Jurors find man guilty of second-degree murder in Cash App trial

A jury convicted the man accused of killing Cash App co-founder Bob Lee of second-degree murder on Tuesday, after making a decision the day before. Shortly before 10 a.m., the jury read the verdict and found Nima Momeni not guilty of first-degree murder. degree murder, but convicted him of the lesser charge. The judge, presiding over the packed courtroom, urged people to refrain from any emotional outbursts as the jury read the verdict, convicting Momeni in the 2000 fatal knife attack on the tech mogul in April 2023. Prosecutors argued Momeni had Lee was lured to a remote part of the Bay Bridge before the deadly confrontation. They say Momeni stabbed Lee after hearing that Lee’s boyfriend, a drug dealer, had given Momeni’s younger sister a date rape drug before sexually abusing her. Defense attorneys representing Momeni argue that Lee, who was allegedly under the influence of drugs and alcohol at the time, attacked Momeni with a knife after Momeni made a “bad joke.” The defense claims Momeni was then forced to defend himself and did not realize he had stabbed Lee. Momeni, who has pleaded not guilty, faces 26 years to life in prison if convicted of murder before the verdict is announced. It is clear how a second degree murder conviction will impact this sentence. Momeni’s lawyer filed a motion to dismiss the case, alleging prosecutorial misconduct and false testimony from a witness, but the judge presiding over the case rejected that motion. The trial began on October 14th. Closing arguments ended on December 3rd and went to the jury. Cash App is a widely used digital wallet that has tens of millions of users. For more coverage of top California stories, click here | Download our app | Sign up for our morning newsletter — The Associated Press contributed to this report