A former executive assistant who killed and dismembered his tech CEO boss in New York City after stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from him has been sentenced for the murder, authorities said.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office said in a press release on Tuesday, Sept. 10, that Tyrese Haspil, 25, was sentenced to 40 years to life in state prison for the 2020 murder of 33-year-old Fahim Saleh.
“Today, Tyrese Haspil is facing accountability for brutally murdering and decapitating Fahim Saleh, a kind, generous, and empathetic person who positively impacted the world,” District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg Jr. said.
He added, “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.”
Haspil’s sentencing comes a little over two months after he was found guilty by a New York State Supreme Court jury of first-degree murder and second-degree grand larceny among other charges in connection with the case.
On July 13, 2020, prosecutors said Haspil was seen on surveillance video entering Saleh’s apartment building in Lower Manhattan and following him into the elevator, which opened up into Saleh’s apartment. As Saleh got out of the elevator, Haspil tased him in the back and then stabbed him with a knife multiple times in the neck and torso, killing him.
The next day, Hapsil 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,” according to the release.
The grim discovery was made by Saleh’s cousin, who came to check on him since she had not heard from him in 24 hours, prosecutors said. She subsequently called the police.
Haspil, who prosecutors said left the apartment looking for a saw battery charger and did not return after spotting a police presence in the building, was arrested four days later at an Airbnb he had reserved to celebrate his girlfriend’s birthday.
According to prosecutors, Haspil’s web history in the days after the murder showed searches for “dismembered body,” “Fahim Saleh,” and “murder of Tech CEO in New York.”
Prosecutors have said Haspil’s motive for killing Saleh was financial. Saleh, who was the founder and CEO of Gokada, a transportation company headquartered in Nigeria, learned that Haspil had stolen thousands of dollars from his financial accounts, which Haspil had access to since he began working as Saleh’s executive assistant in May 2018.
According to the district attorney’s office, Haspil set up a Paypal account and a corporate bank account to funnel Saleh’s money. He created bogus statements and used a name that resembled other financial transactions so Saleh would not become aware of the theft, prosecutors said.
“Haspil resigned in May 2019, knowing Mr. Saleh would learn about the embezzlement, yet continued to steal money [and] increasing the amounts,” prosecutors said. According to the district attorney’s office, Haspil paid Saleh back with stolen money through the PayPal scheme, but the theft continued, escalating to about $400,000.
In an attempt to hide the theft and prevent Saleh from potentially testifying against him in court, prosecutors said Haspil had plotted to kill Saleh on at least three occasions before carrying out the murder in July 2020.
Following his death, Saleh’s company released a statement, calling his passion for Nigeria and its young people “immeasurable.”
“He believed young Nigerians are extremely bright and talented individuals who would flourish if just given the right opportunity,” the statement read. “Fahim also believed that technology can transform lives and improve safety and efficiency. He built Gokada to act upon these beliefs.”
