NEW YORK (TCN) — A 25-year-old man has been convicted of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from his 33-year-old tech CEO boss before killing and dismembering him in 2020.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg Jr. announced that on June 24, a jury found Tyrese Haspil guilty of one count of first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree grand larceny, one count of second-degree burglary, one count of tampering with physical evidence, and one count of concealment of a human corpse in connection with the death of tech CEO Fahim Saleh. Haspil is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 10.
According to prosecutors, Haspil began working as Saleh’s entrepreneurial assistant in May 2018, which entailed running personal errands and financial tasks. Through his position, Haspil reportedly gained access to Saleh’s financial records and began stealing from him by fall.
The district attorney’s office said Haspil used stolen money to buy his girlfriend “lavish gifts.” In September 2018, he reportedly created a false PayPal account, pretending to be his boss’ business, and started “funneling the funds into that account while creating fake statements.”
According to prosecutors, Haspil created a corporate entity and bank account in December 2018 and continued to steal money, copying other transactions to hide his crimes. He reportedly continued this through May 2019. According to the district attorney’s office, Haspil eventually left the assistant position in May 2019, “knowing Mr. Saleh would learn about the embezzlement,” yet he “continued to steal money.”
Saleh found out about one of the schemes in January 2020 and confronted Haspil about stealing around $35,000 from his company. Saleh reportedly told Haspil he could pay back the debt with a payment plan, and he would not pursue criminal prosecution. However, according to prosecutors, Haspil used stolen money from the PayPal scam to pay back his former boss. In total, Haspil reportedly stole $400,000 through the PayPal scheme.
The district attorney’s office said Haspil began a plan to kill Saleh because he feared that Saleh would find out about the PayPal embezzlement.
Haspil reportedly “spent weeks researching technology, weapons, tasers, and cleaning supplies to conceal the homicide,” and he “purchased clothes to hide his identity, so Mr. Saleh would not recognize him.”
According to prosecutors, Haspil used social media to follow Saleh as he planned the slaying. Haspil considered killing his former boss three separate times: once in Lagos, Nigeria, another time in New York, and a third time in Hopewell Junction, where he planned to either set his home on fire or stab him.
According to the district attorney’s office, Haspil researched the anatomy of the neck, as well as Saleh’s building plans, and he purchased contractor bags, a Swiffer WetJet, and a saw to help carry out his crimes.
Haspil reportedly spoke with the broker of a building across Saleh’s home, entered the building, and copied the keys. The defendant allegedly placed a camera in a vacant apartment to watch Saleh’s building.
According to prosecutors, in the days leading up to Saleh’s death, Haspil reportedly planned “an extravagant birthday for his girlfriend where he purchased party balloons, an extravagant cake, luxury handbags and shoes, a private yacht tour, and rented a luxury Airbnb in Soho with the stolen money.”
On the morning of July 13, 2020, prosecutors said Haspil followed an individual into Saleh’s building. Armed with a knife and Taser, Haspil, who was wearing a black suit with an opaque mask to disguise himself, allegedly waited inside a stairwell for his former boss. When Saleh came back from a run, the defendant followed the victim, and as Saleh exited the elevator, Haspil Tased him and then fatally stabbed Saleh in his neck and torso.
Following Saleh’s death, Haspil reportedly cleaned the scene with a vacuum to “vacuum the Anti-Felon Identification Discs (AFID), which contain a serial number and are discharged by the Axon Taser to aid law enforcement.”
In the afternoon, Haspil allegedly took an Uber to Jersey City and threw away evidence in a garbage can. Haspil went back to his former boss’ apartment on July 14, 2020, where the district attorney’s office said he used a saw to dismember the body and decapitate him. Haspil reportedly put the remains in construction bags, and he left to buy a battery charger from Home Depot after the saw battery depleted.
Saleh’s cousin, who hadn’t heard from the victim in a day, went to check on the victim and discovered his dismembered body before alerting law enforcement.
After Haspil got back from Home Depot, prosecutors said he saw police at Saleh’s residence and fled to work on his girlfriend’s birthday.
Officials reportedly uncovered Haspil’s web history, which showed searches such as “dismembered body,” “Fahim Saleh,” and articles on “murder of Tech CEO in New York.”
Authorities arrested Haspil on July 17, 2020, at an Airbnb he was renting for his girlfriend’s birthday party. Prosecutors argued that Haspil continued stealing and funneling money into the PayPal account up until his arrest.
In a statement, Bragg said, “Tyrese Haspil tragically cut Mr. Saleh’s life short — a man who came from a close-knit immigrant family and followed his passions to become a successful entrepreneur. I hope the accountability delivered by today’s verdict can provide a measure of comfort to Mr. Saleh’s loved ones as they continue to mourn his loss.”
According to his Facebook account, Saleh worked as the CEO of Gokada and was a founding partner at Adventure Capital.