Convicted Killer of Cash App Founder Invokes Racial Justice Act, Seeks New Review of Trial

Nima Momeni, the Iranian-born man convicted in December 2024 of second-degree murder in the 2023 killing of Cash App founder Bob Lee, returned to a San Francisco courtroom this week as his new lawyers pressed claims that racial and ethnic bias tainted his trial.

Nima Momeni, who is suspected of murdering tech executive Bob Lee, appears in court on Tuesday, May 2, 2023, in San Francisco, Calif. Lee, who created the mobile payment service Cash App, was attacked in the city's downtown Rincon Hill neighborhood. (David G. McIntyre) David G. McIntyre

What the Motion Alleges

Momeni's legal team filed a motion under California's Racial Justice Act, arguing prosecutors used demeaning, ethnically charged language and other conduct that unfairly portrayed Momeni to jurors. A San Francisco Superior Court judge is scheduled to hear an evidentiary motion addressing those claims, which could call parts of the trial record into question.

A newly released photo shows Bob Lee walking up Main Street toward Harrison, near where investigators say he was stabbed. Court documents via NBC/Twitter

The Underlying Case

The stabbing occurred in the early morning hours of April 4, 2023. Prosecutors say Bob Lee, 43, was attacked beneath the Bay Bridge at roughly 2:25–2:30 a.m.; he left a trail of blood after calling 911 and later collapsed. Lee was a prominent tech executive who founded the Cash App mobile payment service, previously worked at Google and later held a senior role at cryptocurrency firm MobileCoin.

A newly released photo shows Bob Lee in the lobby of the Millennium Tower. The tower is where Nima Momeni's sister, Kazar, lives. Court documents via NBC/Twitter

Prosecution's Theory

Prosecutors say Momeni targeted Lee in a revenge attack tied to Momeni's younger sister, Khazar Elyassnia, whom they allege had been sexually assaulted by a drug dealer. They presented evidence that Lee socialized with Khazar, exchanged flirtatious texts with her and had introduced her to the dealer. Prosecutors maintain that Momeni lured Lee away from Khazar's Millennium Tower apartment to a dimly lit street beneath the Bay Bridge and stabbed him; jurors were told Lee was unarmed.

Khazar Elyassnia arrives for the arraignment of her brother Nima Momeni on Thursday, May 18, 2023, in San Francisco, California. Momeni pleaded not guilty to a murder charge in connection with the stabbing murder of Cash App founder Bob Lee. Getty Images

Defense Account

Momeni testified in his own defense, saying the confrontation followed a verbal exchange in which he made a "bad joke" about Lee's time in strip clubs. He disputes the prosecution's motive narrative and the characterization of events that led to the fatal stabbing.

Prosecutors said Lee was unarmed when he was killed. Instagram/@boblee

Legal Context

California's Racial Justice Act, enacted in 2021, allows defendants to seek relief if racial bias materially affected their trial or sentencing. In 2025, a San Francisco judge granted an RJA motion for the first time in that county, finding implicit bias had affected a conviction for a Black defendant on gun charges and reducing the conviction to a misdemeanor. It remains unclear what remedy, if any, would follow if the court finds a Racial Justice Act violation in Momeni's case.

A San Francisco Superior Court judge will hear the claim at an evidentiary hearing Friday morning Court documents via NBC/Twitter

Where the Case Stands

Although jurors convicted Momeni of second-degree murder in December 2024, he has not yet been sentenced and remains in San Francisco County Jail amid a significantly delayed sentencing schedule. If ultimately sentenced on the murder conviction, he faces a term of 16 years to life.

Note: This article consolidates court filings and reporting; the allegations in the motion are claims to be adjudicated by the court and do not change the jury's guilty verdict.