AUSTIN, Texas--A federal grand jury has indicted three people on conspiracy and fraud charges in the attempted assassination of a Travis County Judge. Federal authorities have not charged the men with attempted murder, but an 11-count indictment accuses them of trying to kill State District Judge Julie Kocurek, and using stolen money to pay for it.
They described Chimene Onyeri, of Houston, as the ringleader of a sophisticated criminal enterprise that used things like skimming devices to steal scores of credit and debit card numbers.
Marcellus Burgin and Rasul Scott also face charges for their help. Authorities said all three men were there the night Kocurek was shot outside her Austin home.
MORE | Federal Grand Jury Indictment
"Onyeri, Marcellus Antoine Burgin and Rasul Kareem Scott travelled to Austin, Texas, in order to kill Judge Julie Kocurek, a Texas District Court Judge whom Onyeri believed was going to sentence Onyeri to prison," the indictment said. Onyeri, Burgin and Scott "used a gift card purchased with a skimmed, stolen debit card number to pay for expenses related to the attempted murder of Judge Kocurek."
Kocurek survived the attempt on her life last November, though she lost a finger in the attack and it left her with permanent scars.
Kocurek had tried one of Onyeri's cases, and he was at risk of violating his probation. With their criminal enterprise threatened, authorities said the trio of men traveled to Austin, using stolen money to pay for the trip and then shot Kocurek.
Onyeri was jailed quickly after the shooting on an unrelated murder charge in Houston that was later dropped. He was then transferred to Travis County.
Onyeri's attorney maintains his client was framed by the ex-girlfriend who called police both before and after the shooting.