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Joran van der Sloot pleads guilty to wire fraud and extortion, apologizes to Holloway family

Judge sentences him to 20 years

Joran van der Sloot pleads guilty to wire fraud and extortion, apologizes to Holloway family

Judge sentences him to 20 years

VERY POWERFUL STATEMENT FROM BETH. A LOT OF THINGS TO UNPACK FROM WHAT HAPPENED TODAY IN COURT. WE ALSO HEARD FROM THE THE US ATTORNEYS. WE HAVE BRETT BLOOMSTEIN, WHO IS IN STUDIO WITH US TODAY. HE HAS MORE THAN 27 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN FEDERAL AND STATE COURT. AND WE WANT TO BRING YOU IN AND KIND OF YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I THINK WE鈥橰E ALL JUST RIGHT NOW JUST SO EMOTIONAL HEARING FROM BETH HOLLOWAY, BECAUSE WE CAN ONLY IMAGINE WHAT IT IS LIKE TO BE IN HER SHOES, TO HAVE TO HAVE GONE THROUGH THIS FOR ALL THESE YEARS. AND TO FINALLY TODAY BE ABLE TO LOOK JORAN VAN DER SLOOT IN THE EYES AND SAY THAT YOU KILLED MY DAUGHTER. WHAT AN EMOTIONAL DAY. AND, YOU KNOW, GOD WILLING, HER FAMILY DOES GET THE CLOSURE OR AT LEAST FEEL THAT THEY鈥橰E NO LONGER THE VICTIM IN THIS SITUATION. IT鈥橲 BEEN A VERY, VERY INTERESTING LEGAL JOURNEY TO GET TO THIS POINT. AND AGAIN, IN THE PURPOSE OF TODAY鈥橲 HEARING WAS A SENTENCING ON A PLEA AND SENTENCING ON EXTORTION. AND AND WIRE FRAUD CHARGES ONLY. HOWEVER, WE JUST HEARD FROM THE HOLLOWAY FAMILY AND THE US ATTORNEY THAT IT TURNED INTO QUITE A BIT MORE WHERE FOR A PUBLIC DISCLOSURE WAS MADE THAT HE, IN FACT, KILLED NATALEE HOLLOWAY AND THE SENTENCE, I THINK, IS, IS COMMENSURATE WITH WHAT HE DESERVED. WE HAD TALKED BEFORE THE SENTENCING ABOUT WHAT HIS POTENTIAL EXPOSURE WAS. WELL, JUDGE MANASCO SENTENCED HIM TO THE VERY MAXIMUM SENTENCE THAT HE COULD RECEIVE ON THESE CHARGES. AND THAT SENTENCE WILL RUN CONCURRENT WITH HIS SENTENCE THAT HE鈥橲 SERVING IN PERU RIGHT NOW. HE MAY NEVER GET OUT OF JAIL. I UNDERSTAND THAT HE IS SERVING AN ADDITIONAL SENTENCE NOT ONLY FOR THE KILLING OF THIS YOUNG LADY, FLORES, BUT ALSO FOR TRAFFICKING AND COCAINE WHILE HE WAS IN IN CUSTODY. SO HOPEFULLY HE WILL NEVER HAVE TO BE BACK IN ALABAMA AGAIN. I THINK THAT WOULD PROVIDE CLOSURE TO THIS FAMILY. YOU KNOW, BRET, ONE THING THAT WE鈥橵E TALKED ABOUT TODAY IS JUST EVERY ASPECT OF THIS DAY FROM THE FACT THAT THIS WAS A PLEA HEARING FOLLOWED IMMEDIATELY BY A SENTENCING, THE FACT THAT CONDITIONS OF THIS PLEA AGREEMENT RELEASING THE DETAILS OF NATALEE鈥橲 DISAPPEARANCE, A LOT OF THINGS ABOUT TODAY. YOU SAID SO UNUSUAL, NOT SOMETHING THAT WE EVER SEE. AND AGAIN, I THINK THE US ATTORNEY鈥橲 OFFICE WANTED TO KEEP THINGS CLOSE TO THE VEST AND NOT HAVE ANY PUBLIC INPUT. BUT AND ALSO PROTECTING THE FAMILY FROM ANY MORE PUBLICITY THAN THEY鈥橵E ALREADY DEALT WITH. BUT CERTAINLY AN UNUSUAL PATH. WE鈥橰E USED TO PLEA AGREEMENTS BEING PUBLIC AND FILED IN RECORD SO WE COULD REFERENCE THEM TO SEE WHAT THE FACTS ARE AND APPARENTLY IN THIS SITUATION, THE PLEA AGREEMENTS WERE SEALED OR THE PLEA AGREEMENT WAS SEALED. AND IT WILL BE DISCLOSED, ALONG WITH HIS PROFFER. SO THERE WAS SOME TALK ABOUT HIS PROFFER, HIS ADMISSIONS, IF YOU WILL, AND I鈥橫 SURE WE鈥橰E ALL VERY CURIOUS TO TO READ THOSE TO TO YOU KNOW, I HAVE A CONCERN ABOUT THE VERACITY. APPARENTLY, MS. HOLLOWAY