Police Arrest Tech Executive Suspected of Killing Cash App Founder Bob Lee
A man was arrested and charged with murder on Thursday over the death of Cash App founder Bob Lee.
Nima Momeni, 38, a tech consultant, was taken into custody Thursday morning in Emeryville, a suburb in San Francisco, and booked on suspicion of murder, according to authorities.
Momeni is the founder of software company Expand IT, an information technology consulting business with offices in Emeryville.
Criminal records show Momeni was charged with carrying a switchblade in 2011, a misdemeanor offense. The case was dismissed the following year after he took a plea.
Suspect Knew Victim
Lee, 43, was found on the sidewalk in front of a condominium building with stab wounds on April 4, in the upscale Rincon Hill neighborhood of San Francisco, at around 2:30 a.m. local time. He died at a hospital. He is survived by two children.
“We can confirm that Mr. Lee and Mr. Momeni knew each other,” San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott said at an afternoon news conference, but he declined to elaborate on their connection or why they were together that night.
The police chief declined to provide details on how investigators linked the killing to Momeni. He also refused to share any possible motive. He also wouldn’t reveal whether a weapon had been found after police executed search warrants in San Francisco and Emeryville.
San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said in a statement that Momeni has been charged with murder in Lee’s death and is expected to be arraigned Friday.
Prosecutors will ask a judge to hold him without bail, she said.
It’s unclear if Momeni has retained an attorney.
“I acknowledge and understand how the loss of a young, vibrant leader and innovator has rocked our city and even beyond,” Jenkins said at the news conference.
Lee is known for creating Cash App while working as chief technology officer of the payment company Square, now known as Block. Cash App allows users to transfer money through a mobile application, which the company touts as an alternative to traditional banking services.
At the time of his death, Lee served as the chief product officer for MobileCoin, a cryptocurrency firm.
Lee grew up in Missouri and recently moved to Miami with his father, but was in San Francisco for business at the time of his death.
Lee’s brother, Tim Oliver Lee, posted on Facebook a message of gratitude to the San Francisco Police Department for arresting the suspect.
“Our next steps will be to work with the District Attorney’s office to ensure that this person is not allowed to hurt anyone else or walk free,” he wrote.
He described his brother as a “loving Son, Brother and Father,” who “positively affected millions of people throughout his life.”
“Every day around the world, people interact with technology that Bob helped create. Bob will live on through these interactions and his dreams of improving all of our lives.”
