SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A San Francisco jury found tech consultant Nima Momeni guilty of second-degree murder Tuesday in the fatal stabbing of Bob Lee, the Cash App founder. Concluding a lengthy trial that captured the attention of the tech community.
Jurors deliberated for seven days before reaching their verdict in the April 4, 2023, killing of Lee, who was found bleeding and calling for help on a deserted downtown street. The 43-year-old tech executive later died at a hospital.
Prosecutors argued Momeni, 40, planned the attack, driving Lee to an isolated spot beneath the Bay Bridge where he stabbed him three times with a knife taken from his sister’s kitchen. The attack was allegedly motivated by Momeni’s anger over Lee introducing his younger sister to a drug dealer who she claims sexually assaulted her.
Momeni, who took the stand in his own defense, claimed he acted in self-defense after Lee attacked him during an argument about finding a strip club. The tech consultant, who studies martial arts, testified he didn’t realize he had fatally wounded Lee.
The jury had the option to convict Momeni of first-degree murder, second-degree murder, or manslaughter. The second-degree murder conviction carries a sentence of 16 years to life in prison.
Lee was the creator of mobile payment service Cash App and served as chief product officer of cryptocurrency MobileCoin. Though he had relocated to Miami, he maintained connections to the San Francisco Bay Area, where his ex-wife Krista Lee lives with their two children.
Momeni has remained in custody since his arrest in April 2023. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
