American woman convicted over failed plot to kill Birmingham shop owner
Aimee Betro, from Wisoncsin, will be sentenced at a later date
An American citizen hired as a 'hitwoman' to murder a Birmingham clothing shop owner has been convicted.
Aimee Betro tried to shoot dead her victim outside his South Yardley home in Birmingham in 2019, before leaving the country and going on the run.
A court heard how the 44-year-old flew from her home in Wisconsin to the UK as part of a revenge plot arranged by father and son, Mohammed Aslam and Mohammed Nazir from Derbyshire.
It was over a dispute the pair had with the Birmingham clothing shop owner. They are both now in prison.
Betro had been recruited by her 'long distance lover, Nazir' and travelled to the UK in 2019 to carry out the planned assassination.
She disguised herself in a niqab covering her face and tried to shoot the victim at point-blank range as he arrived home, however, the gun jammed or malfunctioned.
The clothing shop owner was able to get away.
The 44-year-old left the country soon after the failed attempt, returning to America before choosing to hide out in Armenia where she was extradited from.
Specialist Prosecutor Hannah Sidaway OBE, from the Crown Prosecution Service in the West Midlands, said: “This prosecution is a culmination of years of hard work doggedly pursuing Aimee Betro across countries and borders while she remained relentless in her bid to escape justice.
“Betro tried to kill a man in a Birmingham street at point-blank range. It is sheer luck that he managed to get away unscathed.
“The prosecution case included incriminating CCTV footage from the scene of the crime, digital forensics, mobile phone data and evidence collated from cooperation and collaboration across multiple countries and criminal justice agencies – from West Midlands Police, Derbyshire Constabulary to the Federal Bureau of Investigation – all of which pointed to one culprit.
“Only Betro knows what truly motivated her or what she sought to gain from becoming embroiled in a crime that meant she travelled hundreds of miles from Wisconsin to Birmingham to execute an attack on a man she did not know. The jury clearly agreed this was a planned hit which failed.
“Dangerous firearms have no place in our communities, and the use of them has all too often led to devastating consequences. Aimee Betro will now have to face the consequences of her actions.”
Betro was convicted today (12th August) of conspiracy to murder, possession of a firearm with intent and being knowingly concerned in the fraudulent evasion of a prohibition on the importation of ammunition.
John Sheehan, Head of the CPS Extradition unit, said: “This was a complex investigation and extradition process which required bringing together multiple agencies including the National Crime Agency and Armenian Courts.
"We worked together to make sure we had a watertight prima facie case in order to lawfully arrest Aimee Betro in a foreign country without her becoming aware and potentially fleeing again.
“I hope these convictions send a clear message that we will actively work with our criminal justice partners domestically and internationally to pursue criminals who attempt to evade justice, and make sure that they are brought to a courtroom to be held accountable for their actions.”
Betro will be sentenced at a later date.