Nima Momeni, who was convicted of the second-degree murder of Cash App founder Bob Lee, is seeking a new legal avenue by claiming racial bias tainted his trial. Momeni's defense team is leveraging California's Racial Justice Act, a law enacted in 2021, to argue that prosecutors used dehumanizing and ethnically charged descriptions against him. An evidentiary hearing is scheduled to address these allegations.
Momeni, 42, was found guilty in December 2024 for the stabbing death of Lee, 43, which occurred in the early morning hours of April 4, 2023. Lee, a prominent figure in the tech industry who created Cash App and later served as an executive at MobileCoin, was fatally stabbed near the Bay Bridge. He died after calling 911 for help, leaving a trail of blood as he collapsed on Main Street.
Prosecutors presented the case as a revenge attack orchestrated by Momeni against Lee. The motive, according to the prosecution, stemmed from Momeni's belief that Lee was responsible for his younger sister, Khazar's, assault by a drug dealer. Momeni allegedly blamed Lee for introducing Khazar to the dealer and for leaving her alone with him, particularly after Lee had reportedly used drugs with Khazar and attended parties with her. Evidence presented included text messages showing a flirtatious relationship between Lee and Khazar, and messages from Khazar expressing anger towards her brother after Lee’s death.
Testifying in his defense, Momeni offered a different narrative, stating that Lee attacked him after Momeni made a joke about Lee spending time at strip clubs instead of with his family. Prosecutors maintained that Lee was unarmed at the time of the attack.
Momeni, who was born in Iran and is a non-US citizen, faces a sentence of 16 years to life in prison. He remains in San Francisco County jail, awaiting a sentencing hearing that has been significantly delayed since his conviction. California's Racial Justice Act has been used previously to reduce a felony conviction to a misdemeanor in San Francisco. The outcome of Momeni's claim under this act remains uncertain.