Nima Momeni sentencing for CashApp founder Bob Lee murder set for May
Nima Momeni, the man convicted of murdering CashApp founder Bob Lee in San Francisco in 2023, will be sentenced in May following a court hearing Friday.
Momeni was expected to appear for the hearing but refused to attend. The judge set his sentencing for May 16 and the date was not expected to change.
At the sentencing, character statements are expected from members of Lee's family, including his brother Oliver Lee, ex-wife Krista Lee, his father and possibly his two children.
Momeni's mother was present at Friday's hearing while Krista Lee and Oliver Lee appeared remotely. Juror No. 1 was also present in the courtroom.
Prosecutor Omid Talai had requested an earlier sentencing date but agreed to the May 16 date.
In December 2024, Momeni was convicted of second-degree murder in the fatal stabbing of Lee, the chief technology officer of Square and the chief product officer of MobileCoin. Momeni was found not guilty of the more serious charge of pre-meditated first-degree murder.
Prosecutors argued Momeni stabbed Lee with a kitchen knife following a heated discussion regarding his sister's relationship with Lee as well as their ongoing drug use.
The six-week trial was punctuated by dramatic testimony, including testimony from Momeni's sister Khazar Momeni who insisted that her brother didn't kill Lee. She also detailed her and Lee's drug use and that of others in the days leading up to the fatal stabbing in a secluded part of San Francisco's East Cut neighborhood under the Bay Bridge.
Nima Momeni also took the stand in his defense and sparred with the prosecution during cross-examination after earlier describing how Lee allegedly attacked him. Prosecutors noted his phone calls following the stabbing to attorneys and text messages with his sister instead of contacting the police.
The Wall Street Journal reported Lee and Khazar Momeni belonged to a sex and drugs-fueled underground party scene known in wealthy Bay Area tech circles as "The Lifestyle." The medical examiner's report revealed the tech executive died on the operating table and was found to have alcohol, cocaine and ketamine in his system.
The verdict of second-degree murder carries a 15-year to life sentence and includes an enhancement for using a knife in the crime.
