Arrest in pilot's disappearance

LAKELAND - A suspect in the disappearance of a central Florida pilot who vanished more than a year ago was arrested Friday, FBI officials said.

Stobert Lindell Holt Jr., 42, was indicted Wednesday by a Florida grand jury on charges of first-degree murder, kidnapping, extortion and written threats to kill or do bodily harm.

Robert Wiles was 26 when he disappeared in April 2008. The northwest Ohio native was last seen at the Lakeland Linder Regional Airport, where he worked with his family's aircraft maintenance business, National Flight Services.

Wiles' family received a ransom note two days after his disappearance. An FBI spokesman says Wiles' body has never been found, but the agency believes he is dead.

Holt was also a former of employee of the business. Federal investigators said in March that they were near to closing the case and that a disgruntled employee of the family business may have been involved.

Authorities on Friday did not give any specifics on how the kidnapping happened or whether they have located Wiles' body. They said the investigation was ongoing.