17 December 2024 , 20:28
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A tech consultant has been found guilty of second-degree murder in the brutal fatal stabbing of Cash App founder Bob Lee.
IT consultant Nima Momeni, 40, was convicted by a San Francisco jury on Tuesday in the stabbing that happened in an empty downtown street last year.
The jury acquitted Momeni of first-degree murder, which was his initial charge. They deliberated for two days after closing arguments.
Momeni appeared to show no emotion as his verdict was read, NBC Bay Area reported.
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 (Picture: AP)
Lee’s ex-wife, Kirsta Lee, said she was ‘very happy’ with the verdict and embraced his father, Richard Lee, while tearing up.
‘Bob was here with us today for sure,’ she said. ‘I can feel him.’
The victim’s brother, Oliver Lee, said of Momeni: ‘He’s going to be in jail for a long time. Now we can start healing.’
Lee, 43, co-founded the digital wallet company Cash App in 2013 and was serving as chief product officer of the cryptocurrency startup MobileCoin when he was killed on April 4, 2023.
Nima Momeni was initially charged with first-degree murder in the killing of Cash App founder Bob Lee (Picture: Shutterstock)
Cops found Lee, who called 911, bleeding from the hip and heart at a doorway near Oracle Park. He died shortly after at a nearby hospital.
Momeni was arrested 10 days after the stabbing. He had moved from San Francisco to Miami but was visiting and partying at a Millennium Tower condominium hours earlier.
He faces 16 years to life in prison, according to District Attorney Brooke Jenkins. Momeni’s sentencing date was not immediately announced. He plans to file an appeal.
‘We will fight on,’ said Tony Brass, one of Momeni’s lawyers.
Nima Momeni (right) hugs his attorney, Paula Canny (left), before exiting the courtroom after an appearance at the Hall of Justice in San Francisco, Tuesday, April 25, 2023 (Picture: AP)
‘A lot of legal decisions were made that need to be revisited with a calmer eye.’
Lee’s killing shocked the tech industry as other executives and workers hailed him for his generosity and leadership.
Momeni’s verdict comes nearly two weeks after United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot dead outside a New York City hotel. Ivy League graduate Luigi Mangione, 26, has been charged with second-degree murder and other charges in Thompson’s killing, and is being held in a Pennsylvania state prison.
Unlike Lee’s case, the public has been divided on Thompson’s killing, with some people praising Mangione’s alleged criticism of health insurance companies denying patient claims. Mangione’s supporters have raised more than $110,000 for his legal defense fund.