A 25-year-old American man, Tyrese Haspil, has been sentenced to 40 years to life in prison for the murder of his former boss, Fahim Saleh, 33, in New York City.
Saleh was the founder and CEO of Nigerian transportation company, Gokada.
Co-founder/CEO of Gokada, Fahim Saleh, explains his company’s operation during an interview with Reuters in Lagos. Photo: Reuters
People.com reports that Haspil, who worked as Saleh’s executive assistant, had been embezzling funds from his employer and killed him to avoid being caught.
Haspil’s sentencing followed his conviction by a New York State Supreme Court jury two months ago.
He was found guilty of first-degree murder, second-degree grand larceny and other charges.
The Manhattan District Attorney, Alvin Bragg Jr., in a press release on Tuesday, said, “Today, Tyrese Haspil is facing accountability for brutally murdering and decapitating Fahim Saleh, a kind, generous, and empathetic person who positively impacted the world.
“Even after the defendant stole from him to fund a lavish lifestyle, Mr. Saleh still gave him a second chance. While today’s sentence won’t bring Mr. Saleh back, I hope it provides his family a sense of closure as they continue to mourn his painful loss.”
According to prosecutors, surveillance footage captured Haspil entering Saleh’s apartment building in Lower Manhattan on July 13, 2020, and following him into the elevator.
Upon exiting the elevator, which led directly into Saleh’s apartment, Haspil deployed a taser against Saleh’s back and then repeatedly stabbed him in the neck and torso with a knife, resulting in his death.
The next day, Haspil returned to the apartment where he “dismembered and decapitated Mr. Saleh’s body using the saw and placed the body parts in pre-ordered construction bags,” as stated in the release.
Saleh’s cousin made the discovery after visiting his apartment to check on his welfare, having not received any communication from him in 24 hours. She immediately notified the police.
Prosecutors stated that Haspil left the apartment to obtain a battery charger for the saw but did not return after observing police in the building.
He was arrested four days later at an Airbnb location he had rented to celebrate his girlfriend’s birthday.
The Gokada founder had discovered Haspil’s embezzlement of thousands of dollars from his accounts, to which Haspil had access as his executive assistant since 2018.
The district attorney’s office said that Haspil set up a Paypal account and a corporate bank account to funnel Saleh’s money.
Haspil generated fake financial statements and used a name that closely resembled those of legitimate transactions, making it difficult for Saleh to detect the embezzlement.
“Haspil resigned in May 2019, knowing Mr. Saleh would learn about the embezzlement, yet continued to steal money [and] increasing the amounts,” prosecutors said.
The district attorney’s office reported that Haspil repaid Saleh using funds obtained through the PayPal scheme, but the embezzlement continued, ultimately reaching an estimated total of $400,000.
According to prosecutors, Haspil had plotted to murder Saleh at least three times before ultimately carrying out the crime in July 2020, reportedly in an attempt to hide the embezzlement and prevent Saleh from potentially serving as a witness against him.
Saleh’s company issued a statement after his passing, describing his dedication to Nigeria and its youth as “immeasurable.”
“He believed young Nigerians are extremely bright and talented individuals who would flourish if just given the right opportunity.
“Fahim also believed that technology can transform lives and improve safety and efficiency. He built Gokada to act upon these beliefs,” the statement read.
Gokada is a ride-hailing service in Nigeria which launched in 2017 before diversifying into Logistics and Food Delivery in 2020.
