A San Francisco Superior Court judge sentenced tech consultant Nima Momeni to 16 years to life in prison on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, for the killing of Cash App founder Bob Lee. The sentencing followed a December 2024 trial in which a jury convicted Momeni of second-degree murder but acquitted him of first-degree premeditated murder. Prior to the sentencing, Judge Alexandra Gordon denied a motion by the defense for a new trial.
The case originated from an incident on April 4, 2023, when Lee was found with fatal stab wounds in San Francisco’s East Cut neighborhood. Momeni was arrested nine days later and has remained in custody since. During the trial, prosecutors argued that Momeni planned the attack, alleging he drove Lee to an isolated area under the Bay Bridge and stabbed him three times with a kitchen knife taken from Momeni's sister's home.
Prosecutors stated the motive was an argument regarding Momeni’s sister, whom Momeni believed had been introduced to a drug dealer by Lee. Momeni testified that he acted in self-defense, claiming Lee lunged at him with a knife after Momeni made a joke about Lee's family. While Momeni told the court on Tuesday that he understood the family's loss, he maintained his account of self-defense. Lee’s daughter, Scout Lee, told Momeni during the proceedings that he had "ended an entire future built around a man."
For the defendant, Nima Momeni, the sentence of 16 years to life means he will serve at least 16 years in state prison before becoming eligible for a parole hearing. The conviction for second-degree murder, rather than first-degree, indicates the jury found the killing was not premeditated or willful.
The legal proceedings are expected to continue as Momeni's defense team has stated they plan to appeal the conviction and the judge's denial of a new trial. The defense had previously delayed the sentencing through several post-trial motions and changes in legal counsel. If the appeal is filed, it will move to the California Courts of Appeal for review. No specific date for the appeal filing was reported.