Crypto boss's assistant is also arrested after over ‘kidnap and torture of ex-business partner' in luxe NYC pad
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
THE glam assistant of a $100million crypto boss has been arrested after a former partner was allegedly kidnapped and chainsaw-tortured in a swanky NYC penthouse.
Beatrice Folchi was busted Friday at a $40K-a-month SoHo pad where an Italian man says he was held and tortured for weeks by crypto boss John Woeltz in a twisted bid to steal his crypto password.
6
Beatrice Folchi was arrested alongside Kentucky-based crypto investor John Woeltz for the alleged kidnap and torture of an Italian man
Credit: Backstage
6
She is a small-time actor who claims to work as a marketing manager for luxury brands like Rolls-Royce and Bentley
Credit: Backstage
6
He was arrested after the victim was able to flee his apartment
Credit: ABC 7
Police sources told The New York Post that Folchi, a bombshell brunette who once studied at the University of Connecticut and claims to have worked for luxury brands like Rolls-Royce and Bentley, served as Woeltz's assistant.
The 24-year old was charged with first-degree kidnapping and unlawful imprisonment.
But the Manhattan District Attorney's Office declined to prosecute — for now — citing an ongoing investigation.
Folchi, who is originally from Latina, Italy, according to her Facebook, was seen strolling near her Chelsea apartment Saturday when she denied involvement.
'I'm not arrested,' she told The Post while wearing an all-black ensemble, dark sunglasses, and toting a nearly $1,300 Stella McCartney bag.
'Everything is going to be told but with a lawyer — I can't make any comments right now,' she added before turning and walking away.
Folchi reportedly studied communication and philosophy from 2017 to 2020.
She boasts on LinkedIn that she's 'experienced in managing media production and events for prestigious clients in the sports and automotive industries, including Puma, Manchester City, Rolls-Royce, and Bentley.'
Her online acting profiles show she's also starred in a handful of films and shorts, including the 2021 drama Butterfly Wings.
Inside France's brutal crypto crime wave with chopped off fingers, delivery van street kidnaps & £10million ransoms
Her arrest comes after her boss, 37-year-old Kentucky-based John Woeltz, was cuffed over what police described as a sadistic torture campaign aimed at accessing the victim's crypto fortune.
The tourist, from Turin, Italy, told cops he had done business with Woeltz in the past but the relationship soured.
He said Woeltz lured him back to the US on May 6 — then allegedly seized his passport and began an ordeal straight out of a horror movie.
According to investigators, Woeltz bound the man with electrical cords, electrocuted him, tased him with his feet in water, pistol-whipped him, and threatened to saw off his limbs with an electric chainsaw.
Woeltz even reportedly took Polaroids of the torture — including one where the victim is seen tied to a chair with a gun to his head — in an apparent bid to extort money from the victim's family in Italy.
Cops said the victim was forced to take cocaine and subjected to psychological torment, including being fitted with an Apple AirTag around his neck to track his every move.
The man managed to flee after Woeltz allegedly declared it would be his 'death day.'
He was found with numerous injuries, including one suspected to be from a chainsaw.
He is now recovering at Bellevue Hospital.
Woeltz has been charged with two counts of assault, kidnapping, unlawful imprisonment, and criminal possession of a firearm.
Police recovered a gun at the scene and are continuing to search the apartment under a warrant.
The investigation remains ongoing.
6
Crypto investor John Woeltz has been charged with assault and unlawful imprisonment
Credit: ABC 7
6
The victim was held for a week inside a $40,000-a-month apartment on Prince Street in New York's SoHo
Credit: ABC 7
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
6 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Brit who vanished on stag do's likely cause of death given by police
Gary Monks' body has been found down a ravine after he disappeared during a stag do in Albufeira, Portugal, a week ago, and a police source has said what likely happened A British man whose body has been found after he disappeared while on a stag do in Portugal is believed to have fallen down a ravine to his death after jumping over a fence while lost, according to police. Greg Monks, 38, vanished during a stag party in the tourist hotspot of Albufeira in the early hours of May 28 sparking a major search that also involved his parents and girlfriend flying out to help look for him. He was last seen on CCTV in the residential area of Cerro de Aguia, located roughly four miles away from the main bar area. And tragically Portuguese police gave an update today saying that the body of a 38-year-old man had been found in the search for Greg. Sources from the law enforcement said investigators believe Greg, from Glasgow, got lost and fell to his death as he tried to get back to his hotel. Authorities said that having investigated possible paths he may have taken, they found a body in the Cerro de Aguia area. Because of the fact he laid undiscovered for a week in high temperatures, his body had begun to decompose. The well-placed police source said: 'There is nothing at this stage to indicate this man's death was linked in any way to a crime. But we need to wait for the autopsy results to conclude that is the case.' He added: 'Our belief is he lost all notion of where he was after drinking heavily and finding himself in an unfamiliar place, and that he jumped over a wall and fell to his death. The body was already in a state of decomposition when it was found.' Forensic officers have been seen at the ravine where Greg's body was found, gathering evidence. Authorities had said that the body was found "on a vacant and very uneven terrain" and that it was taken away for an autopsy. Following the devastating news that the body had been found, Greg's sister Jilian paid a heartbreaking tribute calling him "an amazing boy". Posting in the Missing Person Greg Monks - Albufeira, Portugal Facebook group, she wrote: "Didn't think it would end like this.. We are absolutely devastated! Greg was an amazing boy who everyone thought so highly of, Was friends with everyone and always made us laugh! We will miss him everyday! "I just want to thank absolutely everyone for everything they done from sharing their posts to out looking, phoning everywhere to get CCTV. She added: "The support we have received from everyone has been out of this world If love coulda saved you, you would live forever! Miss you forever brother."
