Defense in Momeni trial seeks to bar Bob Lee's ex-wife from court as jury selection begins
With jury selection looming in the trial of Nima Momeni, his defense team is seeking to bar Bob Lee's ex-wife from court.
Momeni has been accused of murder following the fatal stabbing of the Cash App founder in the early morning hours of April 4, 2023.
But as all parties inch closer to the start of the highly-anticipated trial, the defense is seeking to bar Krista Lee from courtroom proceedings, citing potential witness tampering.
Krista was married to Bob Lee until 2019. They share two children.
In text messages revealed by the defense, Krista texted a man named Anthony Brichetto claiming that the San Francisco Police Department had been having a hard time getting in touch with a person related to the case.
"Wanna play detective with me?" Krista asked Brichetto. "The SFPD is having a hard time locating a certain person who's directly involved in the upcoming trial. Know anyone [that] would know the whereabouts this person of interest may be?"
That person appears to be referencing Momeni's sister, Khazar.
In a court filing, the defense argues Krista had been "'playing detective' on many occasions and has no intention of stopping."
"You know that's a concern for us right because we want a fair trial," Saam Zangeneh, one of Momeni's defense attorneys, told reporters after a pre-trial hearing Monday.
The defense also points to a transcript of a call between an SFPD sergeant and another person who was present in the hours leading up to Lee's death, Jeremy Boivin.
In the call, Boivin says Krista had directed him to speak with the SFPD officer and says he spoke to Krista regarding the events of April 3, 2023. The defense argues Krista is "being permitted to actively influence others," and requests for her to be sequestered.
During the hearing, the prosecution pointed to California law that allows her presence in court proceedings and said it would be a "big ask" for her to be dismissed from the trial.
A judge suggested they would order Krista to refrain from speaking to anyone related to the trial until it concludes.
Jury selection is expected to begin Tuesday.