Tyrese Haspil, the former personal assistant of tech entrepreneur Fahim Saleh, was sentenced to 40 years to life in prison on Tuesday for the brutal 2020 murder of his former boss. Haspil, 25, was convicted of murder, grand larceny, and other charges in June after it was revealed that he had stolen $400,000 from Saleh’s businesses.
Saleh, who founded Gokada, a ride-hailing startup in Nigeria, had discovered Haspil’s theft but chose to allow him to repay the money over two years rather than pursue legal action. Despite this, Haspil continued stealing from Saleh, and fearing further discovery, decided to murder him.
On July 13, 2020, Haspil followed Saleh into the elevator of his Manhattan apartment building, tased him, and then stabbed him to death. The next day, Haspil returned to dismember the body but was interrupted when Saleh’s cousin discovered the crime scene. He was arrested shortly afterward.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg commented on the sentencing, emphasizing that while it wouldn’t bring Saleh back, it provided some sense of justice for the family.
