Man caught driving missing Lyft driver faces extradition to Florida

RUTHERFORDTON, North Carolina. Matthew Flores is behind bars for violating probation after spending a year and a half in a North Carolina prison on drug and assault charges.

Flores could face charges related to the disappearance of Lyft driver Gary Levin from Palm Beach Gardens.

Central Florida prosecutors are demanding he be returned to trial on charges of murdering a man in Wachula.

“Rest assured this man will be returned to Florida,” said prominent North Carolina Western attorney Stephen Lindsay, who is not involved in the Flores case. It will probably happen in the next couple of weeks. It might even be earlier.”

“I feel that there will be no negotiations. The question will be how quickly can we get it back?” Lindsey said. “And in terms of protection, what can I do to protect him in the interim?”

Laura Powell, Rutherford County’s chief public defender, whose office is currently defending Flores, said: “I’m sure that as soon as they arrested Mr. Flores, Fla., just because of the severity of the charges, the extradition process was already underway.”

Flores has been in the Rutherford County Detention Center since Thursday after police aides said they caught him during a high-speed chase. driving Kia Stinger Levina.

A The body was found Saturday morning in Okeechobee County.not far from where Levin, 74, dropped off a Lyft passenger, but he has not been identified and Levin is still presumed missing.

Family photo

Positive identification of the remains is pending autopsy.

Flores has not been charged with any charges against Levine at this time.

Powell said Florida likely requested a governor’s warrant that would allow Florida to return Flores if the North Carolina governor signed the paperwork.

“Then he issues a warrant from the governor, and then the state of Florida can come in and extradite or take the person back to the state where they were arrested,” Powell said.