Scottsdale, Arizona — A man who prosecutors say orchestrated the execution-style killing of a mobile barber moments after a haircut appointment has been sentenced to life in prison, bringing another development in a case that devastated the victim’s family.
Robert Celifie, 45, of California, was sentenced after being convicted of conspiracy, first-degree murder and first-degree burglary in connection with the January 2022 killing of Ilya Shimonov, a 32-year-old barber known as “Mike the Barber.”
According to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, Shimonov had just finished a haircut in the parking lot of a Scottsdale hotel when he was shot multiple times. He later died from his injuries.
The case centered on an alleged murder-for-hire plot in which prosecutors said Celifie provided another man with the information and resources needed to carry out the killing.
Mobile Barber Was Living His Dream
Shimonov operated a mobile barbershop from a converted school bus, turning his idea of a barber business on wheels into reality.
His mother described the business as her son’s dream during a press conference with the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office. She said he had wanted to own a mobile barber operation and worked to make that ambition happen.
The business allowed Shimonov to bring haircut services directly to customers rather than operate from a traditional barbershop. But on the evening of January 3, 2022, his life ended after an appointment in a Scottsdale hotel parking lot.
According to prosecutors, Shimonov had completed the haircut when he was shot several times. Investigators subsequently began tracing the events surrounding his death, including the disappearance of his cellphone.
Investigators Traced the Stolen Phone
Investigators quickly realized that Shimonov’s phone had been stolen, according to the county attorney’s office.
Authorities tracked the device from the crime scene to Las Vegas and then Los Angeles. The phone’s movements became an important part of the investigation into who was involved in the killing.
Prosecutors said Chaze Cable traveled to Scottsdale in Celifie’s car and used a gun belonging to Celifie to shoot Shimonov. The investigation also uncovered evidence that prosecutors said connected Celifie to planning the crime.
According to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, Celifie provided Cable with money, photographs of Shimonov, information about the time and location of the killing, instructions to take the victim’s phone and directions for what to do afterward.
Authorities believe the plan was intended to obtain Shimonov’s cellphone. However, prosecutors have not publicly explained why Celifie and Cable wanted the device.
Prosecutors also said Shimonov did not know either man, although Shimonov and Celifie reportedly knew some of the same people.
Prosecutors Describe How the Plot Was Arranged
During a press conference announcing the sentence, Maricopa County Deputy Attorney Richard Dusterhoft described conversations related to the alleged plan.
Dusterhoft recounted that Celifie identified the hotel address where the killing was supposed to occur and instructed Cable to take the phone after Shimonov finished the haircut.
The Orleans Hotel in Las Vegas was also mentioned in the account because it was the first stop investigators identified for Shimonov’s phone after it left Scottsdale.
Those details helped prosecutors explain how the cellphone, the location of the shooting and the alleged instructions connected the two men to the case.
The prosecution argued that Celifie’s role went beyond simply providing assistance. Investigators said the resources and directions he supplied helped make the killing possible.
Co-Conspirator Also Sentenced to Life
Celifie was convicted of conspiracy, first-degree murder and first-degree burglary in August before receiving his life sentence. Cable, identified by prosecutors as his co-conspirator, was found guilty of the same offenses by another jury in 2025. He also received a life sentence.
The two cases resulted in life sentences for both men over Shimonov’s killing.
Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said Celifie’s role in planning the crime carried serious consequences, even though prosecutors did not accuse him of being the person who fired the shots.
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“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,” Mitchell said in a statement.
She credited the Scottsdale Police Department and prosecutor Richard Dusterhoft for their work on the case.
Questions About the Motive Remain
Although prosecutors described the alleged effort to steal Shimonov’s phone, they have not publicly established why the device was sought or what information it may have contained.
That unanswered question remains one of the notable details in a case involving a killing that investigators say was planned in advance.
For Shimonov’s family, the loss also meant the end of a dream he had worked to build. His mobile barbershop represented a business he wanted to create, but the January 2022 appointment became his last.
The life sentences mark a significant development in the criminal cases against the two men convicted in connection with his death.
What are your thoughts on this case and the role investigators played in securing the convictions? Share your views in the comments below.
