Wisconsin resident found guilty in the UK for an unsuccessful assassination attempt
Aimee Betro, a 44-year-old woman from Wisconsin, has been convicted in Birmingham, England, for her involvement in a failed assassination plot. Betro was found guilty of conspiracy to murder, possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, and fraudulent evasion of a prohibition on ammunition importation.
The plot unfolded in September 2019 when Betro, disguised in a niqab, attempted to kill a Birmingham clothing shop owner. The intended victim, Sikander Ali, the son of Mohammed Nazir, survived the attack unscathed due to sheer luck. The attack took place outside Ali's home in South Yardley, Birmingham.
The conspiracy involved others, including Mohammed Aslam and Mohamed Nazir, who were also convicted for related offences. The case stemmed from a serious incident of disorder related to a dispute involving Ali's business address in Birmingham in July 2018, which escalated to the assassination attempt the following year.
On the day of the attack, Betro waited outside Ali's house in a Mercedes purchased that day. She attempted to fire shots at Ali but her weapon jammed, allowing him to escape unharmed. The attack failed, but not before Betro fired three bullets through the windows of the house, including a bedroom window.
Betro fled the UK within hours of the shooting and was later extradited from Armenia in July 2024. She had been on the run for years before being caught. During the trial, which spanned three weeks and involved multiple crime agencies, including the FBI and the National Crime Agency, Betro denied involvement, claiming she was not the real shooter and that another American woman was responsible. However, the prosecution presented strong evidence including CCTV footage, mobile phone data, and international cooperation.
A black glove containing Betro's DNA was found in the damaged Mercedes. Betro abandoned her vehicle nearby and returned to the property hours later in a taxi. Mohammed Aslam and Mohammed Nazir were jailed for their role in the murder plot last year. Nazir was sentenced to 32 years in prison, while Aslam was sentenced to 10 years.
Betro’s sentencing is scheduled for August 21, 2025, following the jury’s conviction earlier that month. The conspiracy to murder was part of a family revenge plot arranged by Mohammed Aslam and Mohammed Nazir from Derbyshire, England. Betro met her lover, Mohammed Nazir, on a dating app in late 2018. She traveled to the UK in August 2019 to carry out the planned killing.
[1] BBC News, "US woman jailed for failed Birmingham shooting plot," 12 August 2025, www.bbc.co.uk/news
[2] The Guardian, "American woman found guilty of conspiracy to murder in Birmingham shooting plot," 10 August 2025, www.theguardian.com
[3] The Independent, "Aimee Betro: US woman found guilty of conspiracy to murder in failed Birmingham shooting plot," 10 August 2025, www.independent.co.uk
Politics: The case of Aimee Betro, a US woman convicted in Birmingham, England, for a failed assassination plot, has sparked discussions in general-news and politics, particularly concerning international cooperation in crime-and-justice matters and extradition laws.
Crime-and-justice: The trial, involving multiple crime agencies, including the FBI and the National Crime Agency, uncovered a family revenge plot, with Aimee Betro being found guilty of conspiracy to murder, possession of a firearm, and fraudulent evasion of a prohibition on ammunition importation, all major offenses under crime-and-justice legislation.
