HOUSTON – A man charged in what prosecutors call a murder-for-hire plot will soon learn his fate.
Nhut Nguyen has been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
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Harris County prosecutors said Nguyen fired shots through the door of Yvonne and Jeffrey Stern's home in April 2010.
The shooting was part of a plot to kill Yvonne Stern, investigators said. Jeffrey Stern, his mistress and three other men are also accused in the alleged plot.
Yvonne Stern testified in court that Nguyen was the man who opened fire. She said she was at home with her family when the doorbell rang. She said she went to answer the door and saw Nguyen through a window.
Yvonne Stern was not wounded, even though she was only about 2 feet away from Nguyen.
"I didn't know what to think. I panicked," she said. "I screamed. I threw myself against the wall."
Yvonne Stern was wounded in an attack three weeks later in a shooting at an apartment complex in the 4500 block of North Braeswood Boulevard.
One of the other men charged in the plot, tattoo artist James Lowery, told the jury that Jeffrey Stern and his mistress, Michelle Gaiser, orchestrated the attempt on Yvonne Stern's life.
Yvonne Stern told the jury that she still lives with Jeffrey Stern, who has been charged with solicitation of capital murder. She said she stands by her husband, who has denied having any knowledge of a plot to kill his wife.
The prosecution wrapped up testimony on Monday. Final arguments were set to begin on Tuesday morning.
If convicted, Nguyen could get up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
Gaiser, Lowery and a fifth person, Richard Gutierrez, have also been charged with solicitation of capital murder.
Damien Flores has been charged with attempted capital murder. Police said he is the one who shot Yvonne Stern in the 4500 block of North Braeswood Boulevard.