Crypto Investor is being charged with kidnapping, suffering an Italian for passwords
A Manhattan crypto investor faces serious charges after allegedly kidnapping and torturing an Italian man in an disturbing bid to take access to digital property.
John Woeltz, 37, was arrested on Saturday at the Manhattan Criminal Court following the arrest on Friday. He stood allegedly holding a 28-year-old Italian man who was captive for weeks within a luxurious town in Soho, which has been reported to hire $ 30,000 per month.
According to police reports mentioned Through the New York Times, the victim arrived in the US on May 6 and is said to be abducted by Woeltz and an accomplice.
Attacks are said to steal a passport and electronic male device before asking the password to his bitcoin (Btc) purse. When he refused, the suspects were said to have been undergoing a long physical abuse.
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Crypto victim was beaten, electroshocked
The victim described being beaten, shocked by electricity, attacked by a gun and even hanging from the upper floor of the five -story building.
He also told police that Woeltz used a jigsaw to cut off his foot and forced him to smoke crack cocaine. The threats were also reported to have been made against his family.
Photographic evidence found within the possession, including Polaroids, appears to support the claims of prolonged abuse. The victim was able to escape Friday and authorities on the alert, leading to the arrest of Woeltz.
Woeltz was charged with four felony counts, including kidnapping for the ransom, and entered at a non -guilty plea. Judge Eric Schumacher ordered him to be held without bail. He is expected to return to court on May 28.
A 24-year-old woman was taken to custody on Friday in connection with the incident. However, he was seen walking freely in New York the next day, and no charges against him were found in the court online database.
Authorities have yet to clarify the relationship between the suspect and the victim or if any cryptocurrency is eventually stolen.
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Crypto executives turn to bodyguards
Executives and investors in the crypto industry are increasingly seeking personal security services while kidnapping and ransom cases, especially in France.
On May 18, the private firm based on Amsterdam is endless international risks Reported increased requests for bodyguards and long-term protection of contracts from high-profile figures in space.
French authorities responded by Introduces enhanced protections for crypto entrepreneurs And their families, including security briefings and priority access with the help of police.
It came in the midst of a recent advances in the kidnapping and attempts of the ransom. David Balland, co-founder of hardware wallet company Ledger, was kidnapped in January 2025 and held for the ransom for days before Saved by the French police.
In May 2024, the father of an unknown crypto businessman was Freed from a ransom attempt After French law enforcement officials attacked the location in a suburb in Paris where the individual was hosted by organized criminals.
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