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Since You Asked: State paid to bring fugitives back from Florida Sunday May 28, 2017 at 12:01 AM You did a story Wednesday about Trevor Long and his wife, who were arrested in Florida after kidnapping their little girl and fleeing for two months. How did the couple get back to Jackson County, who paid the bill for their transport, and how much did it cost? — Larry S., Jacksonville   It cost a little more than $4,500 for U.S. marshals to bring Trevor Forrest Long and his wife, Sara Margaret Long, back to Jackson County after their December arrest at an Orlando hotel on fugitive custodial interference warrants, according to Jackson County District Attorney Beth Heckert. To be more specific, it was $2,282 per person for what Heckert described as a "flat fee" charged by U.S. marshals to fly each suspect from Florida to Medford in supervised flights. The money to bring them back came out of the state's budget, according to Heckert. Heckert said the funding to transport fugitives comes from Gov. Kate Brown's office, and the governor's office must authorize the cost before footing the bill. Only certain crimes, usually felonies, are given fugitive warrants valid in all states. It took just shy of two months to bring Trevor Long back, Jackson County Jail records show. He was arrested in Florida Dec. 22, but wasn't booked in Jackson County until Feb. 14. It's known that Long simplified the process by cooperating with prosecutors and waiving the extradition hearing, a formal court proceeding confirming someone is who prosecutors say they are. For those just tuning in, Long pleaded guilty Tuesday to a felony count of first-degree custodial interference in the case, as well as the domestic violence charges that began the Department of Human Services' involvement in the case.   Long was granted credit for time served because of that cooperation, according to Deputy District Attorney Ruby Herriott, who prosecuted the case. Jail records show he will complete his sentence Oct. 11. Sara Long has pending charges of first- and second-degree custodial interference for her role allegedly picking their 7-year-old daughter up from school when the child was under DHS protective custody with a relative. — Send questions to “Since You Asked,” Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by email to [email protected]. We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them.