Tech Consultant Gets 16 Years to Life for Bob Lee’s Murder
WHO:
New York Times - Nima Momeni, a tech consultant, was sentenced for the murder of Bob Lee, founder of Cash App.
CNN - San Francisco Superior Court Judge Alexandra Gordon rejected Momeni’s request for a new trial before sentencing.
CNN - Lee’s 18-year-old daughter, Scout Lee, addressed Momeni in court.
CNN - Momeni’s attorneys said they planned to appeal.
CNN - Lee had two children; his ex-wife, Krista Lee, lives with them in the San Francisco Bay Area.
WHAT:
New York Times - Momeni was sentenced to 16 years to life in prison for second-degree murder.
CNN - A jury found Momeni guilty of second-degree murder and rejected his claim of self-defense.
CNN - The jury rejected a first-degree murder charge, which required proof of deliberate, willful, premeditated action; second-degree murder does not require premeditation.
CNN - Scout Lee told Momeni, “You did not just end his life, you ended an entire future built around a man,” according to media reports.
CNN - Momeni said, “Unfortunately, we have completely different understandings of what transpired,” and told Lee’s family he understood their loss.
New York Times - The killing initially set off crime fears in San Francisco.
WHERE:
CNN - The sentencing took place in San Francisco.
CNN - Prosecutors said Lee was taken to an isolated location under the Bay Bridge.
CNN - Lee was found on a deserted downtown street and later died at a hospital.
WHEN:
WHEN:
CNN - Momeni was sentenced on Tuesday.
CNN - Lee was killed on April 4, 2023; Momeni was arrested nine days later and had remained in custody since then.
New York Times - The murder occurred in 2023.
CNN - The jury returned its verdict in December 2024.
WHY:
CNN - Prosecutors said Momeni was angry because Lee had introduced his younger sister to a drug dealer who, she said, gave her GHB and other drugs and sexually assaulted her.
CNN - Momeni testified that Lee attacked him with a knife after Momeni criticized Lee for spending more time with family rather than looking for a strip club.
HOW:
CNN - Prosecutors said Momeni drove Lee to the location and stabbed him three times with a knife taken from his sister’s kitchen, including once in the heart.
CNN - An autopsy report said Lee was stabbed in the heart and lung.
CNN - Momeni, who studies martial arts, testified that he did not realize he had fatally wounded Lee or that Lee was hurt.
CNN - Lee was 43, created Cash App, and was chief product officer of cryptocurrency company MobileCoin when he died; he had recently moved to Miami from the San Francisco Bay Area and returned to California for a visit.
(UPDATED November 11, 2026 05:03 UTC)
Tech consultant Nima Momeni was sentenced to 16 years to life for murdering Cash App founder Bob Lee. A jury rejected Momeni’s self-defense claim, and a judge denied his request for a new trial. Lee’s daughter addressed Momeni in court; his attorneys said they plan to appeal.