San Francisco jury finds Nima Momeni guilty of second-degree murder of Cash App founder Bob Lee, rejecting self-defence claim

A San Francisco jury has convicted tech consultant Nima Momeni for second-degree murder in the 2023 stabbing death of Cash App founder Bob Lee, rejecting Momeni’s self-defence claim.

The crime occurred after a personal dispute, both sides agreed, after which Momeni stabbed Lee while the two were in Momeni’ BMW in an isolated spot under the Golden Gate Bridge.

The incident had initially spurred concern around public safety in San Francisco.

San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said the verdict showed the crime was a personal one and not an example of random lawlessness.

‘Committed to public safety’

“We are a city committed to public safety,” Jenkins told a media event after the verdict was announced.

Momeni, 40, has been in custody since his arrest in April 2023, days after the 4 April killing.

The verdict carries a sentence of 16 years to life in prison.

“We think justice was done here today,” said the victim’s brother Tim Oliver Lee.

The defendant’s mother, Mahnaz Tayarani, said Momeni was “not the person that they think”. “He’s very kind, he’s very loving and respectful and caring,” she said.

Momeni was initially charged with first-degree murder, which requires prosecutors to prove he acted deliberately, willfully and with premeditation.

Jurors instead found a verdict for second-degree murder, which does not require premeditation.

Momeni and Lee, who were known to one another, had spent time at the condominium of Momeni’s sister, Khazar Momeni, the night of the crime before Khazar Momeni told them to leave so she could sleep, prosecutors and defence agreed.

Personal grievance

Prosecutors said Momeni took a paring knife from Khazar Momeni’s Millennium Tower condo, intentionally drove Lee to an isolated spot at around 2 a.m. and stabbed him three times, including once to the heart.

Momeni was angry with Lee for having introduced Khazar Momeni to a drug dealer who Khazar claimed gave her GHB sexually assaulted her, prosecutors said.

Momeni claimed in testimony that it was Lee who brought the knife with him. He said he had stopped in the isolated spot after driving over a pothole which caused Lee to spill his drink.

He said Lee attacked him after Momeni joked that Lee should spend the last night of his visit in San Francisco with his ex-wife and family rather than looking for a strip club. Momeni said he was not aware he had stabbed Lee.

Prosecutors noted that Momeni never called police about Lee’s alleged attack, even after he learned Lee had died of stab wounds near the area where Momeni had last seen him.