Nima Momeni has been discovered responsible of second-degree homicide within the deadly stabbing of Cash App founder Bob Lee, a verdict reached by a San Francisco jury after seven days of deliberations.
The verdict of second-degree homicide carries a 15 years to life sentence and contains an enhancement for utilizing a knife within the crime. Momeni was discovered not responsible of the extra critical cost of pre-meditated first-degree homicide.
Prosecutors Dane Reinstedt and Omid Talai had been current within the courtroom for the decision, as was Sgt. Brent Dittmer – who testified within the trial – and a handful of members of the District Attorney’s workplace. The Lee household together with his ex-wife Krista and brother had been additionally there with different members of the family, associates and supporters.
Defense attorneys Tony Brass and Zoe Aron had been additionally current together with Momeni’s mom Mahnaz Momeni. The defendant’s sister Khazar Momeni was not in attendance when the decision was learn in courtroom Tuesday morning.
The choose issued a stern warning within the courtroom for these current to not have any audible response to the decision because it was learn.
A preliminary listening to to set the sentencing date for Momeni has been scheduled for Jan. 10, 2025.
Bob Lee household speaks
Outside the courtroom, Lee’s brother Timothy Oliver Lee stated the household was happy with the decision.
“We’re proud of the consequence at the moment. We’re pleased that Nima Momeni will not be on the streets, not has the chance to hurt anybody else on this world,” he stated. “The verdict of homicide two will put him away for a very long time.”
He additionally famous that in addition to Momeni being discovered responsible of the homicide, the proceedings confirmed that his household was complicit within the crime by making an attempt to assist him cowl it up and had “blood on their fingers.” He stated the Momeni household had a number of dozen associates and supporters within the courtroom when the decision was learn.
“We’re extraordinarily grateful to the District Attorney’s Office, we’re extraordinarily grateful for the juries. I believe justice was accomplished right here at the moment,” he added.
San Francisco DA Jenkins defends metropolis
San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins was readily available for the decision and thanked the attorneys who prosecuted the case exterior the courtroom after the responsible verdict was learn.
“I knew was assured that we had the very best two dealing with this case,” Jenkins stated. “And I believe the decision was a testomony to the onerous work they put in, to the good attorneys that they’re, and to their dedication to justice and to creating certain that this household obtained justice.”
She additionally pushed again on what Elon Musk and others stated after the stabbing occurred when critics claimed San Francisco is lawless and uncontrolled as a part of the favored “doom loop” narrative generally aired on social media.
“I believe that hopefully now, we have now as soon as once more established what actually occurred right here. We all know that after Bob Lee was murdered, Elon Musk took to Twitter to make an effort to really shame San Francisco, and to make it look like this was about lawlessness in San Francisco and about what is going on on in our streets,” Jenkins stated.
She famous that legislation enforcement early felt the deadly stabbing of Lee was not a random crime.
“And we knew it was one thing completely different. And I believe at the moment proved as soon as once more, that we’re a metropolis dedicated to accountability, we’re a metropolis dedicated to public security,” she added. “And that when one thing unhealthy occurs, which we won’t all the time management, that legislation enforcement at each stage will reply to ensure that there may be justice and accountability in every state of affairs.”
Jenkins stated her workplace would put together for an enchantment to be filed by Momeni’s protection group.
Fatal stabbing of Cash App founder
Momeni was accused of fatally stabbing tech executive Lee in a secluded a part of San Francisco’s East Cut neighborhood below the Bay Bridge in April 2023.
Court officers announced late Monday afternoon that the jury had reached a verdict shortly earlier than 4 p.m.
Prosecutors accused Momeni of stabbing Lee with a kitchen paring knife following a heated dialogue concerning his sister’s relationship with Lee as well as their ongoing drug use. During the trial, Momeni’s attorneys claimed that their client acted in self-defense, alleging that Lee lunged at Momeni with a knife in his hand whereas excessive on ketamine and cocaine. The protection said Lee became erratic and aggressive after Momeni made a “bad joke” on the expense of Lee’s household.
