Bob Lee’s Killer Faces Life Imprisonment
A San Francisco jury has found Nima Momeni guilty of the murder of Cash App founder Bob Lee. After weeks of deliberation, the verdict was reached, and Momeni now faces a sentence of 16 years to life in prison.
Remembering Bob Lee
Bob Lee (December 20, 1979 – April 4, 2023) was a prominent American entrepreneur, software engineer, and a pivotal figure in the creation of Cash App, a widely-used payment platform now serving over 50 million customers.
Lee’s career highlights include key roles at industry leaders like Google and Square, as well as serving as the CEO of the cryptocurrency company MobileCoin.
In the tech world, Bob Lee was known as "Crazy Bob" for his relentless energy and unconventional solutions in programming. From October 2004 to January 2010, Lee worked at Google, where he contributed to the development of the Android operating system. In 2006, he created the Guice dependency injection framework, which earned him the prestigious Jolt Award. Lee also worked on Dalvik, Android’s process virtual machine, and even testified in the high-profile Oracle vs Google lawsuit.
Bob Lee, creator of Cash App. Source: Bloomberg
In January 2010, Lee joined the e-commerce company Square as Chief Technology Officer. He led the development of the Square Android app and later took charge of the iOS version. Lee played a pivotal role in the creation of Cash App, originally called Square Cash.
In 2014, Lee left Square to invest in several tech startups, including Clubhouse, SpaceX, and Figma. In 2021, he joined the cryptocurrency payment provider MobileCoin as Chief Product Officer.
Bob Lee left an indelible legacy in the tech industry: his work on Android apps, the creation of Cash App, and the global advancement of MobileCoin are testaments to his innovative spirit.
His tragic death is a tremendous loss for the entire tech community.
The World Reacts to Bob Lee’s Death
The murder took place late at night in the Rincon Hill neighborhood along the San Francisco Bay.
On April 4, 2023, news of Bob Lee’s tragic death stunned the tech community and ignited heated debates about safety in major cities. Initially, many believed he was the victim of a random robbery.
Early reports were sparse, with police only confirming his violent death and withholding further details. However, additional information soon surfaced, shedding light on Lee’s final moments. The San Francisco Standard reported that surveillance footage showed the Cash App founder staggering toward the Bay Bridge. The video captured Lee clutching his side before collapsing.
He was later found unconscious with two stab wounds to his chest near the upscale Portside apartment complex, close to the bridge.
Portside residential complex, where Bob Lee was discovered. Source: CNN
Even more tragic details emerged following the release of the 911 call recording. In the audio, Bob Lee, gravely injured and bleeding heavily, can be heard pleading with the dispatcher for help in a strained voice. Although the police responded quickly, they were unable to save him—Lee succumbed to his injuries on the way to the hospital. The recording shocked everyone following the case and triggered a wave of sympathy and outrage.
San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott issued a statement extending his deepest condolences to Lee’s family, friends, and loved ones. He also emphasized that the police would not comment further due to the ongoing investigation. “There is no place for this kind of violent crime against anyone in our city,” Scott stated.
It is especially tragic that Lee’s decision to leave San Francisco in the fall of 2022 was directly tied to his concerns about the city’s rising crime rates. He moved to Miami, seeking a safer environment, and often shared photos of Miami’s waterfront on social media, expressing his excitement about his new home. Unfortunately, work brought Lee back to California, where his life was tragically cut short.
Bob Lee frequently voiced concerns about the increasing hate crimes targeting Asian Americans in San Francisco. During the summer, he took to social media to express his desire to end crime and live in a civilized society.
News of Lee’s death triggered a strong reaction from the tech community. Jake Shields, a mixed martial artist and close friend of Lee, sharply criticized the state of crime in San Francisco in a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter).
Elon Musk, who had previously moved from Silicon Valley to Texas due to concerns about violence in California, expressed his outrage over the incident. Other notable figures, including Jack Dorsey, Max Keiser, and leaders in the crypto community, also condemned the tragedy. San Francisco Mayor London Breed called Lee’s death a devastating loss and promised to ensure that those responsible would be apprehended and held accountable as quickly as possible.
Initially, many believed Lee was the victim of a random attack. However, the investigation soon uncovered peculiar details and unexpected evidence.
Who Is Nima Momeni and Why Did He Kill Bob Lee?
A week after Bob Lee’s tragic death, California police arrested Nima Momeni, a 38-year-old tech entrepreneur.
