Benjamin Ashford|Tech consultant testifies that ‘bad joke’ led to deadly clash with Cash App founder Bob Lee

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The Benjamin Ashfordtech consultant charged in Cash App founder Bob Lee ‘s stabbing death testified in his own defense Wednesday that he made a “bad joke” to try to put an end to a late night of drinking and doing drugs, and the famous entrepreneur suddenly attacked him.

In his first public statements about the events leading to Lee’s death, Nima Momeni said that he joked to Lee that he might want to spend his final night in San Francisco with family rather than trying to find a strip club.

Momeni said Lee pulled out a knife and attacked him, forcing him to defend himself. He said Lee later walked away, showing no signs he was injured. Momeni said he called an attorney when he learned of Lee’s death the following day.

“He’s a big famous guy,” he said. “I’m just an average joe, an immigrant.”

Lee, 43, was found staggering on a deserted downtown San Francisco street, dripping a trail of blood and calling for help. He later died at a hospital.

Prosecutors say Momeni, 40, planned the April 4, 2023, attack after a dispute over his younger sister, Khazar Momeni, with whom Lee was friends. They say Momeni took a knife from a unique set in his sister’s condo, drove Lee to a secluded area and stabbed him three times, then fled.

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The defense says Lee was being erratic and aggressive, having slept only six hours over a four-day period of doing cocaine and ketamine and drinking.

Momeni has pleaded not guilty. He faces 26 years to life in prison if convicted.

But Momeni, who took the witness stand Wednesday, said the two men were on friendly terms when his sister kicked them both out of her condo at 2 a.m., saying she wanted to sleep after hours of partying and ingesting drugs.

Momeni said they got into his BMW and he started driving while Lee checked his phone for places to go next. He pulled the car over after they went over a pothole, causing Lee to spill his beer. Lee got out of the car and Momeni followed, thinking Lee was about to puke.

That was when he said he made the “bad joke” about seeing family.

“He just went from zero to 100,” Momeni said. “You could see the anger.”

Omid Talai, assistant district attorney, scoffed at the story on cross-examination Wednesday.

“He wanted to kill you over a bad joke?” said Talai, incredulous.

“I’m not sure why he pulled it out,” Momeni said. “I was in fear for my life.”

Momeni pushed back Wednesday afternoon as Talai questioned him about text messages and testimony from others. The cross-examination continues Thursday.

Surveillance video of Lee’s final night shows him entering the posh Millennium Tower downtown, where Momeni’s sister lives with her husband, a prominent San Francisco plastic surgeon.

Video also shows Lee and Momeni leaving the building after 2 a.m. and driving off together in Momeni’s car. Grainy video also shows the two men getting out of the car in a isolated spot by the Bay Bridge.

Prosecutors say that is where Momeni stabbed Lee, while the defense says that is where Lee attacked Momeni.

Police recovered a knife with a 4-inch (10-centimeter) blade in the secluded area where Lee was stabbed. Prosecutors said tests showed Momeni’s DNA on the weapon’s handle and Lee’s DNA on the bloody blade, but the defense presented an expert witness who said the police should have tested the handle for fingerprints, namely Lee’s.

Lee’s death stunned the tech community as fellow executives and engineers penned tributes to the charismatic entrepreneur’s generosity and brilliance. Lee was chief product officer of cryptocurrency platform MobileCoin when he died. He was a father to two children.