Van der Sloot Arrested on Murder Charges

 The New York Times has confirmed that Joran van der Sloot, the primary suspect, in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway was arrested on Thursday, June 3, 2010 for the murder of Stephany Flores. Allegedly, Van der Sloot met the young college student during a poker tournament in Peru. They were later caught on video entering the room of a hotel. Approximately four hours later, Van der Sloot exited the hotel alone. Ms. Flores was murdered on May 30, 2010, exactly five (5) years after the death of Natalee Holloway. During the police interrogation in Lima, Van der Sloot admitted to killing Ms. Flores. Peruvian law carries a maximum of thirty-five (35) years for a murder conviction; however, authorities are unsure if his confession will result in a reduced sentence.

Reportedly, Van der Sloot has also been charged with extortion and wire fraud in the United States since he attempted to extort $250,000 from the Holloway family in exchange for providing the location of Natalee's body. Van der Sloot was arrested twice for the murder of Natalee Holloway, but he was never formally charged due to a lack of evidence. Apparently, the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Birmingham, Alabama had been investigating Van der Sloot as early as May 10, 2010, when they identified the possible extortion claim. Many spectators wonder if the FBI reacted too slowly and if this murder could have been avoided if he had been arrested and charged in the United States initially before he had the opportunity to flee to Peru.

Van der Sloot most likely confessed to the murder of Stephany Flores in an attempt to reach a deal with the prosecution and receive less time.https://askcompetentlawyer.com/complex-litigation/ However, he probably did not anticipate that the United States would also charge him on the same date. For the charges in the United States, Van der Sloot faces maximum sentence of twenty (20) years in prison for the extortion and thirty (30) years for the wire fraud count.

In cases with multiple offenses, it is important to hire an attorney experienced within the practice of federal law to determine the options you may have available. In some cases, an individual may decide that it would be better to plead guilty and assist the government, rather than face a higher prison sentence. The best option for a client is decided on a case by case basis, since every situation is different. A knowledgeable attorney can provide you with such assistance and will be able to help attain an outcome that will be best for you. If you are being charged with a federal crime or are being investigated by the government, please contact one of our South Carolina criminal attorneys for a free consultation.