For years, Cabo Platinum built its reputation as one of Los Cabos’ premier luxury villa rental companies. Known for its curated inventory of high-end properties, some fetching $35,000 a night, the company’s success came not only from offering glamorous homes but from cultivating trust with homeowners and guests alike. That trust, however, was tested in extraordinary ways after a high-profile client turned into one of its fiercest adversaries.
In June 2025, a Nevada court awarded Cabo Platinum more than $30 million in damages after finding that David Oancea, better known in sports betting circles as “Vegas Dave,” engaged in a campaign of false accusations, contract violations, and business interference designed to damage the company. The judgment marked a legal victory for Cabo Platinum founders Mishan Andre and Danette Reid, but it also underscored the devastating cost of betrayal in a business built on relationships.
In 2016, Oancea first rented a villa through Cabo Platinum. Over time, the relationship deepened. After purchasing property in Los Cabos, Oancea signed a short-term rental agreement with the company, which marketed and managed his villas. He even turned to Reid for interior design, later asking her to design his home in Las Vegas.
But by 2024, that partnership unraveled. According to court documents, Oancea abruptly canceled 24 confirmed and prepaid bookings, including weddings and milestone celebrations, leaving Cabo Platinum to rehouse guests at its own expense. The cancellations triggered significant financial losses.
What followed went beyond business disputes. Judge Timothy C. Williams of Clark County District Court later described Oancea’s actions as a calculated campaign of “despicable conduct.” He allegedly misappropriated Cabo Platinum’s confidential contact information for homeowners, vendors, and employees, while retaining deposits from canceled bookings. At the same time, he attempted to set up a competing villa rental business.
The betrayal didn’t stop at contracts. Oancea turned to social media and podcasts, broadcasting claims that Cabo Platinum was under FBI investigation and accusing the company of fraud, embezzlement, and mismanagement of financial records.
The accusations, amplified by Oancea’s large following, created real-world consequences. Villa owners pulled their properties from Cabo Platinum’s inventory. Travel advisors hesitated to book. Andre even faced scrutiny from the Multiple Listings Service, where he was forced to defend his real estate license.
Cabo Platinum responded by filing suit. Represented by attorneys Dan McNutt, Mark Hesiak, and Matthew Wolf of the McNutt Law Firm, the company argued that Oancea’s actions amounted to breach of contract, misappropriation of trade secrets, and business disparagement.
On June 30, 2025, Judge Williams issued a decisive 19-page ruling in Cabo Platinum’s favor. The judgment detailed how Oancea interfered with contracts, ignored court injunctions, and spread false claims designed to harm the company.
The court awarded nearly $10 million in actual damages and more than $20 million in punitive damages for oppression, fraud, and malice, totaling over $30 million, plus interest.
For Andre and Reid, the judgment was vindication, but it came at a steep cost. They estimate spending $2.5 million on legal fees, money initially saved for building their dream home.
Oancea has also launched retaliatory lawsuits, ensuring the legal entanglements will continue. Meanwhile, Cabo Platinum is working to identify Oancea’s assets to enforce the judgment. Records indicate he owns $40 million in Los Cabos real estate and has spent extravagantly on luxury goods, including a $500,000 watch and multiple Birkin bags.
One small comfort for Andre: Oancea never gained access to Cabo Platinum’s list of trusted travel advisors, which remains a cornerstone of the company’s business.
Determined to turn adversity into a cautionary tale, Andre is writing a book tentatively titled The Price of Trust. He has also launched a website that houses the full judgment, supporting documents, and examples of Oancea’s smear campaign.
The travel and hospitality sector thrives on relationships. Competition can be intense, but ethical conduct is the norm. Cabo Platinum’s ordeal is an exception, a story of how influence and deception can be weaponized in ways that devastate not just a business but the people behind it.
For Cabo Platinum, the court’s ruling affirms its commitment to integrity and world-class service in Los Cabos. But the case also leaves behind an industry-wide lesson: in a business that runs on trust, betrayal can carry a staggering price tag.
