A remorseless killer who beheaded his mentor after stealing nearly $400,000 to impress his French girlfriend told a Manhattan judge that he deserves to spend the rest of his life in prison.
According to the New York Post, Tyrese Haspil, convicted of the 2020 murder and decapitation of tech CEO Fahim Saleh in the Lower East Side, was sentenced to 40 years to life. In a dramatic courtroom moment, Haspil contradicted his attorney, who had argued for a lighter sentence, and told the judge that nothing less than life without parole would be appropriate.
The sentencing concluded a gruesome and bizarre case. Haspil, 25, was charged with second-degree murder for the July 13, 2020 killing inside Saleh’s $2.2 million East Houston Street apartment.
Fahim Saleh’s family delivered emotional victim impact statements in Manhattan Supreme Court, with Saleh’s sister, Rif Saleh, calling Haspil a “con man and a murderer” and declaring that he deserved to spend his life in prison. Saleh’s father, Ahmed Saleh, expressed disgust at Haspil’s defense, stating that the killer should remain behind bars for life.
Police revealed that Haspil had been Saleh’s executive assistant, handling his finances and personal matters, but had embezzled $400,000 from the tech entrepreneur, who founded Gokada, a Nigerian motorcycle ride-sharing company. Despite discovering the theft, Saleh chose to work out a repayment plan rather than report Haspil to the authorities. This decision ultimately cost him his life.
Investigators found that Haspil used a Taser to incapacitate Saleh in an elevator before fatally stabbing him. He later dismembered the body with an electric saw purchased with Saleh’s credit card and disposed of the remains in plastic bags. Surveillance footage allegedly captured him leaving the store after buying the saw.
At a previous court hearing, Haspil admitted he started working for Saleh in 2018 after falsifying his resume and being fired from a Long Island restaurant for stealing $20,000. He claimed the stolen money was used to maintain a luxurious lifestyle for his French girlfriend, Marine Chaveuz.
In June, Haspil was convicted of first- and second-degree murder, grand larceny, and burglary. His lawyer, Jim Roberts, argued that a lengthy prison sentence was unnecessary, describing Haspil as an “emerging adult” who was still developing at the time of the crime. However, prosecutors sought a sentence of 50 years to life, along with a restitution order for the $399,614 Haspil had stolen.
