The Trial of Nima Momeni: Day 5
The murder trial of Nima Momeni, accused killer of CashApp founder Bob Lee, continued Monday at the San Francisco Hall of Justice. Lee, who knew the suspect, was stabbed to death on a sidewalk near the Bay Bridge in the early morning hours of April 4, 2023. Momeni’s sister, Khazar, continued her testimony from last week.
Elegantly dressed and outwardly calm, Khazar was methodically questioned by Deputy District Attorney Dane Reinstedt as the prosecution sought to re-construct the events leading up to Lee’s murder.
Numerous text messages exchanged around the time of the killing were displayed throughout the day in court. Khazar was friends with Lee, and spent time with him prior to the murder. She denied being sexually involved with him. Lee, reportedly a former San Francisco resident, had moved to Florida and was visiting the city at the time of his death.
Lee had been to Khazar’s home on April 3 around 8 am, and again in the wee hours of April 4, moments before the stabbing occurred. Lee’s visits to Khazar’s home were established via time stamps on texts and other messaging platforms such as WhatsApp. Khazar said several times on the stand that she was “not doing well” on these days, making it hard to recall specific dates and times. She said she had been using narcotics, including cocaine.
After repeatedly stating how people were often “partying” at her residence in the Millenium Tower, she acknowledged using the term as a euphemism for cocaine use. Khazar was reluctant to give the names of some other people present at the gatherings she and Lee attended, clearly weary of identifying those who may have used illegal drugs. Judge Alexandra Robert Gordon explained she only needed to give first names, and Khazar did so.
A line was drawn, however, when it came to Khazar’s spouse, a plastic surgeon. When the prosecution was set to introduce a text exchange between Khazar and her husband, she invoked spousal privilege. An attorney sidebar followed, and the exhibit was not published. She again asserted spousal privilege later in the day, insisting she did not wish to involve her husband.
Khazar gave disturbing testimony about the afternoon of April 3, when her, Lee, and others were at the apartment of Jeremy Boivin. Though she often referred to him as a “drug dealer,” Khazar said Lee introduced him as a friend when she met him for the first time that morning at her home. A trusting Khazar got into a vehicle with Boivin, and rode around with him before arriving at his apartment. Lee and his friend Borzoyeh “Bo” Mohazzabi soon joined. Boivin gave her LSD and her first shot of GHB. She testified she had known Bo for years as a DJ. On that day, however, he stared at her as he ingested nitrous, giving her a “smirk”. She said this made her very uncomfortable, and urged Boivin to ask Bo and Lee to leave his apartment. She further alleged that Lee really wanted her to join them as they left, but she refused. Feeling more at ease when her girlfriend arrived at Boivin’s, she said she took a total of three shots of GHB that afternoon. She claimed she had never used LSD or GHB before.
After apparently losing consciousness from the effects of the GHB, Khazar alleges she woke up in Boivin’s apartment face down with her friend next to her. She said she couldn’t move when Boivin slapped and grabbed her butt, sexually assaulting her. She said her friend threw up, and Khazar found herself wearing a one piece swimsuit. Very upset, she called her husband and brother to pick her up.
Boivin had allegedly left a liter of GHB on the kitchen counter of her home when he was there that morning. Khazar alleged that her husband poured the liquid narcotic into the sink, but Boivin nevertheless angrily demanded to return to her home to get the “water bottle” back. Nima, allegedly mad at Boivin for assaulting his sister, said he should have been “waiting with six cops” when Boivin came to the Millenium Tower that evening. Khazar said her brother threatened to fight Boivin.
Khazar repeatedly said she was very afraid of Boivin, calling him a “predator”. She said she continued to see him after April 3, saying he would deliver drugs to her. She added that she had blamed herself for the assault, and felt guilty for putting herself “in that situation”.
Not wanting to lose Lee as a friend, Khazar said she wanted to see him again, despite being upset with him and apparently blocking him on her phone earlier on April 3. Lee returned to her home at Millenium, where she says he gave her “a bump of K,” which she explained was katamine.
Khazar said Boivin threatened to kill her, though the timing of this was unclear. Khazar kept saying “it’s been two years,” though the murder happened 18 months ago. She said she didn’t know Nima was under suspicion for the murder, but prosecutors pointed out she helped Nima secure an attorney, possibly helping with the cost of hiring Nima’s prior attorney, Paula Canny, as well as his current lawyer(s).
Reinstedt stated just before 4 pm that he had no further questions for the witness, and court was adjourned for the day.
