Larry Keech unknowingly drove a murder suspect toward northern New York before a state trooper stopped his car and uncovered weapons.
WATERTOWN, NY — What began as a routine Lyft trip from Watertown to Massena in October 2020 became an encounter that driver Larry Keech now believes could have ended with his death. A New York state trooper stopped Keech for speeding and discovered that his passenger was using a false identity and carrying multiple guns.
The passenger was Ayub Guled, a Toronto man who was later linked to a murder and attempted murder investigation in Miami, Florida. Guled was extradited to Florida, stood trial in April 2026 and was convicted. He was sentenced to life in prison in July, bringing renewed attention to the North Country traffic stop that first placed him in custody.
Keech told WWNY that he accepted the ride through Lyft and picked up the passenger at a Walmart in Watertown. The app identified the rider as “Omar,” he said. Keech said the passenger appeared ordinary during much of the drive and talked with him as they traveled north toward Massena.
New York State Police Investigator Connor Sutton, who was a trooper at the time, said he was patrolling State Route 37 in the town of Oswegatchie when he saw Keech commit a traffic violation. Sutton stopped the vehicle for speeding and became suspicious while speaking with the passenger. He then used his K-9 partner to inspect the vehicle.
Sutton said the dog indicated drugs were in the trunk. During a subsequent search, police found methamphetamine, several handguns and high-capacity magazines in luggage belonging to the passenger. Authorities also determined that the identification he provided was false. Fingerprints later established that the passenger was Guled.
Contemporary reporting from October 2020 said state police charged the then-19-year-old Guled with numerous weapons offenses after finding handguns, ammunition and high-capacity magazines during the State Route 37 stop. He was also accused of providing false identification. He was arraigned in Oswegatchie Town Court and sent to the St. Lawrence County jail on $100,000 bail or $200,000 bond.
Keech said the significance of the stop became more frightening after he learned who had been riding in his car. According to WWNY, Guled had been wanted in Miami in connection with a killing and an attempted killing. Keech said Guled had asked to be dropped off in a remote area, leading him to wonder later whether the passenger might have taken his vehicle and continued toward Canada.
“I thought quite possibly he could take me there and shoot me, take my vehicle and proceed on his way,” Keech told WWNY. His belief that Sutton saved his life remains his interpretation of what might have happened; authorities have not established that Guled planned to harm Keech.
Sutton said the 2020 arrest eventually attracted the attention of a Miami-Dade detective. According to Sutton, investigators searching Guled’s name online found local reporting about his New York arrest and contacted authorities in the North Country. Guled was later extradited to Florida. Keech and Sutton were both called to testify when the case went to trial in April 2026.
Guled’s New York weapons case has not gone to trial. St. Lawrence County District Attorney Gary Pasqua told WWNY that he was uncertain whether prosecutors would pursue those charges now that Guled is serving a life sentence in Florida. Authorities also have not established publicly why Guled was traveling through northern New York with the weapons. Sutton said possible explanations, including an effort to reach Canada, remain unconfirmed.
Author note: Last updated August 17, 2026.