In the lobby of the 19,380-square-foot Jackie Robinson Museum in lower Manhattan, there’s a showcase highlighting the pivotal moments when Robinson signed his professional contracts, paving the way for him to break Major League Baseball’s racial barrier. Visitors can view and learn about these historic signings, first with the Montreal Royals on Oct. 23, 1945, then with the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 11, 1947.
These contracts, signed by Robinson, symbolize his groundbreaking journey into the MLB. However, the contracts on display are reproductions; the original signed documents were seized by federal authorities in 2019 due to their involvement in a multimillion-dollar investment fraud case. Despite efforts to retrieve them, the fate of these historic artifacts remains uncertain, shedding light on the complex world of sports memorabilia and its evolving role as an investment avenue.
Federal authorities revealed in court documents that Mykalai Kontilai, a former broadcasting executive turned entrepreneur, purchased the Robinson contracts for $2 million in 2013. Subsequently, he utilized them as the foundation for a sports memorabilia and auction venture. Allegations suggest Kontilai leveraged the contracts’ supposed worth to attract investors, accumulating over $23 million. However, he purportedly misused $6.1 million for personal expenses, falsified evidence to mislead investigators, and concealed profits from the IRS.
Investors pursued legal action, accusing Kontilai and his company of fraudulent activities. Court records indicate a “2017 Settlement Agreement” was reached between the involved parties. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission initiated a civil inquiry in 2017, followed by a criminal investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice.
According to recent filings from the DOJ, Kontilai began exploring online resources in early 2018, including searches related to U.S. fugitives in Russia, countries lacking U.S. extradition treaties, and methods to acquire a counterfeit Bahamian passport. Court documents suggest he departed the United States in mid-2019 amidst ongoing SEC and DOJ investigations. Kontilai reportedly obtained an Italian passport and traveled to various countries, including Mexico, Cuba, and Canada, where he purchased a one-way ticket to Ukraine. Despite an unsuccessful asylum claim in Russia, purportedly made as a whistleblower on American corruption, he eventually reached Germany.
