Tyrese Haspil, a former assistant of tech mogul Fahim Saleh, has been convicted of murdering his former boss in his Manhattan apartment back in 2020. Prosecutors said that Tyrese Haspil killed his former boss to cover up his theft of $400,000 from the 33-year-old businessman.
Mr Saleh was a successful tech entrepreneur and the CEO of Gokada, a Nigeria-based scooter startup.
The 25-year-old was found guilty of multiple charges, including murder in the first degree, grand larceny, burglary, tampering with physical evidence and concealment of a human corpse. He faces up to 25 years to life in prison and will be sentenced on September 10.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said, “Tyrese Haspil tragically cut Mr Saleh's life short – a man who came from a close-knit immigrant family and followed his passions to become a successful entrepreneur. I hope the accountability delivered by today's verdict can provide a measure of comfort to Mr Saleh's loved ones as they continue to mourn his loss.”
Mr Saleh was found murdered in his $2.4 million 7th-floor high-rise condo on East Houston Street, reported the NY Post.
Planning the murder
Tyrese Haspil's scheme to steal from his former boss, Fahim Saleh, began in 2018, but it wasn't until July 2020 that his plan turned deadly. He embezzled money from Mr Saleh's companies to purchase lavish gifts for his girlfriend, The NYT reported.
Haspil created a bogus corporate entity and bank account to funnel the stolen money. When Mr Saleh discovered the theft in January 2020, Haspil agreed to a repayment plan but continued to steal more money through a fraudulent PayPal account.
Concerned that Mr Saleh would discover the more lucrative theft, Haspil began plotting to kill him.
Tyrese Haspil's online activity showed that he searched for "Fahim Saleh" and "murder of tech CEO in New York", as well as "dismembered body" and "anatomy of the human neck". He also looked up building plans and searched for contractor-grade trash bags, weapons and cleaning supplies, as per the NYT.
Haspil also tracked Mr Saleh's whereabouts on social media and purchased clothes to conceal his identity.
Execution of the murder
On July 13, 2020, Tyrese Haspil entered an elevator with Mr Saleh in the latter's apartment building 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 soon as the elevator doors opened, Haspil's demeanour turned deadly.
According to his testimony, Tyrese Haspil tased Fahim Saleh in the back, rendering him immobile, and then pulled out a knife. With a targeted strike, Haspil aimed for Mr Saleh's neck, delivering a fatal blow, reported the NYT.
He then left the apartment and returned the next day to dismember Mr Saleh's body with an electric saw. He stuffed the body parts in plastic bags, which were later found strewn across the apartment.
However, before completing the task, he left again to purchase a battery charger, and it was during this time that Fahim Saleh's cousin discovered the scene when he went to check up on him.
Tyrese Haspil was arrested four days later at an Airbnb he booked for his girlfriend's birthday celebration.
His public defenders argued that he murdered his ex-boss due to “extreme emotional disturbance” and “unconditional love” for his girlfriend. He feared she would leave him if she found out he had been embezzling money from his boss, as per reports.
