Man who stabbed Cash App co-founder Bob Lee in 2023 gets 16 years in prison
Nima Momeni was sentenced for the 2023 stabbing death of Bob Lee, a case that sparked debate over San Francisco safety and personal disputes.
By Luis Medina ·
A dispute over a family friend turned into a fatal stabbing that divided the technology sector, ending Tuesday with a sentence of 16 years to life in prison for Nima Momeni. The court ruling concludes a trial that drew national attention after prominent figures blamed city leaders for the death of Bob Lee, the co-founder of Cash App.
Momeni, 42, has been held in San Francisco County Jail since late April 2023. Lee served as chief product officer at the cryptocurrency firm MobileCoin at the time of his death. Prosecutors stated that Momeni killed Lee because he was angry about a connection Lee made between Momeni's sister and a drug dealer.
The prosecution alleged that Momeni drove Lee to a secluded spot beneath the Bay Bridge on April 4, 2023. They claimed he stabbed Lee using a knife from his sister's kitchen and left him to die. Momeni was arrested and charged with first-degree murder nearly three weeks later. At trial, Momeni argued he acted in self-defense after Lee attacked him with a knife. He testified that Lee became angry after Momeni told him he should spend more time with his family instead of looking for a strip club.
Momeni, who practices martial arts, told jurors he did not know Lee was fatally wounded and did not realize he was injured at all. Jurors deliberated for one week before returning a verdict of second-degree murder. The sentence reflects the lower degree of guilt but imposes a long term of incarceration.
During the sentencing hearing, relatives of both men addressed the judge. Scout Lee, the daughter of the victim, was 14 when her father died. She told Momeni, "You took my best friend." Momeni's mother, Mahnaz Tayarani, asked the judge to consider her son's entire life rather than just the crime. She spoke of her love for him and acknowledged his imperfections.
Momeni, wearing an orange jail uniform, also spoke to the court. He said he never intended for anyone to be hurt or suffer and offered an apology. The case had previously fueled a debate about street safety in San Francisco after Elon Musk and other tech leaders described the killing as a result of lawlessness and random violence. That narrative shifted when details of the personal dispute between the two men became public.
The legal process moved from the initial arrest in late April 2023 to the guilty verdict and finally to this sentencing. The outcome leaves Momeni in state custody for at least sixteen years, with the possibility of remaining there for the rest of his life.
