Joran van der Sloot, the prime suspect in the 2005 disappearance of Natalee Holloway, pleaded not guilty to extortion and wire fraud charges in a U.S. federal court on Friday. Van der Sloot, 35, appeared in court with a smile, declining the offer of a translator, stating his English proficiency. Natalee's mother, Beth Holloway, was present in the courtroom, maintaining eye contact with van der Sloot throughout much of the proceedings. This marked the first time Beth Holloway had seen van der Sloot in person since her daughter's disappearance.

The charges stem from van der Sloot's alleged attempt to extort $250,000 from Beth Holloway in exchange for information about the location of Natalee's remains. According to prosecutors, van der Sloot provided false information to Holloway's lawyer after receiving an initial payment of $25,000. The alleged extortion occurred between March and May 2010.

Van der Sloot was extradited from Peru, where he is serving a 28-year sentence for the 2010 murder of Stephany Flores, a Peruvian business student. The Peruvian government recently agreed to temporarily transfer van der Sloot to the U.S. to face these charges. He will return to Peru to complete his sentence after the conclusion of the U.S. trial. If convicted in the U.S., van der Sloot faces an additional sentence of up to 40 years.