Alder Marin Sotelo | Federal authorities drop escape charges against man accused of killing Wake County Deputy Ned Byrd, clearing way for extradition

WAKE COUNTY, N.C. (WTVD) – The federal government drops escape charges against Alder Marin Sotelo, allowing him to be extradited to the United States to face charges for the murder of Wake County Deputy Sheriff Ned Byrd.

Last year, Sotelo escaped from the Piedmont Regional Jail in Virginia, where he was being held, and traveled to Mexico.

He was captured four days later about 2,400 miles from North Carolina.

The U.S. Department of Justice obtained the right to extradite him at a hearing earlier this year at the request of Wake County. Sotelo appealed the ruling.

The new ruling speeds up the process of extraditing Sotelo to Wake County, where he will face trial.

The Wake County District Attorney's Office plans to try 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 for allegedly helping him escape from prison in Virginia. Investigators said Adriana paid someone $2,500 to park a car in the prison parking lot for Alder to use in his escape.

Prison surveillance video captured Alder jumping over the prison fence at about 1:40 a.m. Sunday and getting into an early 2000s red or burgundy Ford Mustang that had a 30-day temporary license plate. The FBI released images of the vehicle, but at this time the vehicle and Alder are still at large.

Before that, the vehicle had to be moved to the prison parking lot. According to the federal indictment, preparations for this began on April 28. Prison inmates worked with family and friends outside the prison to arrange for someone to pick up the car in High Point and leave it in the prison parking lot by midnight on April 29.

Investigators said surveillance video shows the Mustang arriving at the parking lot at 10:45 p.m. on April 29. Three hours later, video shows Alder climbing over the prison fence, getting into the Mustang and driving away.

The lawsuit in federal court then reveals that the people who parked the Mustang in the parking lot were expecting a second payment of $2,500, but it never arrived.

Adriana Marin-Sotelo is accused of conspiracy to instigate or aid escape. On Tuesday afternoon, a court ordered that she remain in the custody of the US Marshal's Office. She explained to the court that she is not a US citizen.

In August 2023, Marin Sotelo reached a deal with authorities in exchange for evidence against her brother and a shorter prison sentence. According to the Farmville Herald, she pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting an escape.

NOTE: This video is from a previous story and will be updated.