Wales Online
7 hours ago
- Wales Online
Police warning after man knocks on doors pretending to collect charity donations
Police warning after man knocks on doors pretending to collect charity donations South Wales Police said it has received reports of people pretending to represent local businesses PCSOs have been investigating the incident in Morriston (Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne ) People in Swansea have been warned that 'unknown individuals' have been posing as representatvies for local businesses seeking donations from residents. South Wales Police said an incident occured in Morriston on Tuesday, June 3. The force has said that its PCSOs have visited to the area to provide 'community reassurance'. They are currently conducting an investigation into the incident. In a Facebook post, a local charity in the city said that they had received reports of an individual asking for donations in their name. A statement from South Wales Police said: 'Officers received a report of unknown individuals falsely purporting to represent local businesses and asking for donations in the Morriston area on Tuesday June 3." It added: 'PCSOs have been in the area for community reassurance. 'An investigation into this is currently ongoing.' Never miss a Swansea story by signing up to our newsletter here Surfability UK CIC, which is based in Caswell Bay also let people know in a Facebook post that they had received reports of a man going 'door to door' asking for donations in their name. Article continues below The post read: 'We've received reports of a man in the Morriston area going door to door, claiming to represent Surfability UK and asking for donations. 'This person is not connected to us in any way.' The charity further told residents that it never goes 'door to door' seeking donations , or asks for people's bank details. Their post said: 'We will NEVER go door to door asking for donations or request your bank details. 'If you have any information about this individual, please contact us directly or report it to your local police station.' They said in the post: 'It deeply saddens us that someone is misusing our name to deceive and harm others. Article continues below 'Thank you for your continued support, it means the world to us.' It has also said that only safe way to donate to Surfability UK CIC is through their official website, which you can access by clicking here or by visiting them in Caswell.
New Statesman
8 hours ago
- New Statesman
I am once again woken up by the unpleasant buzzing of Russian drones
Photo by Sergey Bobok / AFP via Getty Images W hen I am staying at our house in the country, the feel of each day depends on the first sound I hear – the sound that wakes me up. Two turtle doves are nesting in our garden and the most beautiful thing is to wake up to their gentle call. Sometimes other birds beat the doves and it is their songs which greet my ears as I open my eyes. They also reassure me that the new day will be calm, not dangerous. Too often, however, the morning begins with other sounds. Two days ago I woke up at 3am and listened. I always follow the same procedure when I find myself awake in the middle of the night. First, I check the time, then look on the internet to see what is happening in the sky above Ukraine. Each night sees an invasion of Russian drones and I was not surprised to learn that five minutes prior one had flown over our house, moving in the direction of Korostyshiv, a town located 30km from our village. That night, Russia launched more than 400 drones at Ukraine. They all fell somewhere – either hitting their target or tumbling out of the sky having been shot down by air-defence systems. But as the one that woke me up flew on towards Korostyshiv, I fell asleep again. After all, it was still dark outside and the birds in my garden were silent. I was woken up again by another drone at around 7am. I heard the familiar, unpleasant buzzing of an engine in the sky and I went out into the yard. The drone had already flown on. I could not see it, but the noise of its engine was still audible. Twenty minutes later I took a cup of coffee out into the yard and heard and saw the next one flying over our village school towards the nearest town. Strangely, visual contact with it calmed me. I saw it, but it did not see me. At that moment it was not moving towards me but flying away. The anti-tyranny playbook On Friday I went to Kyiv's largest literary festival, Book Arsenal. Security guards carefully checked the contents of bags and made everyone walk through metal detectors. No one was indignant. It's wartime. Every now and then, in cities far from the front line, grenades explode – often thoughtlessly brought home by soldiers on leave. Later it became clear that the thorough security check at the festival entrance was prompted by the visit of President Volodymyr Zelensky and his wife. Surrounded by numerous security guards, they walked around the publishers' stands and picked up the book To Kill a Tyrant by the Italian writer and lawyer Aldo Andrea Cassi, which had just been released in Ukrainian. Publisher Anetta Antonenko, an old friend of mine, experienced one of the best moments of her professional life. No, I'm not talking about meeting Zelensky – his purchasing the book instantly turned it into a festival bestseller, and Antonenko twice had to order urgent deliveries of additional copies from the warehouse. The next day, the speaker of the Ukrainian parliament, Ruslan Stefanchuk, attended Book Arsenal. In his comments to journalists he said he bought 50 books, but did not mention any titles so that his visit did not affect the commercial success of the Ukrainian publishers present. Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe The hive mind On Sunday, I read the news about the operation against Russian strategic aviation in which Ukraine secretly planted a swarm of drones in Russia before unleashing them in a surprise attack on airfields across the country. I could not help thinking that beekeepers must have had something to do with the development of this plan! The comings and goings involved reminded me of how beekeepers move their hives, seeking territories for them to collect pollen that are remote from civilisation. Darkest before dawn This year, Ukrainian school graduates were again unable to experience the most romantic part of the traditional graduation celebration: greeting the dawn. Before the war, having received their school leaving certificates, graduates would dance a farewell waltz with their classmates and enjoy raucous parties until the small hours. They would then walk around their cities and towns waiting for daybreak, which they would greet at a location chosen for its beauty. This 'graduation dawn' witnessed in the company of classmates was the starting point of a new, already adult and independent life. Dawn at the end of May begins around 4am, but curfew is lifted only at five. So, for the fourth year running, there is no dawn for Ukrainian graduates. Alas. 'The Stolen Heart' by Andrey Kurkov is out now (Quercus) [See also: It's the nuance, stupid] Related This article appears in the 04 Jun 2025 issue of the New Statesman, The Housing Trap
