California IT Solutions Provider Owner Accused of Premeditated Attack on Co-Founder of Cash App, Bob Lee
The owner of a California IT solutions provider has been accused by prosecutors of orchestrating “a premeditated and intentional attack” against Bob Lee, co-founder of the mobile payment service Cash App, who was fatally stabbed on April 4th, according to court documents filed in San Francisco County Superior Court on Friday.
Prosecutors claim that video evidence shows Nima Momeni, who is identified as the owner of Expand IT based in Emeryville, California, driving Lee in a late-model white BMW Z4 to a secluded area where Lee was later found by first responders bleeding from three stab wounds, including the hip, chest, and heart, ultimately causing his death. The alleged conflict between the two men is said to revolve around Lee’s relationship with Momeni’s sister.
Details of Cash App Co-Founder’s Murder CRN has contacted Momeni and LinkedIn users identified as employees of Expand for comments. The use of a kitchen knife, rather than a pocket knife, is cited in court documents as evidence of a “planned and deliberate attack.” Prosecutors allege that video footage shows Momeni, 38, and Lee, 43, exiting the BMW and standing on the sidewalk for approximately five minutes before Momeni appears to suddenly move towards Lee. Lee walks away, and Momeni goes over to the spot where police later discover a bloody knife. The BMW then speeds away. These details were included in court documents filed to request that Momeni be held without bail. Momeni’s arraignment, originally scheduled for Friday, has been postponed to April 25 due to his defense attorney, Paula Canny, being on vacation, as reported by multiple media outlets.
Robert Canny, who is an attorney and the brother of Paula Canny, the defense attorney, stated to reporters after the hearing that “the truth of what happened, or did not happen, will be revealed in due course,” as reported by multiple sources.
Prosecutors Claim Dispute Over Sister
According to court documents, a witness described as a close friend of Lee’s stated that the day before his death, Lee was with Momeni’s sister at an apartment in San Francisco. The court documents allege that the sister’s marriage “may have been in jeopardy” and that she declined an invitation to accompany Lee and the friend to Lee’s hotel room at 1 Hotel San Francisco. In the hotel room, Lee had a conversation with Momeni, who allegedly inquired if his sister was “using drugs or engaging in any inappropriate behavior.” Lee reportedly told Momeni that nothing inappropriate had occurred, as per the court documents. Lee and the friend then returned to Lee’s apartment. Lee left the apartment around 12:30 a.m. Pacific time on April 4th, and the friend never saw Lee again, as stated in the court documents.
Subsequently, the friend reached out to Momeni’s sister to seek confirmation on whether Lee had visited her apartment in Millennium Tower, an iconic skyscraper towering at a height of 645 feet in San Francisco. According to court documents, the sister stated that Lee had come to her apartment “for a moment,” but she fell asleep and was unaware of when he left. Upon reviewing surveillance video from the tower, San Francisco Police officers observed a late model white BMW Z4 arriving at the tower at approximately 8:31 p.m. on April 3rd. Momeni, allegedly wearing a white T-shirt and pants, exited the car and entered the tower. Lee, dressed in all black, entered the building around 12:39 a.m. on April 4th. Footage from the tower’s cameras shows Lee and Momeni taking an elevator together to the lobby and then getting into Momeni’s BMW. Per court records, Momeni was reported to have switched into a roomy, light tan and white jacket, paired with a black beanie. Momeni was behind the wheel of the BMW, with Lee seated in the passenger seat, when they arrived at the location where Lee was subsequently discovered on the street with multiple stab wounds.
Further surveillance video reveals that the BMW was parked in a “dark and secluded area.” Both Momeni and Lee exited the vehicle and stood on the sidewalk for approximately five minutes before Momeni “suddenly moved toward” Lee, as stated in court documents. Upon examining Lee’s cellphone, the San Francisco Police Department discovered a FaceTime call between Lee and a person identified as “Nima Via Khazar.” However, the court documents do not specify when the call took place. Momeni’s sister sent a text to Lee stating, “Just wanted to make sure you’re doing ok Cause I know nima came wayyyyyy down hard on you And thank you for being such a classy man handling it with class Love you Selfish pr*cks.” However, the court documents do not indicate when the text was sent. Momeni’s LinkedIn account indicates that he has owned Expand, a company based in Emeryville, California, across the Bay from San Francisco, since 2010.
Momeni’s professional background includes over 17 years of experience as a tech consultant, having worked with companies such as Diablo IT and Coast Range IT. He also held a position as a system and network engineer at Marfic before leaving in 2007. Other notable cases in the industry involving high-profile crimes include the 2018 arrest of Paul Caneiro, who was the vice president of a solution provider called Square One based in New Jersey. Caneiro is currently awaiting trial for the murder of his brother, who was the company’s founder, his sister-in-law, and their children.
In 2016, Braulio Castillo, the former president and CEO of a government-focused reseller called Strong Castle based in Virginia, was convicted of murder.
