Feds drop escape charge against man accused of killing Wake Co. deputy, moving extradition efforts
WAKE COUNTY, N.C. (WTVD) -- The federal government is dropping the escape charges for Alder Marin Sotelo. The move potentially brings him a step closer to being extradited to the United States to face murder charges in the death of Wake County deputy Ned Byrd.
In a motion to dismiss, US Attorney Jessica D. Aber stated that "granting this motion would be in the public interest as it will expedite the defendant's extradition on other pending charges."
Last year, Sotelo escaped from Piedmont Regional Jail in Farmville, Virginia, where he was being held and made his way to Mexico.
He was captured four days later, about 2,400 miles away from North Carolina.
The United States Department of Justice won the right to an extradition in a hearing earlier this year after a request from Wake County. Sotelo appealed that ruling.
The new ruling expedites the process to get Sotelo extradited to Wake County to face trial but other hurdles may need to be cleared for that to happen.
The Wake County District Attorney's Office plans on trying both Alder and his brother Arthur Marin Sotelo together.
The Escape To Mexico
On May 3, 2023, federal court documents uncovered by ABC11 revealed that Marin-Sotelo's sister, Adriana Marin-Sotelo, had been arrested in High Point on accusations she helped him escape the Virginia jail. Investigators said Adriana paid someone $2,500 to leave a car in the jail parking lot for Alder to use to make his escape.
Jail surveillance video recorded Alder jumping the jail fence around 1:40 a.m. Sunday and getting into an early 2000s red or burgundy Ford Mustang with a 30-day temporary tag. The FBI released images of the vehicle, but at this point, it and Alder remain at large.
Before that could happen, the vehicle had to be taken to the jail parking lot. According to the federal criminal complaint, plans for that began April 28. Inmates in the jail worked with family members and friends outside the jail to arrange to have someone pick up the car in High Point and park it at the jail by midnight on April 29.
Investigators said surveillance video showed the Mustang arriving at the parking lot at 10:45 p.m. on April 29. Three hours later, Alder is seen on video scaling the jail fence, getting into the Mustang and driving off.
The federal court complaint then reveals that the people who dropped the Mustang off in the parking lot expected to receive a second $2,500 payment, but that payment never arrived.
Adriana Marin-Sotelo faces a charge of conspiracy to instigate or assist escape. Tuesday afternoon, a court ordered her to remain in the custody of the US Marshal's Office. She told the court she was not a U.S. citizen.
In August 2023, Marin Sotelo reached a plea deal with the feds in exchange for evidence against her brother for a shorter sentence. According to the Farmville Herald, she pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to assist, instigate an escape.
