CPS authorises conspiracy to murder charges for US national following attempted Birmingham shooting
Ben Samples, Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service in West Midlands, said: “The CPS has authorised West Midlands Police to charge Aimee Betro with conspiracy to murder a Birmingham resident.
“Aimee Betro from Wisconsin in the USA will be charged for her alleged part in a conspiracy to murder the owner of a Birmingham clothing store and members of his family on 8 September 2019.
“She will also be charged with possession of a firearm with intent relating to the same incident and a separate charge of being knowingly concerned in the fraudulent evasion of a prohibition on the importation of goods, namely ammunition. This relates to a later incident involving firearms components shipped from the USA to the UK.
“CPS West Midlands has worked closely with West Midlands Police, Derbyshire Police, the Armenian authorities and our own Extradition Unit to bring Ms Betro back to face proceedings in a UK court for alleged crimes that took place here.
“The Crown Prosecution Service reminds all concerned that criminal proceedings against Ms Betro are active and that she has the right to a fair trial.
“It is extremely important there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.”
Ms Betro will appear at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on Friday, 17 January.
Notes to editors
Aimee Betro (DOB: 1 January 1980) is to be charged with:
- Conspiracy to murder, contrary to section 1 of the Criminal Law Act 1977. Aimee Betro between 21 August 2019 and 10 September 2019 conspired together with Mohammed Nazir and Mohammed Aslam to murder the male victim and members of his family.
- Possession of a firearm with intent, contrary to section 16A of the Firearms Act 1968. Jointly Aimee Betro together with Mohammed Nazir and Mohammed Aslam on 8 September 2019 had in your possession a firearm with intent by means thereof to cause, or to enable another person by means thereof to cause, the victim to believe that unlawful violence would be used against the victim or another person.
- Being knowingly concerned in the fraudulent evasion of a prohibition on the importation of goods, contrary to section 170(2)(b) of the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979. Aimee Betro together with Mohammed Nazir between 12 September 2019 and 23 October 2019, was in relation to certain goods, namely ammunition, knowingly concerned in the fraudulent evasion of the prohibition on importation imposed by Article 1 of the Import of Goods (Control) Order 1954.
- The function of the CPS is not to decide whether a person is guilty of a criminal offence, but to make fair, independent and objective assessments about whether it is appropriate to present charges for a criminal court to consider.
The CPS assessment of any case is not in any sense a finding of, or implication of, any guilt or criminal conduct. It is not a finding of fact, which can only be made by a court, but rather an assessment of what it might be possible to prove to a court, in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors.
An international arrest request for Ms Betro was issued by the UK on 18 June 2024, and this was executed by the Armenian authorities on 2 July 2024. She first appeared in an Armenian court on 4 July 2024.