Kontilai and his company liable for securities fraud in the civil SEC case. In March, the SEC recommended Kontilai and his company pay a combined total of nearly $50 million in penalties.
He was extradited to the United States in May.
Kontilai was facing a maximum sentence of over 300 years combined in Nevada and Colorado, but he and the government entered into an agreement, with him pleading guilty to one count of wire fraud in Nevada and consenting to restitution of $6.1 million.
Kontilai’s SEC case is still unresolved. The court still needs to rule on the SEC’s motion for remedies, which includes requests for disgorgement, civil penalties and injunctive relief. But a recent court date was vacated because “The Holders” — a group of plaintiffs who provided a since defaulted loan with the Robinson contracts as collateral — and the Jackie Robinson Foundation have entered into a settlement in principle.
The potential settlement is contingent on a final written agreement but would potentially see the Jackie Robinson Foundation pay CCI and relinquish their claim to the Montreal Royals contract and receive the 1947 Brooklyn Dodgers contract.
The Holders and CCI would receive the 1945 Montreal Royals contract, with settlement funds paid to The Holders and CCI to “relinquish their interest in the 1947 major league contract.”
The settlement payment — “the 1945 contract will be marketed thereafter” — would be distributed as: 24.2% to the SEC for CCI’s interest in the 1945 minor league contract; 72.5% to The Holders; and 3.3% to Goldin Auctions “in satisfaction of funds expended by Goldin Auctions in the prior effort to sell the contracts.”
The Jackie Robinson Foundation would seek a court order stating ownership of the 1947 contract; The Holders would seek a court order on CCI’s ownership of the 1945 contract “only subject to [The Holders] interest.”
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Jake Trotter, ESPN Senior Writer
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Indiana coach Curt Cignetti didn’t think he needed to say it. Following Saturday’s 38-15 loss at Ohio State, do his upstart Hoosiers still belong in the 12-team playoff?
“Is that a serious question?” Cignetti responded defiantly. “I’m not even going to answer that one. The answer’s so obvious.”
Cignetti then smiled and nodded yes with a wink before exiting the postgame podium.
Tuesday will reveal whether the playoff selection committee agrees.
Indiana’s potential inclusion — or exclusion — figures to be the most controversial playoff storyline ahead of the final week of the regular season.
Before traveling to Columbus, the fifth-ranked Hoosiers (10-1) had been one of the most dominant teams in the country, reaching double-digit wins for the first time in program history.
They also became the first team since 1998 to start 8-0 without trailing once. All but one of the Hoosiers’ wins came by at least two touchdowns.
But the Hoosiers, who face 1-10 in-state rival Purdue next weekend, will finish without a top-25 win. Indiana’s strength of schedule ranked just 106th coming into the Ohio State game.
The Hoosiers scored a touchdown on their opening drive to take their first lead over Ohio State in five years.
But the Buckeyes rolled the rest of the way, holding Indiana to just 53 yards in the first half, its lowest total in a first half in 10 years, according to ESPN Research.
Ohio State led 31-7 before the teams traded meaningless touchdowns in the final two minutes. Hoosiers quarterback Kurtis Rourke, who was second nationally in QBR (88.1), completed just 8 of 18 passes for 68 yards while taking five sacks.
“We couldn’t protect the quarterback,” Cignetti said. “Every time we dropped back to pass, something bad happened. … It was like a nightmare.”
Special teams proved to be nightmarish for the Hoosiers, as well.
Just before halftime, Indiana punter James Evans mishandled the snap and was tackled at the Hoosiers’ 7-yard line. The Buckeyes punched the ball in the end zone three plays later to take a 14-7 lead into half.
Then, following an Indiana three-and-out to begin the third quarter, Ohio State’s Caleb Downs returned a punt 79 yards for a touchdown to ignite the onslaught. Indiana fell to 1-71 all time against AP top-five opponents, according to ESPN Research.
“We didn’t handle the noise very well,” Cignetti said of playing in Ohio Stadium. “We didn’t play our best game today. But I think a big part of that was because of them.”
The Hoosiers did get some help later Saturday afternoon.
Florida knocked off Ole Miss 24-17, effectively removing the ninth-ranked Rebels (8-3) from the playoff conversation. But both the Big 12 and ACC could have multiple teams vying for playoff consideration.
Still, Rourke said he believes Indiana’s overall body of work should show that the Hoosiers are worthy of an at-large playoff bid.
“I hope so. We trust ourselves against anybody,” said Rourke, adding that he hopes to get a rematch with Ohio State “at some point” in the playoffs.
“Next week is a big game,” Rourke said. “We’ve got to go handle Purdue, and then move on take one game at a time.”
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Andrea Adelson, ESPN Senior Writer
SMU clinched a spot in the ACC championship game after a 33-7 win over Virginia on Saturday, becoming the first team in league history to make the title game in its first season.
The Mustangs do not have an opponent yet. Miami (10-1, 6-1) must beat Syracuse next weekend to clinch its spot. A loss means Clemson, which has already finished league play at 7-1, would make it to Charlotte.
SMU came into the league off great success in the American Athletic Conference, winning the league a year ago. But no team has done what the Mustangs have done in Year 1, making the transition from Group of 5 to Power 4.
The ACC championship game has been around since 2005, and now in the 20th anniversary of the game, SMU has made history.
“It’s hard to win 10 games, it’s hard to do something that’s never been done before,” coach Rhett Lashlee said. “No one’s ever moved from a small conference to a power conference and gone to the championship game in their first year. Just really proud of our guys.”
SMU joined the ACC in its quest to return to a power conference, and in doing so, agreed to take no television revenue from the ACC for nine years. They were a team on a mission from the very start, eager to prove they belonged on this level.
SMU has been a different team since turning to Kevin Jennings as its starting quarterback after three games. Jennings is 8-0 as a starter and has helped SMU to a 7-0 ACC record — the only team that is undefeated in league play. Against Virginia, Jennings went 25-of-33 for 323 yards with a touchdown and interception.
Lashlee signed a contract extension with the school Friday, reaffirming his commitment to being with the Mustangs for the long term. Despite its ACC dominance, SMU remains on the outside looking in, based on the latest College Football Playoff selection committee rankings.
If SMU wins the ACC, the Mustangs would be a lock to make it into the CFP. Another loss could mean the end of their playoff hopes. SMU closes the regular season against California next Saturday.
Lashlee grew emotional discussing how far his team has come this season.
“I’m really proud of them. I had this thought Friday, I’m going to miss a lot of these guys,” Lashlee said before pausing to gather himself. “It’s a fun group. They love playing together. They love playing for each other. They love playing for SMU. They don’t care who gets the credit. I think that’s why they win. It’s special. I’m just a lucky guy who gets to be their coach.”
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Andrea Adelson, ESPN Senior Writer
Pittsburgh quarterback Eli Holstein was carted off the field and taken to a hospital with an air cast on his left leg in the first quarter of Saturday’s game at Louisville.
Holstein appeared to have his leg rolled up on when Cardinals defensive lineman Ashton Gillotte sacked him on the second drive of the game.
Nate Yarnell, who started when Holstein missed last week’s game against Clemson with a concussion, replaced him Saturday.
Holstein, a transfer from Alabama, won the starting quarterback job over Yarnell during fall practice and helped lead the Panthers to a 7-0 start.
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