Tyrese Haspil, 25, was found guilty on Monday of murdering Fahim Saleh, 33, the CEO of Nigerian motorcycle ride-hailing company Gokada, in 2020.
Haspil killed and dismembered Saleh to prevent him from discovering Haspil had embezzled $400,000 from him.
A Manhattan jury convicted Haspil of first-degree murder, second-degree grand larceny, second-degree burglary, and other charges.
Saleh, a successful entrepreneur from a close-knit immigrant family, was remembered by District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who expressed hope that the verdict provides some comfort to Saleh’s loved ones.
Haspil, Saleh’s assistant since May 2018, handled his finances and began stealing from him that fall using various schemes. Despite resigning in May 2019, Haspil continued to embezzle money, totaling nearly $400,000.
In January 2020, after being confronted by Saleh for stealing $35,000, Haspil agreed to repay the debt but continued using embezzled funds.
Fearing further discovery, Haspil decided to murder Saleh. On July 13, 2020, Haspil tased and stabbed Saleh in his Lower East Side condo, returning the next day to dismember the body.
Saleh’s body was discovered by his cousin, leading to Haspil’s arrest on July 17. Haspil’s attorney has not yet commented.
Haspil is expected to be sentenced in September.