SAYS THAT THIS WAS ALL VERIFIED THROUGH POLYGRAPH EXAMINATION. HE DOES HAVE A TRACK RECORD OF LYING UNDER OATH AND HAD LIED TO FORM THE BASIS OF THESE THESE EXTORTION CHARGES. SO I HOPE THAT THERE鈥橲 SOME VERIFICATION IN THERE. AGAIN, THE FAMILY SEEMS VERY CONFIDENT THAT THERE HAS BEEN THAT VERIFICATION, THAT HE IS FINALLY BEING TRUTHFUL. AND, YOU KNOW, IT DOES NOTHING BETTER FOR THE SYSTEM AND FOR THE FAMILY FOR VAN DER SLOOT TO BE SENTENCED TO THIS MAX SENTENCE AND BE SENT OUT OF THE COUNTRY BACK TO PERU. AND THAT鈥橲 WHAT I WAS GOING TO ASK YOU ABOUT. I THINK WE HEARD DURING JON PAEPCKE REPORT THAT THE JUDGE BASICALLY SAYS FROM HERE HE IS IMMEDIATELY GOING BACK TO PERU. SO AS FAR AS YOU KNOW, ANY LEGAL PROCEEDINGS HERE IN THE US THIS IS A DONE DEAL. THAT SHOULD BE IT. I DON鈥橳 KNOW OF ANY OTHER REASON WHY HE WOULD BE HELD IN THE STATES AND AGAIN, AS EXCHANGE FOR HIM TO COME TO THE US ON THESE CHARGES, PERU SAID WE WANT HIM BACK IMMEDIATELY UPON COMPLETION AND THIS WOULD BE A COMPLETION OF THIS THIS MATTER. AND JUST FOR OUR VIEWERS, THAT MAYBE MAY NOT BE AWARE, BECAUSE WE TALKED ABOUT THIS A LITTLE BIT WHILE WE WERE LISTENING INTO THE REPORTING TODAY THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS PRETTY MUCH BASED ON THE LAWS IN ARUBA, HE鈥橲 NOT GOING TO PROBABLY BE CHARGED WITH MURDER IN ARUBA, EVEN WITH THIS CONFESSION OR THIS ADMISSION THERE THAT THIS. YEAH, SO I鈥橫 SORRY. MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE ARUBAN LAW IS THAT THE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS RUNS WAS A SHORT STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS, I BELIEVE, 12 OR 14 YEARS. BUT LONG SINCE PASSED. AND THEY WOULDN鈥橳 HAVE JURISDICTION TO PROSECUTE HIM FOR HIS ADMISSIONS TODAY. YOU KNOW, A GLOBAL SENSE OF JUSTICE AS HE鈥橲 SERVING A 28 YEAR SENTENCE FOR A PREVIOUS MURDER. THERE鈥橲 AN ADDITIONAL 18 YEARS, I BELIEVE, OF FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING WHILE HE鈥橲 IN CUSTODY. HE IN PERU. SO SO I DON鈥橳 KNOW THAT HE鈥橪L EVER SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY. AND, YOU KNOW, FOR THE SAKE OF THE HOLLOWAY FAMILY, I HOPE HE DOESN鈥橳 TALK TO US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE US ATTORNEY鈥橲 OFFICE AND THE JOB THEY DID CARRYING THIS CASE ALL THE WAY THROUGH AND HOW THEY WERE ABLE TO GET A PLEA DEAL ON THE TABLE. WELL, I REMEMBER DISTINCTLY WHEN HE WAS INDICTED IN 2010, AND THE ISSUE WAS, YOU KNOW, WE鈥橪L NEVER GET ANY JUSTICE. WE鈥橪L NEVER GET ANY CLOSURE BECAUSE HE鈥橲 NOT EVEN IN THE COUNTRY. BUT THIS US ATTORNEY鈥橲 OFFICE HAD HAS STAYED TENACIOUS AND SORT HIS EXTRADITION AFTER YEARS OF NEGOTIATING WITH THE PERUVIAN OFFICIALS. AND GOODNESS GRACIOUS, LOOK WHAT IT DID. IT ACTUALLY THE EXTORTION PROSECUTION PROVIDED A VEHICLE, PROVIDED A WAY FOR THE HOLLOWAY FAMILY TO GET SOME CLOSURE. IT DID EXACTLY WHAT I BELIEVE. JOYCE VANCE, OUR FORMER US ATTORNEY, WANTED TO SEE HAPPEN, AND THAT WAS USE THAT AS A TOOL TO GET HIM BACK HERE AND GET THAT CONFESSION OUT OF HIM. SO ALTHOUGH WE鈥橰E ACROSS THE AISLES MOST OF THE TIME, THE US ATTORNEY鈥橲 OFFICE AND MY OFFICE, THEY DID A REMARKA
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Joran van der Sloot pleads guilty to wire fraud and extortion, apologizes to Holloway family