According to Momeni’s LinkedIn profile, he was the owner of Expand-IT, an outsourcing company. The company’s website provides scant information about its operations and lacks details about employees or founders. It states that the company specializes in providing technical support and solutions for startups, government agencies, and non-profit organizations, offering the capabilities of a fully staffed and experienced IT department.
Momeni’s profile also claims he studied at the University of California, Berkeley, and worked as a technical consultant and network engineer.
Nima Momeni resided in Emeryville, across the bay from the location where San Francisco police found the dying Cash App founder.
Nima Momeni in court. Source: Fox News
During a press conference about the suspect’s arrest, San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott confirmed that Lee and Momeni were well-acquainted but declined to share further details, citing the ongoing investigation. Police conducted searches at two locations in San Francisco and one in Emeryville, where Momeni was ultimately arrested. District Attorney Brooke Jenkins highlighted the aggravating factor of using a knife as the weapon in the crime.
Momeni has been charged with first-degree murder*.
*The difference between first-degree and second-degree murder lies in the intent and premeditation of the act. These are crucial legal distinctions that determine the crime's severity and corresponding punishment. First-degree murder typically results in life imprisonment without parole or, in some states, the death penalty. Second-degree murder can lead to a long prison sentence, ranging from several years to life imprisonment, often with the possibility of parole.
As the trial unfolded, disturbing details about the events leading up to the tragedy began to surface.
Self-Defense or Revenge?
Nima Momeni's defense team presented surveillance footage that they claimed showed Bob Lee using cocaine just hours before his death, allegedly licking it off the blade of the knife that was later used to kill him. The defense argued that Lee, under the influence of drugs, attacked Momeni after taking offense at a joke, prompting Momeni to act in self-defense and inflict the fatal wounds. During the trial, Momeni testified that he had advised Lee to spend more time with his family instead of frequenting strip clubs. According to Momeni, this remark caused Lee to lose control and threaten him with a knife.
If the jury had accepted the self-defense claim, Momeni would have faced a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
However, according to the prosecution, the motive for the murder was simple revenge. Prosecutors alleged that Momeni had premeditated the attack. The alleged trigger was Bob Lee introducing Momeni's younger sister, Khazar Momeni, to a drug dealer who provided her with hard drugs and later sexually assaulted her in her own home.
It’s worth noting that Khazar is not only an adult but also a successful businesswoman, married to a plastic surgeon, and leading an active social life.
During the trial, Khazar admitted to spending several days with Lee before his death, during which they used drugs together. However, she struggled to provide a clear timeline of the events on the final night, stating that she was under the influence at the time her brother took a knife from her apartment and left with Bob.
Khazar Momeni outside the courthouse. Source: KRON4
According to the prosecution, Momeni lured Lee to a secluded area near the Bay Bridge, stabbed him three times with a knife from his sister’s kitchen set, and fled in his BMW.
Surveillance footage confirmed that at around 2 a.m. on April 4, 2023, Lee and Momeni left Khazar’s apartment together and got into Momeni’s car. Additional footage showed them exiting the vehicle near the Bay Bridge, where the attack occurred. At approximately 2:30 a.m., Lee was found stumbling down the street, leaving a trail of blood and crying out for help. He later died at the hospital.
The jury ultimately convicted Nima Momeni of second-degree murder, rejecting claims of self-defense and not agreeing with the prosecution's charge of premeditated murder. He now faces a sentence ranging from 16 years to life in prison.
However, the case is not yet fully resolved.
On one hand, Bob Lee’s ex-wife, Krista, announced her intention to appeal the verdict, seeking to have Nima convicted of first-degree murder, arguing that the crime was premeditated. On the other hand, Momeni’s mother, Tayarani, is demanding a retrial, asserting that her son acted in self-defense.
Tayarani Momeni outside the San Francisco courthouse. Source: CNN
Efforts to portray Bob Lee as an entirely innocent victim of circumstance or a random street attack have proven unsuccessful. Court documents and witness testimonies indicate that Lee’s lifestyle played a significant role in the tragedy. Both the perpetrator and the victim demonstrated a lack of emotional control and impulsiveness, which contributed to the fatal outcome.
This story has moved beyond a simple criminal case, serving as a vivid reminder of how a failure to manage one’s impulses can lead to irreversible consequences. Bob Lee’s tragic death resulted from a complex web of factors, with personal relationships and drug use playing a central role.
