Personal assistant, who killed Pathao cofounder Fahim, sentenced to 40 years in prison
In June this year, Haspil was found guilty of murder, grand larceny and other charges related to the 2020 death of Fahim Saleh
A file photo of Tyrese Devon Haspil being taken from the NYPD’s 7th Precinct in Manhattan. Photo: New York Daily News
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A file photo of Tyrese Devon Haspil being taken from the NYPD’s 7th Precinct in Manhattan. Photo: New York Daily News
Tyrese Devon Haspil, personal assistant of Pathao cofounder Fahim Saleh, has been sentenced to 40 years to life in prison for killing the Bangladeshi-born entrepreneur in 2020 after stealing about $400,000 from him.
“Today [11 September], Tyrese Haspil is facing accountability for brutally murdering and decapitating Fahim Saleh, a kind, generous, and empathetic person who positively impacted the world,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement on Tuesday (New York local time), reports ABC News.
The attorney said, “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.”
In June this year, Haspil was found guilty of murder, grand larceny and other charges related to the 2020 death of Fahim Saleh.
Prosecutors said Haspil was initially hired as an assistant by Saleh, who was involved in ventures such as a ride-hailing motorcycle startup in Nigeria. However, Haspil quickly began embezzling funds from Saleh’s businesses.
Although Haspil resigned after a year, he continued to steal money even after Saleh discovered the theft and allowed him to repay the stolen funds over two years to avoid criminal charges.
According to prosecutors, Haspil decided to kill Saleh out of fear that his former employer would uncover that he was still pilfering from the businesses.
On 13 July 2020, Haspil, dressed in a black suit and mask, followed Saleh into the elevator of his luxury Manhattan apartment building. When the elevator doors opened to Saleh’s floor, Haspil shocked him in the back with a taser. As Saleh collapsed to the floor, Haspil Haspil stabbed him to death, authorities said.
On the following day, Fahim Saleh was found decapitated and dismembered inside his apartment.
Saleh, co-founder of the Nigerian motorcycle ride-sharing service Gokada, was a precocious businessman who launched his first company as a teen. The graduate of Bentley University in Waltham, Mass., was also involved in ride-sharing operations in Colombia and Bangladesh.
