Nima Momeni responsible of homicide in killing of Money App founder Bob Lee
Nima Momeni has been discovered responsible of second-degree homicide within the deadly stabbing of Money App founder Bob Lee, a verdict reached by a San Francisco jury after seven days of deliberations.
The decision 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 severe 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 Legal professional’s workplace. The Lee household together with his ex-wife Krista and brother had been additionally there with different members of the family, buddies and supporters.
Protection 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
Outdoors the courtroom, Lee’s brother Timothy Oliver Lee mentioned the household was glad with the decision.
“We’re pleased with the end result as we speak. We’re completely happy that Nima Momeni will not be on the streets, now not has the chance to hurt anybody else on this world,” he mentioned. “The decision of homicide two will put him away for a very long time.”
He additionally famous that moreover Momeni being discovered responsible of the homicide, the proceedings confirmed that his household was complicit within the crime by attempting to assist him cowl it up and had “blood on their palms.” He mentioned the Momeni household had a number of dozen buddies and supporters within the courtroom when the decision was learn.
“We’re extraordinarily grateful to the District Legal professional’s Workplace, we’re extraordinarily grateful for the juries. I believe justice was executed right here as we speak,” he added.
San Francisco DA Jenkins defends metropolis
San Francisco District Legal professional Brooke Jenkins was 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 mentioned. “And I believe the decision was a testomony to the arduous work they put in, to the nice attorneys that they’re, and to their dedication to justice and to creating positive that this household obtained justice.”
She additionally pushed again on what Elon Musk and others mentioned 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, now we have as soon as once more established what really occurred right here. Everyone knows that after Bob Lee was murdered, Elon Musk took to Twitter to make an effort to essentially disgrace San Francisco, and to make it appear to be this was about lawlessness in San Francisco and about what is going on on in our streets,” Jenkins mentioned.
She famous that legislation enforcement early felt the deadly stabbing of Lee was not a random crime.
“And we knew it was one thing totally different. And I believe as we speak 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 will not all the time management, that legislation enforcement at each stage will reply to make it possible for there’s justice and accountability in each scenario.”
Jenkins mentioned her workplace would put together for an attraction to be filed by Momeni’s protection crew.
Deadly stabbing of Money App founder
Momeni was accused of fatally stabbing tech government Lee in a secluded a part of San Francisco’s East Reduce neighborhood below the Bay Bridge in April 2023.
Courtroom officers introduced 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 relating to his sister’s relationship with Lee in addition to their ongoing drug use. In the course of the trial, Momeni’s attorneys claimed that their consumer acted in self-defense, alleging that Lee lunged at Momeni with a knife in his hand whereas excessive on ketamine and cocaine. The protection mentioned Lee grew to become erratic and aggressive after Momeni made a “unhealthy 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 throughout her first day of testimony that her brother did not kill Lee. She additionally detailed consuming a number of medicine with Lee and others within the days main as much as the deadly stabbing.
Throughout cross-examination by protection attorneys, Khazar Momeni described Lee as “in every single place” and “aggressive” whereas excessive on medicine. Her testimony was criticized exterior the courtroom by Lee’s ex-wife Krista Lee, who accused her of attempting to “make herself a sufferer.”
The testimony turned contentious when Nima Momeni took the stand, because the defendant sparred with the prosecution throughout cross-examination after earlier describing how Lee allegedly attacked him whereas his protection crew questioned him in regards to the confrontation.
Difficult Nima Momeni’s story
San Francisco Assistant District Legal professional Omid Talai challenged Momeni’s model of the story and centered 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 attempting to tear down Momeni’s protection of their closing arguments and asking why he did not name police or inform anybody 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. Protection 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 mentioned the video proved Lee had in his possession all alongside.
That video sparked a tense alternate between Zangeneh and Lee’s former spouse, who let loose a loud, mocking chuckle as he confirmed the footage.
Zangeneh turned to instantly deal with her, saying it wasn’t humorous. Prosecutors rapidly objected and the choose intervened to revive order within the courtroom.
The jury started deliberations on the morning of Dec. 4.
Who’s Nima Momeni?
Nima Momeni, 40, was described as a “tech entrepreneur” when he was arrested for the homicide of Bob Lee again in April of 2023. Momeni was taken into custody at his residence in Emeryville on April 11, days after the lethal stabbing.
Based on his Linkedin web page, Momeni is the proprietor of Increase IT. His profile describes the corporate as offering IT options within the Bay Space since 2010.
Neighbors who lived close to Momeni had been shocked to listen to of his arrest. After Momeni was taken into custody, Bay Space public relations veteran Sam Singer who labored subsequent door to him mentioned he had by no means had any points with the defendant past listening to music being performed a bit too loudly.
“Heat, welcoming, very good fellow, like some other tech guide right here within the Bay Space, lives in a live-work area,” Singer mentioned. “He handed us a stack of playing cards and mentioned, ‘Should you ever want something let me know.'”
It later emerged that Khazar Momeni had launched Lee to her brother, considering that the profitable Money App founder may work with him on considered one of Nima’s initiatives.
Who was Bob Lee?
A profitable Bay Space expertise government, Bob Lee was greatest often known as one of many creators and founders of the digital pockets Money App. Lee had additionally labored at Google as a workers software program engineer within the 2000s, serving to to develop the cell working system utilized by Android cell telephones.
In 2010, he was recruited by the San Francisco e-commerce firm Sq., Inc., the place he grew to become chief expertise officer earlier than finally transferring on to Money App. On 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 reside together with his father and was visiting San Francisco on enterprise when he was fatally stabbed.
The Wall Avenue Journal reported Lee and Khazar Momeni belonged to a intercourse and drugs-fueled underground celebration scene identified in rich Bay Space tech circles as “The Life-style.” The health worker’s report revealed the tech government died on the working desk and was discovered to have alcohol, cocaine and ketamine in his system.
