Man accused of torturing Italian cryptocurrency millionaire held without bail
SOHO, Manhattan (PIX11) — The man accused of kidnapping and torturing an Italian tourist is being held without bail and has been forced to surrender his passport, court documents show.
According to attorneys, John Woeltz, 37, forced the man to send him Bitcoin by threatening to kill the victim's family, then lured the man to New York to retrieve the cryptocurrency.
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Upon arriving, the Italian man was robbed of his electronics and passport then subjected to torture for three weeks, court documents read.
Investigators say the victim was bound to a chair in a Prince Street apartment where he was shocked with electrical wires, pistol whipped, cut with a saw, forced to smoke cocaine and had a gun pointed to his head on multiple occasions among other forces of physical abuse.
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One morning the Italian man was hung over a ledge and threatened with death if he did not provide his Bitcoin password, court documents also show.
According to authorities, the victim was finally able to escape when Woeltz left the room to get the man's laptop. That's when the Italian man ran outside, covered in blood, and flagged down a traffic agent who called 911, investigators say.
During a search of the apartment, authorities found a saw, drugs, wire, pictures of the victim with the cocaine pipe in his mouth and a firearm pointed to his head along with various other items that appeared to be used in the torturing. Law enforcement also saw blood in various areas in the apartment where the victim said he was being tortured.
Woeltz, a Kentucky native, was found to have the means to flee including a private jet and helicopter, prompting court officials to have his passport revoked.
He is charged with assault, kidnapping, and unlawful imprisonment and could face 15 to 25 years in prison if convicted.
Dominique Jack is a digital content producer from Brooklyn with more than five years of experience covering news. She joined PIX11 in 2024. More of her work can be found here.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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