Convicted killer Nima Momeni is enjoying the race card.
The Iranian-born, non-US citizen is heading again to a San Francisco courtroom Friday, the place his new protection crew will argue that racial bias tainted the trial that ended along with his conviction for murdering Money App founder Bob Lee.
Momeni, 42, was discovered responsible of second-degree homicide in December 2024.
Now his legal professionals are invoking California’s Racial Justice Act, claiming prosecutors violated the regulation, based on Courthouse Information Service.
A San Francisco Superior Court docket choose will hear the declare at an evidentiary listening to Friday morning, together with allegations that prosecutors used dehumanizing and ethnically charged descriptions of Momeni in the course of the trial.
Momeni was born in Iran and speaks English as a second language.
The case started within the early-morning hours of April 4, 2023, when Lee, 43, was stabbed by the center beneath the Bay Bridge between about 2:25 a.m. to 2:30 a.m.
Lee, a father of two, had been a significant identify in tech.
He labored as a Google engineer, based Money App and later grew to become an government at cryptocurrency firm MobileCoin.
After the stabbing, Lee left a path of blood as he referred to as 911 begging for assist earlier than collapsing on Essential Road.
Prosecutors mentioned Momeni went after Lee in a revenge assault involving his youthful sister, Khazar, after she was sexually assaulted by a drug vendor.
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Momeni blamed Lee, prosecutors mentioned, as a result of Lee had used medicine with Khazar, launched her to the vendor and left her alone with the assailant.
Khazar, married to a rich plastic surgeon, had an informal relationship with Lee and attended events with him. Prosecutors confirmed jurors flirtatious textual content messages between the pair.
Prosecutors argued Momeni lured Lee away from Khazar’s luxurious Millennium Tower condominium and introduced him to a darkish avenue beneath the Bay Bridge to kill him.
Khazar later despatched Lee a message that morning earlier than realizing he was useless: “Simply needed to verify your doing okay. Trigger i do know nima got here wayyyyyy down onerous on you.”
She additionally bombarded Momeni with indignant messages asking what had occurred to Lee after they left her condominium. Jurors noticed messages wherein she referred to as her brother a “lunatic” and “psycho.”
Momeni took the stand and supplied a unique story.
He testified Lee attacked him after Momeni made a “unhealthy joke” about Lee spending time in strip golf equipment as an alternative of along with his household.
Prosecutors mentioned Lee was unarmed when he was killed.
California’s Racial Justice Act grew to become regulation in 2021. In 2025, a San Francisco choose granted an RJA movement for the primary time within the metropolis, discovering implicit racial bias in opposition to a Black man convicted of gun costs.
His felony conviction was lowered to a misdemeanor.
It’s unclear what would occur to Momeni’s homicide conviction if a choose grants his RJA movement.
And regardless of the responsible verdict, Momeni nonetheless hasn’t been sentenced.
Almost 20 months after jurors convicted him, he stays in San Francisco County jail awaiting a closely delayed sentencing listening to.
He faces 16 years to life behind bars.
