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TL;DR
- Tyrese Haspil, 25, was sentenced to 40 years to life in prison for brutally murdering and dismembering his former boss, Pathao CEO Fahim Saleh, in 2020.
- Haspil, who worked as Saleh’s personal assistant, stole approximately $400,000 from his employer and ultimately decided to murder Saleh to cover up his crimes.
- Despite his lawyer arguing for a lesser sentence, Haspil himself told the judge that he believed nothing less than life without parole would be appropriate.
- Saleh’s family members addressed the court, expressing their grief and the devastating impact the murder had on their lives and Saleh’s company, Gokada, a Nigerian app-based delivery service.
On Tuesday, September 10, 2024, Tyrese Haspil, 25, was sentenced to 40 years to life in prison for the brutal murder and dismemberment of his former boss, tech CEO Fahim Saleh, in 2020. The sentencing took place in Manhattan Supreme Court, where Justice April Newbauer handed down the sentence after a jury convicted Haspil on all counts in June.
During the trial, prosecutors revealed that Haspil, who worked as Saleh’s personal assistant, had stolen approximately $400,000 from his employer. Despite Saleh’s leniency and offer of a repayment plan, Haspil continued to embezzle funds and ultimately decided to murder Saleh to cover up his crimes.
On July 13, 2020, Haspil followed Saleh into his luxury Manhattan apartment, where he shocked him with a taser and stabbed him to death. The following day, Haspil returned to the apartment to dismember and attempt to conceal Saleh’s body.
At the sentencing hearing, prosecutors sought a term of 50 years to life, while Haspil’s defense attorney, Sam Roberts, argued that such a sentence would be excessive and amount to a “de facto life sentence.” Roberts also noted that prosecutors had initially offered a plea deal of 35 years to life, which the judge had further reduced to 33 years.
‘Unlike my counsel, I don’t think anything less than life without parole would be appropriate,’ Haspil told the judge in a barely audible voice, effectively asking for a harsher sentence than what his lawyer sought.
Saleh’s family members, including his father, Ahmed Saleh, and two sisters, addressed the court, expressing their grief and the devastating impact the murder had on their lives and Saleh’s company, Gokada, a Nigerian app-based delivery service.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who attended the sentencing, stated, ‘Today, Tyrese Haspil is facing accountability for brutally murdering and decapitating Fahim Saleh, a kind, generous, and empathetic person who positively impacted the world.’
The case has drawn attention to the tragic consequences of embezzlement and the loss of a promising young entrepreneur who had made significant contributions to the tech industry in Nigeria and beyond.
Source: Business Insider
