Khazar Momeni describes Bob Lee as “aggressive” who took a lot of drugs during cross-examination

The sister of the man accused of fatally stabbing Cash App founder Bob Lee was cross-examined by the defense on Tuesday and testified that Lee had been “general” and “aggressive” days before his death while he was consuming a lot of cocaine and ketamine.

Prosecutors in the high-profile murder trial of tech manager Lee have charged Nima Momeni the fatal knife attack on Lee in the early hours of April 4, 2023in the Rincon Hill/East Cut neighborhood in San Francisco. Momeni was arrested nine days later. Prosecutors allege Momeni stabbed Lee with a kitchen knife after a heated discussion about his sister's relationship with Lee and alleged drug use.

Tuesday was the first day of cross-examination for the defendant's sister, Khazar Momeni took the stand for the first time last Thursday. Her testimony focused largely on her own drug use, as well as the drug use of Lee, her brother and others involved in her late-night and early morning gatherings.

Prosecutors also highlighted her text communications with Lee, Nima Momeni and Jeremy Boivin, the man she described as a drug dealer who accused her of sexually assaulting her during her testimony Monday while she was incapacitated by LSD and the “rape drug” GHB.

In the courtroom on Tuesday, the defense wanted to prove that their client had no motive to stab Bob Lee.

The defense has argued that Nima was – in her words – forced to stand her ground in an attack by Lee, who had previously used drugs for several days.

They have also argued that it may have been Lee who grabbed the murder weapon, a 7 1/2-inch-long paring knife whose make matched one found in Khazar Momeni's apartment.

At the start of the cross-examination, defense attorney Saam Zangeneh Khazar questioned Momeni about text exchanges with Lee early Saturday morning, April 1, 2023, when Lee came to her apartment in the Millennium Tower. When Zangeneh Momeni asked if Lee was using drugs, she replied, “Yes, cocaine and ketamine.”

“He was definitely under the influence,” she added.

When Zangeneh asked, “Did he behave unusually?” Khazar told Lee, “…was aggressive everywhere.”

According to the statement, Lee stayed at the apartment for about two hours, doing drugs and drinking, until he left at 7 a.m. to attend a party at Twitter headquarters. He asked Khazar Momeni to come to the party and bring her friend.

Zangeneh also asked Khazar Momeni about a subsequent visit from Lee on the morning of April 3, the day before the fatal stabbing. She confirmed that Lee and Boivin came to her apartment with a bottle of nitrous oxide and did drugs and drank for several hours.

Cross-examination then turned to Lee's visit to Khazar Momeni at Boivin's apartment later that same day, when she continued to use cocaine and nitrous oxide with Boivin and her friend. At that point, Boivin also allegedly gave them GHB and LSD and the alleged sexual assault occurred.

On Monday, Boivin's lawyer Valery Nechay issued a statement claiming that the relationship between Khazar Momeni and her client was consensual and voluntary. She also said that Khazar's statement was “false and full of blatant lies.”

Zangeneh continued his cross-examination Tuesday afternoon, turning to the moment when Khazar and her friend were greeted by her husband, plastic surgeon Dr. Dino Elyassnia, and her brother Nima were taken from Boivin's apartment back to their apartment in the Millennium Tower. Khazar confirmed that she told her brother at the time that she had been touched without her consent while she was high on GHB and LSD.

When Zangeneh Khazar asked if Nima was “aggressive or violent” toward Boivin when she was picked up, she replied, “No, he was very calm.”

She also noted that she didn't mention Lee when her brother and husband arrived. Despite her accusations against him, Boivin returned to Khazar's apartment with her jacket and remained there until 11:45 p.m

Khazar testified that there was no argument between her brother and Boivin during that time and that things were “cordial” when he left.

According to the statement, Lee texted Khazar a short time later and asked her to give Nima his phone number. Khazar responded that she wished he had more compassion, citing a previous disagreement.

In her statement, she said she quickly reconciled with him and invited him to her home, where the three of them gathered until about 30 minutes before the stabbing. Although she noted that drugs were present, she said she did not know how much alcohol and drugs the two men had consumed.