A San Francisco judge sentenced Nima Momeni to 16 years to life in prison for stabbing Cash App creator Bob Lee to death in 2023, after turning down his bid for a new trial.
Story Highlights
- Judge Alexandra Gordon sentenced Momeni, 42, to 16 years to life and denied his request for a new trial.
- A jury convicted him of second-degree murder in December 2024, rejecting his claim that he acted in self-defense.
- Prosecutors said Momeni blamed Lee for what happened to his sister and stabbed him three times with a kitchen knife.
- Lee’s brother told the court, “No sentence brings back Bob … there will always be a piece missing.”
- Lee’s daughter, Scout, 18, faced Momeni in court and told him he had ended “an entire future built around a man.”
- Momeni still says he acted in self-defense and is expected to appeal.
Sentence Comes Nearly Two Years After the Verdict
San Francisco Superior Court Judge Alexandra Gordon sentenced Nima Momeni, a 42-year-old tech consultant, to 16 years to life in prison on Tuesday, November 10. Momeni stabbed Bob Lee, the tech executive who created the Cash App payment app, on April 4, 2023, near the foot of the Bay Bridge. Police said the two men knew each other and had argued over Momeni’s younger sister, Khazar, before the killing, and prosecutors said Momeni was out for revenge on her behalf.
The sentence came after Gordon denied Momeni’s motion for a new trial, spending more than an hour explaining her ruling. His lawyers had argued that his earlier defense did a poor job and that prosecutors and jurors broke the rules. In September, the judge rejected a separate claim under California’s Racial Justice Act, a law that lets defendants challenge a conviction if racial bias played a role. Momeni’s team said prosecutors had called him an “animal” and pointed to his Middle Eastern culture. The judge found no evidence of racial bias.
What Happened the Night Bob Lee Died
Lee, visiting from Miami for a long weekend, had spent part of the day with Khazar Momeni, with whom he had a casual past relationship. Prosecutors said Momeni wanted revenge after his sister was sexually assaulted by a drug dealer, and that he blamed Lee for introducing her to the man. Momeni met Lee late at night at his sister’s condo, then drove him several blocks away in his BMW. The two got out under the Bay Bridge, where Lee was stabbed three times with a kitchen knife Momeni had taken from his sister’s home. One wound pierced Lee’s heart. Lee stumbled toward a nearby building for help and collapsed.
At trial, Momeni testified that Lee attacked him first with the knife and that he only turned it back on him. Prosecutors called that story “workshopped” and “fabricated.” After a two-month trial and seven days of deliberation, the jury convicted Momeni of second-degree murder. That means jurors found he killed Lee with malice, a legal term for intent to kill or a reckless disregard for human life, but were not convinced the stabbing was planned ahead. In California, second-degree murder carries a term of 15 years to life.
What Was Said in Court
Lee’s brother, Oliver Lee, told the court, “No sentence brings back Bob … there will always be a piece missing.” Lee’s daughter, Scout, who is 18, spoke directly to Momeni and told him he had ended not only her father’s life but “an entire future built around a man.”
Momeni spoke to Lee’s family and said, “It was never my intention to see anyone hurt or suffering.” He said he recognizes their loss, but added, “Unfortunately, we have completely different understandings of what transpired.” Momeni’s mother, Mahnaz Tayarani, told the court, “I am here because I love my son.”
What Comes Next
Momeni still says he acted in self-defense. He and his lead lawyer, Saam Zangeneh, a Florida attorney, have vowed to keep fighting, and Momeni is expected to appeal both the conviction and the denial of a new trial. The sentence also includes restitution, money paid to the victim’s family for their losses, plus court fees. With a sentence of years to life, Momeni stays in prison unless a parole board later decides to release him.
For Lee’s family, the sentence brings a measure of accountability more than three years after a killing that shook San Francisco and the tech world. A jury heard the self-defense story, weighed the evidence and rejected it, and the judge held the line on the verdict. Using a knife to settle a personal grudge has a price, and Momeni will spend years behind bars paying it.
Sources:
abc7news.com, sfist.com, sfstandard.com, ktvu.com, sfchronicle.com, abcnews.com
