What You Need to Know:
- A U.S. investor in cryptocurrency is facing charges for kidnapping, assault, and illegal possession of a firearm after allegedly holding a 28-year-old Italian man captive.
- The victim was subjected to severe physical and emotional abuse as the attackers attempted to gain access to his Bitcoin wallet.
- The Italian man managed to escape and reached out to a police officer, which led to the arrests of the suspects.
- This incident reflects a rising trend of violent attacks and kidnappings targeting individuals involved in the cryptocurrency field.
A U.S. cryptocurrency investor is under scrutiny after allegedly kidnapping and torturing an individual in Manhattan for weeks in an effort to steal his Bitcoin.
John Woeltz, aged 37, was arraigned with multiple offenses, including kidnapping and illegal firearm possession, following claims that he imprisoned an Italian man in a lavish townhouse.
The Italian visitor had traveled to New York just weeks ago and was enticed to a five-story rental in the NoLiTa area. Prosecutors reported that Woeltz and an unidentified accomplice began assaulting him to extract his crypto wallet details, with the townhouse, costing over $30,000 a month, serving as the confinement site for this ordeal.
Throughout this harrowing experience, the victim was reportedly beaten, subjected to electric shocks, and threatened with firearms. He faced particularly brutal intimidation, including being dangled from a staircase with threats to his life.
After escaping on Friday morning, he flagged down a traffic officer. Law enforcement apprehended Woeltz at the scene, seizing photographic evidence of the abuse along with weapons and torture devices. Another suspect, Beatrice Folchi, was arrested, while a third suspect remains unidentified.
This violent episode is indicative of a broader, alarming pattern; the cryptocurrency sector has seen numerous attacks already this year. One recent incident involved the daughter and grandson of Pierre Noizat, the CEO of the crypto platform Paymium, who were almost kidnapped in an event recorded and circulated online. Another crypto millionaire’s father had his finger severed during an abduction attempt before being saved.
In addition, David Balland, the co-founder of Ledger, and his wife were taken from their residence but later rescued, alongside the apprehension of individuals involved in the ransom demanding.
