Andina

Peru: Joran van der Sloot is already in U.S. to face fraud, extortion charges

Photo: AFP

Photo: AFP

10:12 | Birmingham (U.S.), Jun. 9.

Joran van der Sloot, the Dutchman sentenced in Peru in 2012 for the murder of Stephany Flores, arrived in Birmingham, Alabama, United States, on Thursday to face charges of fraud and extortion to the detriment of Elizabeth Ann Holloway —after being handed over by Peruvian authorities to the FBI.

He traveled aboard an FBI-operated aircraft, which landed at Birmingham's Shuttlesworth Airport just before 2:30 p.m. (local time).

Van der Sloot was then escorted into a black SUV for transport to a hearing at a federal courthouse.

The Dutch national is set to be represented by a federal public defender at his arraignment this Friday at 11 a.m. CT (noon ET), CNN reported.

Handed over to the FBI


Under strict security measures, enforced by members of the Peruvian National Police Tactical Actions Sub-unit (SUAT), the Dutch inmate was taken from Ancon I Prison to this air terminal, which he entered around 7 a.m. (local time).

This temporary transfer to the United States was ordered by the Twenty-second Liquidating Criminal Courtroom of the Superior Justice Court of Lima, which indicated that van der Sloot would be handed over to agents of the FBI.


Interpol Lima Chief, Colonel Carlos Lopez Aedo, explained that the return of van der Sloot to Peru is guaranteed and will take place at the end of the judicial proceedings on U.S. soil, which could last about a year.

"This is a temporary transfer to the U.S. where he faces a trial, after which he will be returned to our country (in order to continue) to serve his sentence, which ends in 2038," Lopez Aedo said.


Via Twitter, the Superior Justice Court of Lima indicated that the case judge completed the passive extradition of van der Sloot, who will be prosecuted and tried in the United States for the alleged commission of the crime of extortion and fraud to the detriment of Elizabeth Ann Holloway.


Natalee Holloway case

On the night of May 30, 2005, 18-year-old Natalee Holloway disappeared during a senior class trip to Aruba. Her body has never been found. Within this framework, the case drew the attention of international media outlets.

One day before her return to the United States, the young female student was last seen in a restaurant-bar accompanied by three subjects, including Joran van der Sloot, who is the main suspect in her disappearance.

In December 2007, the Dutchman plus brothers Deepak and Satish Kalpoe, local residents with whom Holloway hung out that fateful night, were released without charge due to lack of evidence. 

After the unsuccessful search in Aruba, Natalee's parents requested the extradition of Joran van der Sloot to the U.S. to continue with the investigations. 

In 2012, an Alabama judge signed an order declaring Holloway legally dead.

What other crimes is van der Sloot charged with?

It should be noted that Joran van der Sloot was not only suspected of the crime, but also of extortion.

According to U.S. prosecutors, in June 2010, the Dutch citizen received from the missing woman's family US$25,000 in exchange for revealing where the young woman's body was located.

After obtaining what had been requested, he sent an e-mail in which he said that everything was a lie, while he was fleeing the island to Peru.

Almost 18 years after the disappearance of Natalee Holloway, Joran van der Sloot will be temporarily extradited to the United States for his prosecution over extortion and fraud against Elizabeth Ann Holloway —the victim's mother.

"The requesting country shall keep the defendant in custody during the entire proceedings to take place in its territory. Once the criminal process has come to an end, he will be returned immediately to Peruvian authorities," the Judiciary reported.

Murder of Stephany Flores

Exactly five years after Natalee's disappearance, on May 30, 2010, Stephany Tatiana Flores Ramirez (21) was last seen alive entering a hotel in Lima's Miraflores district with Joran van der Sloot.

The suspect himself recounted that, after spending the night together, he went out to buy some coffee. Once he had returned, he found Stephany apparently reading about Natalee's case on his laptop, which sparked his anger and began to beat her to death.

When the Police found young business administration student's body, the search began for the Dutchman, who had already crossed the border into Chile after stealing US$5,000 from Flores.

Days later, van der Sloot was captured and extradited to Peru, where he confessed to the crime on the advice of his lawyer, but without showing any signs of regret.

In 2012, Joran van der Sloot was sentenced to 28 years in prison and to pay civil reparations worth S/200,000 (US$74,350) for the heirs of Stephany Flores. It was also provided that the Dutch citizen be expelled from Peru when he completes his sentence on June 10, 2038.

(END) LIT/ICI/KGR/MVB

Published: 6/9/2023