June 4, 2010: Dutch citizen Joran van der Sloot is escorted by police officers outside a Peruvian police station, near the border with Chile in Tacna, Peru. (AP)
The Dutchman jailed in Peru for allegedly murdering Stephany Flores was indicted by a U.S. federal grand jury Wednesday on charges of wire fraud and extortion -- related to his previous links to the disappearance of Alabama teen Natalee Holloway in Aruba five years ago.
Joran van der Sloot, 22, was charged after he contacted a representative of Holloway's mother Beth Holloway with a fraudulent offer to reveal the location of the remains of her daughter and the circumstances of her death for $250,000.
“The FBI worked diligently, and in association with Aruban authorities, to investigate and gather evidence in this matter after learning that Beth Holloway had been contacted and told she could finally gain information about the death of her daughter if she would pay $250,000,” U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance said.
“Because of the agents’ dedicated efforts, we are able to bring charges against someone who sought profit in a mother’s grief.”
The indictment said that van der Sloot agreed with Beth Holloway's New York-based legal adviser John Q. Kelly to lead him to Natalee Holloway's remains in Aruba for $25,000. Upon positive identification of the remains, Beth Holloway would then wire the remaining $225,000.
It was found that she wired $15,000 to van der Sloot's account in the Netherlands -- plus an initial $100 to check the veracity of the account -- as well as a further $10,000 to Kelly, to be hand-delivered to the suspected murderer in Aruba.
Van der Sloot kept the money from all three transfers despite later confirming by email that the information he provided was "worthless."
The indictment seeks forfeiture of $25,100 from van der Sloot, who will be put on trial over the charges at a date to be determined.
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