San Francisco court sentences Nima Momeni to 16 years to life for the conviction in the stabbing death of Cash App founder Bob Lee
According to CNN, the San Francisco Superior Court on Tuesday sentenced tech consultant Nima Momeni to 16 years to life in prison. In December 2024, a jury found him guilty of second-degree murder and rejected his self-defense claim. Momeni has been held in custody since he was arrested after the incident in April 2023.
Judge Alexandra Gordon denied Momeni’s request for a new trial before sentencing, and his lawyer said they plan to appeal. Prosecutors said Momeni was angry because Lee had introduced his sister to a drug dealer, drove Lee to a secluded location under the Bay Bridge, and stabbed him three times with a knife taken from his sister’s kitchen, including once in the heart. Lee later died in the hospital at the age of 43.
Lee had founded the mobile payment service Cash App and was serving as chief product officer at cryptocurrency company MobileCoin when he died. He had recently moved from the San Francisco Bay Area to Miami and had returned to California for a visit. The jury ultimately did not uphold the first-degree murder charge, which requires proof of premeditation, but found him guilty of second-degree murder.
Original source:
Title: Tech consultant sentenced to 16 years to life in stabbing death of Cash App founder Bob Lee Publisher: CNN (Associated Press) Date of publication: 2026-11-10 URL: https://www.cnn.com/2026/11/10/us/nima-momeni-sentencing-cash-app-founder-death-hnk Nature of source: mainstream media report Verification status: full text actually read for this report, verification date 2026-11-11; no access restrictions Supported content: supports Tuesday’s sentence of 16 years to life, December 2024 second-degree murder conviction and rejection of self-defense, detention since arrest, judge’s denial of a new trial, lawyer’s plan to appeal, prosecutors’ account of three stabbings (including the heart) and motive, Lee’s age of 43 and his Cash App / MobileCoin identity
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This case ran from the stabbing on April 4, 2023, to the conviction in December 2024, and then to sentencing in November 2026, spanning more than three years. Momeni remained in custody, and the judge specifically denied the motion for a new trial before sentencing, showing the court’s position on upholding the original trial proceedings.
The prosecution attributed the motive to an alleged sexual assault that followed Lee’s introduction of Momeni’s sister to a drug dealer, while Momeni maintained that he acted in self-defense after being attacked and did not realize he had caused a fatal wound. The jury chose second-degree murder between the two positions, accepting neither full self-defense nor premeditated first-degree murder.
As the founder of Cash App and an executive at MobileCoin, Bob Lee’s death drew attention in Silicon Valley. After sentencing, follow-up actions by both sides, including an appeal, may still affect the final outcome.
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“16 years to life” is a sentence for second-degree murder with a weapon enhancement, not a fixed 16-year term.
The jury’s rejection of self-defense and first-degree murder is a specific factual finding and does not mean all disputed facts are beyond disagreement.
The lawyer’s plan to appeal is a procedural right; the judgment is now effective but may be reviewed by a higher court.