Officials in Peru have announced that Joran van der Sloot, the prime suspect in the 2005 disappearance of American teen Natalee Holloway, will be extradited to the United States to face charges of extortion and fraud.

Van der Sloot, who is currently serving time in Peru for the murder of a Peruvian woman, will be temporarily surrendered to the US for prosecution, CNN reported.

Justice and Human Rights Minister Daniel Maurate Romero stated that Peru has decided to honor the request for temporary surrender in order to prosecute van der Sloot for his alleged involvement in the crimes of extortion and fraud against Holloway’s mother.

Van der Sloot was one of the last people seen with Natalee Holloway in Aruba 13 years ago. He was separately convicted in 2012 for the murder of Stephany Flores in his Lima hotel room and received a 28-year prison sentence.

As a Dutch national, van der Sloot has been indicted in the US on federal charges of extortion and wire fraud.

These charges stem from a scheme in which he allegedly attempted to sell information about the location of Natalee Holloway’s remains in exchange for $250,000.

According to the indictment, Natalee Holloway’s mother, Beth Holloway, wired $15,000 to a bank account held by van der Sloot in the Netherlands, as reported by CNN.

In addition, she provided him with another $10,000 in person through an attorney. Once van der Sloot received the initial $25,000, he allegedly provided the attorney, John Kelly, with false information about the whereabouts of Natalee Holloway’s remains.

The indictment also seeks the forfeiture of $25,100, which includes the $100 that Beth Holloway initially transferred to van der Sloot to confirm his account.

Written by staff