Aimee Betro, a 44-year-old from West Allis, Wisconsin, has been found guilty of conspiracy to murder after a failed assassination attempt in Birmingham. The verdict follows almost 21 hours of jury deliberations at Birmingham Crown Court.
Betro, who prosecutors say was hired as a contract killer, flew to the UK in 2019 to target businessman Aslat Mahumad or his family as part of a feud involving Mohammed Nazir and Mohammed Aslam. The dispute dated back to 2018 when Nazir and Aslam were injured during violence at Mahumad’s clothing boutique.
Disguised in a niqab, Betro lay in wait outside the family’s Yardley home. When Sikander Ali, Mahumad’s son, arrived, she fired at point-blank range, but the gun jammed. Ali escaped unharmed, reversing his SUV away from danger. Later that night, Betro returned and fired three shots into the empty home, also sending threatening messages to Mahumad, including: “You are lucky it jammed.”
Investigators say her disguise failed because she did not change her footwear or phone, and CCTV captured her movements. Det Ch Insp Alastair Orencas described the attempt as “fatally flawed” and credited a tip-off from the Daily Mail for leading to her arrest after years on the run in Armenia. She was extradited to the UK in 2024.
Betro was convicted by an 11-1 majority on the conspiracy and firearms charges, and unanimously on the ammunition charge. She will be sentenced on 21 August.
Her conviction follows the 2024 sentencing of Nazir and Aslam, who both received prison terms for their role in the murder plot. Despite her role in the violent scheme, Betro had little recorded criminal history before the incident. Prosecutors say her personal motive remains unknown.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_z617wIvZXE
