Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg Jr. today announced the trial conviction of TYRESE HASPIL, 25, for the brutal 2020 murder of his former boss, 33-year-old tech CEO Fahim Saleh, after stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from him. On June 24, 2024, a New York State Supreme Court jury convicted HASPIL on all counts, including one count of Murder in the First Degree, two counts of Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, one count of Burglary in the Second Degree, among other charges. He is expected to be sentenced on September 10, 2024.

“Today, a jury found Tyrese Haspil guilty of brutally murdering Fahim Saleh, his former mentor and boss, after stealing approximately $400,000 from him,” said District Attorney Bragg. “Tyrese Haspil tragically cut Mr. Saleh’s life short – a man who came from a close-knit immigrant family and followed his passions to become a successful entrepreneur. I hope the accountability delivered by today’s verdict can provide a measure of comfort to Mr. Saleh’s loved ones as they continue to mourn his loss. I thank our prosecutors for their diligent and thorough work in this case that led to this conviction.”

As proven at trial, Fahim Saleh hired HASPIL as his entrepreneurial assistant in May 2018. HASPIL was responsible for a variety of tasks, such as running personal errands, as well as financial tasks, where HASPIL gained access to Mr. Saleh’s financial records.

By Fall 2018, HASPIL was stealing from Mr. Saleh’s companies using two, separate sophisticated schemes. While operating these schemes, HASPIL started dating his girlfriend, for whom he used the stolen funds to purchase lavish gifts. 

In September 2018, HASPIL started the first scheme by creating a PayPal account using a name that mimicked other financial transactions of the business, funneling the funds into that account while creating fake statements.

In December 2018, HASPIL created a second financial scheme where he began stealing more money by creating a corporate entity and bank account. He funneled the money by mimicking other transactions, so it went undetected, continuing through May 2019.

HASPIL resigned in May 2019, knowing Mr. Saleh would learn about the embezzlement, yet continued to steal money increasing the amounts. In January 2020, one of the frauds was detected and traced back to HASPIL. Mr. Saleh confronted him for stealing approximately $35,000 from his company and offered to settle the debt with a repayment plan over a two-year period in lieu of criminal prosecution.

HASPIL paid Mr. Saleh back for the detected scheme with stolen money from the PayPal financial scheme. The PayPal embezzlement continued, escalating to approximately $400,000.

Afraid that Mr. Saleh would discover the continued PayPal embezzlement, HASPIL started plotting to murder Mr. Saleh to prevent him from potentially testifying against him in any criminal proceedings.

HASPIL spent weeks researching technology, weapons, tasers, and cleaning supplies to conceal the homicide. Additionally, he purchased clothes to hide his identity, so Mr. Saleh would not recognize him. HASPIL tracked Mr. Saleh’s whereabouts on social media to help plan the timing of the murder.

HASPIL considered murdering Mr. Saleh on at least three separate occasions. In March 2020, he followed Mr. Saleh to Lagos, Nigeria with a knife. Back in New York, he followed Mr. Saleh to Hopewell Junction twice, planning to either burn his house down or stab him while he was out for a run.

In May 2020, HASPIL committed to killing Mr. Saleh in his home. He started to research the anatomy of the neck and Mr. Saleh’s building plans.

On June 17, 2020, HASPIL purchased Home Depot contractor bags, a Swiffer wetjet and a saw.

HASPIL contacted the broker of a vacant apartment inside a building across the street from Mr. Saleh’s residence. He then entered the building and copied the keys. Thereafter, HASPIL installed a NEST camera in the vacant apartment to surveil Mr. Saleh’s building.

In the days leading up to the homicide, HASPIL was planning an extravagant birthday for his girlfriend where he purchased party balloons, an extravagant cake, luxury handbags and shoes, a private yacht tour, and rented a luxury Airbnb in Soho with the stolen money.

On July 13, 2020, at approximately 8:30 a.m., HASPIL followed someone into Mr. Saleh’s lobby and waited there inside a stairwell. HASPIL had a knife and taser and was wearing a black custom suit with an opaque mask so that Mr. Saleh would not recognize him.

When Mr. Saleh returned from a run, HASPIL followed him into the elevator, which opened directly into Mr. Saleh’s apartment. As Mr. Saleh exited the elevator, HASPIL immediately tased him in the back, causing him to fall to the ground. HASPIL then stabbed Mr. Saleh multiple times in the neck and torso, killing him.

Attempting to conceal the murder, HASPIL used a mini vacuum to vacuum the Anti-Felon Identification Discs (AFID), which contain a serial number and are discharged by the Axon taser to aid law enforcement.

At approximately 3 p.m., HASPIL left the apartment and took an Uber to Jersey City. He had previously researched how to make things sink in the Hudson River and how deep the water is. HASPIL discarded much of the evidence in a garbage can the following day.

HASPIL returned to the apartment the following day on July 14th to dismember the body and clean up the crime scene. He then dismembered and decapitated Mr. Saleh’s body using the saw and placed the body parts in pre-ordered construction bags. After the saw battery ran out, he left to purchase a battery charger.

While HASPIL was out, Mr. Saleh’s cousin came to check on him since she had not heard from him in 24 hours. At the apartment, she discovered her cousin’s dismembered and decapitated body and called the police.

Once HASPIL returned from Home Depot, he noticed police presence at Mr. Saleh’s apartment and left the scene to continue planning his girlfriend’s birthday.

In the days after the murder, HASPIL’s web history reflected searches for “dismembered body,” “Fahim Saleh,” and articles on “murder of Tech CEO in New York.”

On July 17, 2020, officers arrested HASPIL at the Airbnb he had booked to celebrate his girlfriend’s birthday.

The PayPal embezzlement continued until HASPIL’s arrest.

Assistant D.A. Linda Ford handled the prosecution of this case along with Assistant D.A. Joseph Goldstein (Trial Bureau 50), under the supervision of Jessica Lynn (Bureau Chief of Trial Bureau 50) and Lisa DelPizzo (Chief of the Trial Division). Forensic Accountant Investigator Jeffrey Leap, Supervising Computer Forensic Analyst Douglas Daus, Supervising Major Case Analyst Jesse Hixon, and Trial Preparation Assistant Sophie Gad also assisted throughout the investigation and trial. 

D.A. Bragg thanked the NYPD, specifically Detective Salvatore Tudisco and Sergeant Christopher Dede of the 7th Precinct Detective Squad, and Detective Robert Hahn of Manhattan South Homicide Squad.

Defendant Information:

TYRESE HASPIL

Brooklyn, NY

Convicted:

• Murder in the First Degree, a class A-I felony, one count
• Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, a class C felony, two counts
• Burglary in the Second Degree, a class C felony, one count
• Tampering with Physical Evidence, a class E felony, one count
• Concealment of a Human Corpse, a class E felony, one count

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