Tyrese Haspil, the American, who murdered his former boss, Fahim Saleh in New York City has been sentenced to 40 years of life imprisonment.
Gatekeepers News reports that Haspil served as the executive assistant of the founder and CEO of Nigerian transportation company, Gokada.
He was convicted of first-degree murder, second-degree grand larceny, and other charges by a New York State Supreme Court jury two months ago.
The sentence followed the crime committed in July 2020, where the suspect embezzled funds from Saleh and subsequently killed him to cover his tracks.
Commenting on the case, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg Jr. said, “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.”
According to district attorney’s office; Prosecutors revealed that surveillance footage captured Haspil entering Saleh’s Lower Manhattan apartment building on July 13, 2020, following him into the elevator.
On getting to the apartment, Haspil used a taser on Saleh before stabbing him repeatedly, resulting in Saleh’s death.
He returned the next day to dismember and decapitate Saleh’s body, placing the parts in construction bags.
The deceased’s cousin discovered the act after not hearing from Saley for 24 hours and promptly alerted the police.
Haspil was apprehended four days later at an Airbnb he rented to celebrate his girlfriend’s birthday.
Haspil had been embezzling funds from his former boss since 2018, setting up fake PayPal and corporate bank accounts to funnel the money.
He continued his fraudulent activities even after resigning in May 2019, ultimately stealing approximately $400,000.
The deceased’s company wrote a tribute following his death, stressing his dedication to Nigeria and its youth.
It said, “Fahim believed that technology could transform lives and improve safety and efficiency. He built Gokada to act upon these beliefs.”
