Who are crypto investor John Woeltz, assistant held for kidnapping and torture of Italian man in New York?
Crypto 'king', 37-year-old John Woeltz, accused of the kidnap and torture of an Italian man for his crypto wallet password, has been held without bail and instructed to stay away from the victim, according to a report by the New York Post.
He has been charged with first-degree kidnapping, first-degree unlawful imprisonment, second-degree assault and criminal possession of a weapon, among others.
His assitant, identified as 24-year-old Beatrice Folchi, was also arrested and then released, the NY Post said, but she has denied being arrested. She is charged with first-degree kidnapping and first-degree unlawful imprisonment, but prosecution is awaiting further investigation, a spokesperson for the Manhattan District Attorney's Office told the publication.
The victim, identified as a 28-year-old man from Turin, Italy, was kidnapped and tortured for his Bitcoin password at a posh flat in the SoHo neighbourhood of New York city, as per the report. He had told family he was traveling to the US 'for a trip of tourism and language learning,' according to Italian publication la Repubblica.
Prosecutors said the victim is also a crypto trader, and is worth around $30 million. They added that he made a 'daring escape' after nearly three weeks of physical abuse, which included being held off a ledge, threatened with a gun, urinated on, and being forced to consume drugs.
The arrested crypto trader is worth $100 million, according to the NT Post, citing law enforcement sources. It cited authorities saying that he owns private jet and a helicopter; and added that public records show Woeltz has 150-acres of land in Kentucky.
(This is a developing story, more updates coming…)
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