American Man Sentenced To 40 Years In Prison For Beheading Gokada Nigeria Founder

An American man, Tyrese Haspil has been sentenced to 40 years in prison for the murder of his former boss, Fahim Saleh, the founder and CEO of Nigerian transportation company Gokada.

Haspil, who worked as Saleh’s executive assistant, was found guilty of first-degree murder and second-degree grand larceny after it was discovered he had been embezzling funds from the 33-year-old Gokada CEO and killed him to cover it up.

His conviction was handed down by a New York State Supreme Court jury two months prior to the sentencing.

According to prosecutors, security footage showed 25-year-old Haspil following Saleh into his Lower Manhattan apartment on July 13, 2020, where he attacked him with a taser and repeatedly stabbed him in the neck and torso.

The following day, Tyrese Haspil returned to the apartment, dismembered Saleh’s body with a saw, and placed the remains in construction bags.

Fahim Saleh’s cousin discovered the scene after not hearing from him for a day and called the police.

Prosecutors revealed that Haspil left the apartment to get a battery charger for the saw but never returned after noticing police presence at the building.

He was apprehended four days later at an Airbnb he had rented for his girlfriend’s birthday celebration.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg Jr. stated that Haspil’s actions were particularly heinous, as Saleh had given him a second chance despite the embezzlement.

Bragg Jr., in a press release on Tuesday, 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.”

Fahim Saleh’s death was described as a tragic loss of a generous and impactful person.

Investigations revealed that Haspil had been stealing from Saleh since 2018, setting up fraudulent accounts to funnel nearly $400,000 from Saleh’s business into his own pockets.

He even generated fake financial statements to hide the theft.

Despite resigning in 2019, Haspil continued his scheme, using funds from the stolen money to repay earlier thefts, but the embezzlement escalated.

Prosecutors noted that Haspil had considered killing Saleh on several occasions before finally carrying out the crime in July 2020 to avoid being exposed and potentially having Saleh testify against him.

Following Saleh’s death, Gokada released a statement highlighting his commitment to Nigeria’s youth, describing him as a visionary who believed in the potential of young Nigerians and the power of technology to transform lives.

“Fahim believed that technology could transform lives and improve safety and efficiency. He built Gokada to act upon these beliefs,” the statement read.

Gokada, founded in 2017, started as a ride-hailing service and expanded into logistics and food delivery in 2020.

The sentence comes four years after Fahim Saleh was found dead and dismembered in his apartment in New York, United States.