Nima Momeni, the man accused of murdering Cash App founder Bob Lee appeared in a San Francisco court today as more details surrounding the case against him emerged.
Lee was murdered in the early hours of April 4 while visiting San Francisco from Miami, where he moved last year with his family.
Prosecutors have charged Momeni, an IT entrepreneur, with his death. He is the older brother of Khazar Momeni, known as Tina to her friends, who had a close friendship with Lee.
He was due to be arraigned today but his attorneys successfully pushed for an extension.
They say he will plead not guilty when the time comes, but that they haven’t yet been shown prosecutors’ evidence against Momeni. He is due back in court next week.
More than a dozen of Lee’s relatives – including his children – were in the courtroom today for the hearing, but Momeni’s sister – who supported him in designer sunglasses last week – was not.
Nima Momeni appears in court on Tuesday April 25 to be arraigned on murder charges
Momeni said nothing in court during his brief arraignment on Tuesday morning
The 38-year-old hugged his attorney Paula Canny before he left the courtroom
Paula Canny, Momeni’s attorney, said she is not convinced by the surveillance footage she has seen.
‘He’s gonna plead not guilty, and he’s gonna deny the special allegation and absolutely the plea will be not guilty.
‘I don’t think you can see anything in the videos,’ she said after his appearance.
Prosecutors had claimed the videos showed Momeni stabbing Lee in his BMW after driving him to a secluded part of town in the early hours of April 4.
They however said the footage was dark and difficult to make out.
Friends have claimed Khazar was romantically involved with Lee despite being married to plastic surgeon Dino Elyassnia, and one alleged in a recent interview with The San Francisco Standard that she had a drug problem.
‘She was basically asking me to buy drugs with my money,’ Samira Kuduzovi, who was friends with her, said.
Police sources say that on the day of his murder, Lee and Khazar visited the home of a man who has a criminal record for dealing drugs.
It’s unclear if they purchased any from him that day. A previously-filed court motion says the trio were ‘drinking’ at his home.
Attorney Paula Canny, representing Nima Momeni, speaks to reporters outside of a courtroom at the Hall of Justice in San Francisco, Tuesday, April 25, 2023
Bob Lee and Khazar Momeni visited the home of a drug dealer on the day before his murder, according to new court claims
On April 3, Lee and Momeni visited an apartment at 1500 Mission St. Police say they were visiting a man with a prior conviction for selling drugs
Khazar Momeni with her husband, plastic surgeon Dino Elyassnia, at her brother’s first court appearance on April 14. Her friends told The San Francisco Standard she has a drug problem
The man in question has not been named.
The apparent connection to drugs ties into an earlier claim that Lee argued with Nima Momeni about Khazar hours before the stabbing.
It was claimed by friends that Nima was concerned his sister was wrapped up in a bad crowd and had been using drugs.
Nima Momeni has been charged with murdering Lee in an rage after grilling him about his relationship with his sister
Lee, according to the friends, assured him she was not.
Robert Canny, an attorney who spoke on behalf of Khazar Momeni and her husband at her brother’s first court appearance, did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com’s inquiries.
Authorities have not released any further details regarding illicit substances being involved in the case.
Canny, the attorney representing Nima, previously suggested police had arrested he wrong person.
‘Clearly they seem to think they have enough to make an arrest, but I haven’t seen it.
‘So, until I see it and analyze it, I’m gonna say they’ve made a mistake. There isn’t enough [to hold him].
‘My client is a super nice person, his family loves him and supports him.
Police found a text on Bob Lee’s phone from Khazar where she told him she ‘love you’
‘There’s so much more to this – and a much greater backstory – than what has been disclosed at all in the government’s pleading,’ she said in an interview with NBC News.
She told The San Francisco Standard she was looking into drug use as a ‘theme’ as part of her defense.
‘We are actively investigating the background of the conduct of all the parties for the three or four days before the incident.
‘A common theme that I’m seeing is heavy illegal narcotics use,’ she said.
Local officials in San Francisco celebrated Momeni’s arrest and the fact he and Lee knew each other.
They were eager to play down fears that Lee’s death was yet another example of the random violence plaguing the city.