Bob Lee murder: Tech consultant found guilty of stabbing Cash App founder
Nima Momeni, the man charged in the fatal stabbing of Cash App founder Bob Lee, makes his way into the courtroom at the Hall of Justice for his arraignment in San Francisco, Tuesday, May 2, 2023. Photo : CNN
A San Francisco jury on Tuesday convicted Nima Momeni of second-degree murder in the stabbing death of Cash App founder Bob Lee.
The jury deliberated for seven days before delivering the verdict, following the April 4, 2023, killing of Lee, 43. Lee, a beloved tech mogul, was found on a deserted street in downtown San Francisco, severely wounded, with a trail of blood behind him. He later died at a hospital.
Prosecutors argued that Momeni, 40, had planned the attack. They said he drove Lee to an isolated location under the Bay Bridge and stabbed him three times with a knife taken from his sister’s kitchen.
Momeni’s motive, according to prosecutors, stemmed from anger over Lee's role in introducing his sister to a drug dealer who allegedly assaulted her after giving her GHB and other drugs.
Momeni testified that Lee was the aggressor, claiming Lee attacked him with a knife after Momeni suggested he spend more time with his family instead of looking for a strip club that night. Momeni, who practices martial arts, argued he acted in self-defence and did not realise he had fatally injured Lee.
The jury had the option to convict Momeni of first-degree murder, second-degree murder, or manslaughter. Momeni faces 16 years to life in prison with a second-degree murder conviction.
Momeni has been in custody since his April 2023 arrest. A previous press release from District Attorney Brooke Jenkins indicated that Momeni could face 26 years to life in prison if convicted.
Lee was known for creating the mobile payment service Cash App and serving as the chief product officer of cryptocurrency firm MobileCoin at the time of his death. He had relocated to Miami, where his ex-wife Krista Lee and their two children reside.