Jury finds Nima Momeni guilty of 2nd degree murder of Cash App founder Bob Lee

SAN FRANCISCO - A San Francisco jury on Tuesday morning found Nima Momeni guilty of second-degree murder in last year's fatal stabbing of Cash App founder Bob Lee. 

In reaching their verdict, the jury of six men and six women also chose not to find Momeni guilty of the higher offense of murder in the first degree. 

The crime carries a sentence of 16 years to life in prison.

The jury began deliberations on Dec. 4 after the trial that began in October.

After the verdict was read, Momeni gave no visible reaction, though one of his attorneys put a hand on his shoulder, who was inside the courtroom as the verdict was read. 

San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins praised trial prosecutors Omiid Talai and Dane Reinstedt and said she shared in the Lee family's relief with the guilty verdict. She thanked the jury and the police department, as well.

Jenkins also reminded the public that this case was about two men in a private fight and not about the general "lawlessness of San Francisco." 

Talai said, "I think the jury got it right. It was a tough case. A lot of people contributed to this case, making me and Dane's job fairly easy. We're grateful, we're happy with the verdict."

Outside court, Bob Lee's brother, Tim Oliver Lee, said he wished that the jury had come back with first-degree murder, but he conceded: "It is what it is." 

Tony Brass, one of Momeni's five defense attorneys said an appeal is planned.

"We're disappointed," Brass said. "We continue to fight on. In the heat of battle, a lot of legal decisions are made that need to be revisited with a calmer eye to make sure everything was done right, so that we can make sure that Mr. Momeni did in fact receive a fair trial.

Momeni will make his next court appearance on Jan. 10. His sentencing date will be set at that time, a court spokesperson said.

Bob Lee's death in April 2023

Shortly after his death, Lee’s slaying under the Bay Bridge in April 2023 was seen as a referendum of sorts about the state of crime in San Francisco, as it was initially believed that Lee had fallen victim to a random attacker. But after Momeni was arrested for allegedly attacking a colleague in the tech industry, the entire arc changed.

Looking back at the trial

The six-week trial cast a sometimes unwelcome spotlight on the hard-partying atmosphere of Lee and his friends, many of whom acknowledged during the trial that they did cocaine and other drugs. But they insisted Lee was never aggressive, even while under the influence of drugs, and that he was a "teddy bear" who defused conflicts.

The prosecution said it was Momeni who stabbed Lee three times, including once in the heart, fueled by anger over his belief that Lee's alleged dealer had given Momeni's sister, Khazar, date-rape drugs and groped her. The prosecution said Lee's blood was found on the blade and that Momeni's DNA was found on the handle.

Khazar Momeni took the stand in October, her answers often marked by hazy memories attributed to her drug use.

Momeni's testimony

Momeni himself also took the stand and said it was Lee who attacked him after Momeni joked that Lee should be with his family instead of going to a strip club, an idea that had been floated between the two. Momeni was often combative with prosecutor Talai, peppering and interrogating him with questions. Talai suggested to the jury that if Momeni could be that aggressive in court, he could be far more menacing on the street.

Momeni had five defense attorneys, many of them high-profile celebrity attorneys from Miami. 

Among the defense witnesses was retired San Francisco police Inspector Steven Pomatto, who told the jury it was a reasonable explanation that Lee was the initial aggressor. 

But Pomatto's reputation was thrown into question after prosecutors presented evidence showing Pomatto had lied in 2004 while applying for a department tactical team, falsely claiming he had been a Navy SEAL.

Momeni had insisted it was Lee who came at him with a knife and that Momeni reacted in self-defense. 

In a bombshell moment during closing arguments, his attorneys played for the jury surveillance video they said showed Lee using a small knife to snort cocaine with a friend, the same knife they say Lee used to confront Momeni.

But ultimately, prosecutors urged jurors to reject the defense's explanations for what happened and asked them to use their common sense. 

They said only Momeni had a clear motive for attacking Lee.

Henry Lee is a KTVU crime reporter. E-mail Henry at Henry.Lee@fox.com and follow him on Twitter @henrykleeKTVU and www.facebook.com/henrykleefan