- San Francisco police arrested Nima Momeni on Thursday and charged him in the murder of Bob Lee.
- The suspect was charged with murder and has been linked to an IT company.
- Here's everything we know about Momeni from friends, records, and reports.
San Francisco police arrested a tech consultant named Nima Momeni on Thursday on a murder charge in the fatal stabbing of Cash App creator Bob Lee.
The SFPD identified Momeni as the suspect in a Thursday press conference in San Francisco. Momeni, 38, was taken into custody in Emeryville, California, "without incident," police added at the conference.
The local news outlet Mission Local first reported the arrest and said it took place at an address of a Nima Momeni. The name is also associated with the owner of Expand IT, an IT services company based in Emeryville, California. Reuters and The New York Times also identified the suspect as the founder of Expand IT.
Insider was unable to reach spokespeople for Expand IT or Momeni for comment. SFPD did not confirm whether the man they arrested was a tech consultant and declined to provide additional details on the case as the investigation is ongoing.
Momeni was booked around 9 a.m. PT on Thursday, records from the San Francisco Sheriff's Office show.
Here's everything we know so far about Momeni.
Friends and acquaintances 'can't imagine it'
Alex Pourshayegan, who has known Momeni since he was a teenager working in Pourshayegan's window and glass store, told Insider Momeni is a "very likeable kind of guy."
Momeni immigrated to the U.S. from Iran with his mother and sister, Pouryeshgan said, and grew up outside of Berkeley. Momeni later became Pourshayegan's IT vendor.
"I just can't find it that he was upset enough to do such a heinous crime," Pourshayegan said. "I just can't imagine it."
In his last conversation with Momeni, several months ago, Momeni expressed interest in buying a ranch somewhere in the countryside. "He's a nature boy," Pourshayegan said.
Momeni's neighbors described the man as "friendly," ABC7 news reported.
His professional life
Momeni lists UC Berkeley and Laney College in Oakland, California, on his LinkedIn profile. A spokesperson for UC Berkeley told The San Francisco Chronicle the institution has no record of Momeni.
He started his own IT consulting company, Expand IT, in 2010, according to the Chronicle. On its website, the company said it worked with non-profits, government agencies, as well as healthcare clients, and other startups.
Two people who hired Momeni as an IT vendor told Insider that he was competent, professional and unassuming.
He had also worked at several other startups in the Bay Area, per the Chronicle.
The police department confirmed prior reports that Momeni knew Lee, but it's unclear how exactly they knew each other, or what led to the alleged incident. Momeni and Lee were driving together through downtown San Francisco in the early morning hours of April 4, in a car registered to Momeni's name, according to Mission Local.
His run-ins with police
In 2011, Momeni was charged with driving with a suspended license and with selling a switchblade in California, but the switchblade charge was later dropped, according to Forbes. The Daily Beast reported that one neighbor said Momeni had a few guns and knives at his residence.
The tech executive was also charged with a misdemeanor for allegedly driving under the influence in 2004, KTVU Fox 2 reported. The publication said officers discovered a "butterfly knife" in his vehicle when they pulled him over, but the case was dropped.
Momeni will be arraigned on Friday at 1:30 p.m. PT. San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said her office is planning to file a motion to detain the suspect without bail.