Tyrese Haspil, a former assistant to tech mogul Fahim Saleh, has been convicted of murdering his former boss in his Manhattan apartment in 2020. Prosecutors said Tyrese Haspil killed his former boss to cover up the theft of $400,000 from the 33-year-old businessman.
Mr. Saleh was a successful tech entrepreneur and CEO of Nigeria-based scooter startup Gokada.
The 25-year-old was found guilty of multiple charges, including first-degree murder, grand larceny, burglary, tampering with physical evidence and concealing a human corpse. He faces 25 years to life in prison and will be sentenced on Sept. 10.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said, “Tyrese Haspil tragically cut short the life of Mr. Saleh — a man who came from a close-knit immigrant family and followed his passion to become a successful entrepreneur. I hope the accountability provided by today’s verdict will provide some measure of solace to Mr. Saleh’s loved ones as they mourn their loss.”
Mr Saleh was killed in his $2.4 million seventh-floor apartment on East Houston Street, the New York Post reported.
Planning the murder
Tyrese Haspil’s plan to steal from his former boss, Fahim Saleh, began in 2018, but his scheme didn’t turn deadly until July 2020. He embezzled money from Mr. Saleh’s companies to buy lavish gifts for his girlfriends, the NYT reports.
Haspil created a fake corporate entity and bank account to launder the stolen funds. When Mr. Saleh discovered the theft in January 2020, Haspil agreed to a repayment plan but continued to steal more money through a fake PayPal account.
Worried that Mr. Saleh would discover this more profitable theft, Haspil began plotting to murder him.
Tyrese Haspil’s online activity showed that he searched for “Faheem Saleh” and “murder of tech CEO in New York,” as well as “dismembered bodies” and “anatomy of the human neck.” He also viewed building plans and searched for contractor-grade garbage bags, weapons, and cleaning supplies, according to the NYT.
Haspil also tracked Mr Saleh’s whereabouts on social media and purchased clothing to conceal his identity.
Execution of murder
On July 13, 2020, Tyrese Haspil entered an elevator in Mr. Saleh’s apartment building, where he was wearing a dark plastic face shield, a baseball cap, and sunglasses. Mr. Saleh, unaware of the impending danger, joked with Haspil about taking COVID precautions seriously. However, as the elevator doors opened, Haspil’s behavior turned deadly.
According to his testimony, Tyrese Haspil stabbed Fahim Saleh in the back, immobilizing him, and then pulled out the knife. Haspil aimed for Mr. Saleh’s neck and delivered the fatal blow, the NYT reports.
He then left the apartment and returned the next day to dismember Mr Saleh’s body with an electric saw. He put the body parts into plastic bags, which were later found scattered around the apartment.
However, before completing the task, he went again to buy a battery charger, and in the meantime, Faheem Saleh’s cousin witnessed the incident when he went to check on him.
Tyrese Haspil was arrested four days later at an Airbnb he had booked for his girlfriend’s birthday celebration.
His public defender argued that he killed his former boss because of “extreme emotional turmoil” and “unconditional love” for his girlfriend. According to the report, he feared that if she found out he was embezzling money from his boss, she would leave him.