Tyrese Haspil, the former personal assistant who brutally murdered and dismembered his former tech entrepreneur boss, Fahim Saleh, was sentenced to 40 years to life in prison on Tuesday. Haspil was convicted in June of murder, grand larceny, and other charges related to the 2020 death of Saleh, the founder of the Nigerian ride-hailing startup Gokada.
Prosecutors revealed that Haspil had been hired as Saleh’s assistant but quickly began embezzling funds from the company. Despite Saleh’s leniency and allowing Haspil to repay the stolen money, Haspil’s greed ultimately led him to commit murder.
On July 13, 2020, Haspil ambushed Saleh in the elevator of his Manhattan apartment building. He shocked Saleh with a Taser, stabbed him to death, and then dismembered his body. However, his plans were foiled when Saleh’s cousin arrived at the apartment and discovered the horrific scene.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg expressed his condolences to Saleh’s family and emphasized the severity of Haspil’s crimes.
“Today’s sentence won’t bring Mr. Saleh back, but I hope it provides his family a sense of closure as they continue to mourn his painful loss,” Bragg said.
