Tyrese Haspil, the personal assistant convicted of murdering and dismembering his former boss, tech entrepreneur Fahim Saleh, has been sentenced to 40 years to life in prison. Haspil, 25, was found guilty in June of murder, grand larceny, and other charges related to Saleh’s death in 2020.
CASE DETAILS:
- BACKGROUND: Haspil had been hired by Saleh, who was known for his ventures including the ride-hailing motorcycle startup Gokada in Nigeria. Over time, Haspil began embezzling funds from Saleh’s businesses.
- THEFT AND MURDER: Despite resigning after a year, Haspil continued to steal from Saleh. After Saleh discovered the theft, he allowed Haspil to repay the stolen money over two years to avoid criminal charges. Fearing that Saleh would uncover ongoing theft, Haspil decided to murder him.
- MURDER AND DISMEMBERMENT: On July 13, 2020, Haspil, dressed in a black suit and mask, followed Saleh into the elevator of his Manhattan apartment building. Once inside Saleh’s apartment, Haspil used a Taser on Saleh and then fatally stabbed him. The following day, Haspil returned to dismember Saleh’s body with an electric saw but had to leave to purchase a charger after the saw’s battery died. Saleh’s cousin discovered the dismembered body upon arriving at the apartment. Haspil was arrested days later.
STATEMENT:
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg commented, “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.”