Intense trial
The six-week trial was punctuated by dramatic testimony, together with an look on the stand of Momeni’s sister, Khazar Momeni. She testified as a witness for the prosecution and insisted during her first day of testimony that her brother didn’t kill Lee. She also detailed consuming a number of medicine with Lee and others within the days main as much as the deadly stabbing.
During cross-examination by protection attorneys, Khazar Momeni described Lee as “all over the place” and “aggressive” while high on drugs. Her testimony was criticized exterior the courtroom by Lee’s ex-wife Krista Lee, who accused her of trying to “make herself a victim.”
The testimony turned contentious when Nima Momeni took the stand, because the defendant sparred with the prosecution during cross-examination after earlier describing how Lee allegedly attacked him whereas his protection group questioned him concerning the confrontation.
Challenging Nima Momeni’s story
San Francisco Assistant District Attorney Omid Talai challenged Momeni’s model of the story and targeted on his actions instantly after Lee’s demise, together with his calls to attorneys and textual content messages together with his sister.
The case wrapped up within the first week of December with prosecutors trying to tear down Momeni’s defense in their closing arguments and asking why he didn’t call police or tell anyone about Lee allegedly attacking him.
The protection confirmed a bombshell video throughout their closing arguments, presenting surveillance footage they claimed confirmed Lee doing cocaine on the road exterior a non-public membership with the identical knife used to kill him hours later. Defense legal professional Saam Zangeneh used a cardboard cutout of the knife in courtroom so the jury may see the scale of the paring knife he stated the video proved Lee had in his possession all alongside.
That video sparked a tense trade between Zangeneh and Lee’s former spouse, who let loose a loud, mocking chortle as he confirmed the footage.
Zangeneh turned to immediately tackle her, saying it wasn’t humorous. Prosecutors shortly objected and the choose intervened to revive order within the courtroom.
The jury began deliberations on the morning of Dec. 4.
Who is Nima Momeni?
Nima Momeni, 40, was described as a “tech entrepreneur” when he was arrested for the murder of Bob Lee back in April of 2023. Momeni was taken into custody at his house in Emeryville on April 11, days after the lethal stabbing.
According to his Linkedin web page, Momeni is the proprietor of Expand IT. His profile describes the corporate as offering IT options within the Bay Area since 2010.
Neighbors who lived close to Momeni were shocked to hear of his arrest. After Momeni was taken into custody, Bay Area public relations veteran Sam Singer who labored subsequent door to him stated he had by no means had any points with the defendant past listening to music being performed a bit too loudly.
“Warm, welcoming, very good fellow, like some other tech advisor right here within the Bay Area, lives in a live-work area,” Singer stated. “He handed us a stack of playing cards and stated, ‘If you ever want something let me know.'”
It later emerged that Khazar Momeni had launched Lee to her brother, pondering that the profitable Cash App founder would possibly work with him on one in every of Nima’s tasks.
Who was Bob Lee?
A profitable Bay Area expertise government, Bob Lee was finest often known as one of many creators and founders of the digital pockets Cash App. Lee had additionally labored at Google as a workers software program engineer within the 2000s, serving to to develop the cellular working system utilized by Android cell telephones.
In 2010, he was recruited by the San Francisco e-commerce firm Square, Inc., the place he turned chief expertise officer earlier than finally shifting on to Cash App. At the time of his demise, Lee was working because the chief product officer of the cryptocurrency MobileCoin.
Lee was dwelling in Mill Valley together with his household together with his now ex-wife Krista and two kids, however the couple separated in 2019. Lee had subsequently moved to Miami in 2022 to dwell together with his father and was visiting San Francisco on enterprise when he was fatally stabbed.
The Wall Street Journal reported Lee and Khazar Momeni belonged to a sex and drugs-fueled underground party scene identified in rich Bay Area tech circles as “The Lifestyle.” The medical examiner’s report revealed the tech government died on the working desk and was discovered to have alcohol, cocaine and ketamine in his system.
