Nima Momeni, who is accused of fatally stabbing well-known tech executive Bob Lee beneath the Bay Bridge in San Francisco last month, appeared with his lawyer in court Wednesday for the scheduling of a preliminary hearing date.
The hearing will take place next May 30, and new details are expected to emerge as the prosecution presents its evidence.
A judge will then decide whether there is sufficient evidence for the case to proceed to trial. If the case does move forward, the trial would likely happen in late July or early August.
Momeni was arrested at his Emeryville loft nine days after Lee’s April 4 killing and remains in custody. In a court appearance last week, Momeni pleaded not guilty.
His lawyer also revealed during that appearance that Momeni was not a U.S. citizen and said that he was at risk of deportation. “If I don’t defend this case, he’s going to be deported back to Iran,” Canny said.
Prosecutors said Lee, the 43-year-old chief product officer of MobileCoin and founder of Cash App, and Momeni, a tech consultant, had an argument over Momeni’s sister hours before the pair drove to a location near Main and Harrison streets, where they allege the suspect stabbed Lee with a kitchen knife.
At the preliminary hearing, the defense will have a chance to dispute the evidence presented.