Judge sentences him to 20 years

Joran van der Sloot, 36, pleaded guilty to wire fraud and extortion Wednesday.He was sentenced to 20 years in prison with credit for the time he had already spent in prison. He will serve the time in Peru and will not serve time in the U.S. unless he is released early in Peru.This sentence was in exchange for "full, complete, accurate, and truthful information regarding Natalee Holloway鈥檚 disappearance," according to the U.S. Department of Justice."During this lengthy investigation, the FBI remained committed in aggressively pursuing and holding this individual accountable for the crimes he committed against US persons," FBI Birmingham SAC Carlton Peeples said in a statement. Joran van der Sloot apologized to both the Holloway and his own family, saying that he hoped the statement would provide them with peace. He said he is no longer the person he was back then.He admitted to killing Natalee Holloway, saying he bludgeoned her to death because she refused his sexual advances and then destroyed her remains, van der Sloot told the FBI. Because of the 12-year statute of limitations in Aruba, van der Sloot is not likely to face charges for her murder.Beth and Dave Holloway were able to speak directly to him Wednesday in court."Today, I can tell you with certainty after eighteen years, that as far as I鈥檓 concerned, Natalee鈥檚 case is solved," Beth Holloway said in a statement. "It is over. Joran van der Sloot is no longer the suspect in my daughter鈥檚 murder. He is the killer." Joran van der Sloot previously pleaded "not guilty" to one count of extortion and one count of wire fraud against Natalee Holloway's mother, Beth Holloway. Those charges stem from a plot to sell Beth Holloway information about her daughter's fate for $250,000. Video below: Full 米兰体育 13 break news coverage of the hearingBackgroundNatalee Holloway, of Mountain Brook, Alabama, went on a high school graduation trip to Aruba in 2005. She was 18 years old. She never showed up for the return flight home.Her classmates said they last saw her with Joran van der Sloot, who was 17 at the time, and two others as they left a club. The three said they dropped her off at a hotel. They were questioned and detained but freed because of a lack of evidence.Van der Sloot contacted a cooperating witness via email in 2010. He told them that he would accept $250,000 from Holloway's family in exchange for promising to lead them to her body, identifying the people involved in her death and explaining the circumstances of what happened. He modified his offer so that he would accept the first $25,000 to take the witness to her body, and then on recovery, he would receive the rest of the money. The first $10,000 was given in cash 鈥� with another $15,000 wired. This is the basis for the wire fraud charge. Read the full affidavit below. This is a developing story and will be updated as information becomes available.

Joran van der Sloot, 36, pleaded guilty to wire fraud and extortion Wednesday.

He was sentenced to 20 years in prison with credit for the time he had already spent in prison. He will serve the time in Peru and will not serve time in the U.S. unless he is released early in Peru.

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This sentence was in exchange for "full, complete, accurate, and truthful information regarding Natalee Holloway鈥檚 disappearance," according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

"During this lengthy investigation, the FBI remained committed in aggressively pursuing and holding this individual accountable for the crimes he committed against US persons," FBI Birmingham SAC Carlton Peeples said in a statement.

Joran van der Sloot apologized to both the Holloway and his own family, saying that he hoped the statement would provide them with peace. He said he is no longer the person he was back then.

He admitted to killing Natalee Holloway, saying he bludgeoned her to death because she refused his sexual advances and then destroyed her remains, van der Sloot told the FBI.

Because of the 12-year statute of limitations in Aruba, van der Sloot is not likely to face charges for her murder.

Beth and Dave Holloway were able to speak directly to him Wednesday in court.

"Today, I can tell you with certainty after eighteen years, that as far as I鈥檓 concerned, Natalee鈥檚 case is solved," Beth Holloway said in a statement. "It is over. Joran van der Sloot is no longer the suspect in my daughter鈥檚 murder. He is the killer."

Joran van der Sloot previously pleaded "not guilty" to one count of extortion and one count of wire fraud against Natalee Holloway's mother, Beth Holloway.

Those charges stem from a plot to sell Beth Holloway information about her daughter's fate for $250,000.

Video below: Full 米兰体育 13 break news coverage of the hearing


Background

Natalee Holloway, of Mountain Brook, Alabama, went on a high school graduation trip to Aruba in 2005. She was 18 years old. She never showed up for the return flight home.

Her classmates said they last saw her with Joran van der Sloot, who was 17 at the time, and two others as they left a club.

The three said they dropped her off at a hotel. They were questioned and detained but freed because of a lack of evidence.

Van der Sloot contacted a cooperating witness via email in 2010. He told them that he would accept $250,000 from Holloway's family in exchange for promising to lead them to her body, identifying the people involved in her death and explaining the circumstances of what happened.

He modified his offer so that he would accept the first $25,000 to take the witness to her body, and then on recovery, he would receive the rest of the money.

The first $10,000 was given in cash 鈥� with another $15,000 wired. This is the basis for the wire fraud charge.

Read the full affidavit below.

This is a developing story and will be updated as information becomes available.