Latest news with #Gosnell
29-05-2025
Judge denies bail to crypto investor charged with kidnapping and torturing man in posh NYC townhouse
NEW YORK -- A grand jury has indicted a cryptocurrency investor who was charged with kidnapping and torturing a man for weeks in an upscale Manhattan townhouse in order to gain access to his Bitcoin. John Woeltz, 37, has been jailed since his arrest Friday outside the luxury rental, where an Italian national told police he was severely beaten, drugged, shocked with electrical wires and dangled over a ledge by captors seeking the password to his digital assets. Woeltz's alleged accomplice, William Duplessie, surrendered to police Tuesday and is awaiting his own indictment. At the hearing Thursday, an attorney for Woeltz requested his client be released on a $2 million bond, citing his lack of criminal record, philosophy degree and professional accomplishments. 'He's been very successful in the technology world,' the attorney, Wayne Gosnell, told a Manhattan judge, adding that his client 'has every intention to fight this case.' The judge denied bail for Woeltz, who did not appear in court. Gosnell also requested that Woeltz not be required to turn over firearms that he legally owns in Kentucky. And he disputed the prosecutor's earlier claims that his client owned a private jet and helicopter. 'He has no means to flee,' Gosnell said. Woeltz has described himself in interviews as a blockchain investor who spent time in Silicon Valley before returning to Kentucky's burgeoning crypto-mining industry. Authorities have said Woeltz and Duplessie, another cryptocurrency investor, knew the victim personally. On May 6, they lured the man — whose name has not been released by officials — to a posh townhouse in Manhattan's Soho neighborhood, one of the city's most expensive, by threatening to kill his family. The man said he was then held captive for 17 days, as the two investors tormented him with electrical wires, forced him to smoke from a crack pipe and at one point dangled him from a staircase five stories high. He eventually agreed to hand over his computer password Friday morning, then managed to flee the home as his captors went to retrieve the device. The victim made it onto the street, bloodied and shoeless, according to police. A search of the townhouse turned up cocaine, a saw, chicken wire, body armor, night vision goggles, ammunition and polaroid photos of the victim with a gun pointed to his head, according to prosecutors.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Judge denies bail to crypto investor charged with kidnapping and torturing man in posh NYC townhouse
NEW YORK (AP) — A grand jury has indicted a cryptocurrency investor who was charged with kidnapping and torturing a man for weeks in an upscale Manhattan townhouse in order to gain access to his Bitcoin. John Woeltz, 37, has been jailed since his arrest Friday outside the luxury rental, where an Italian national told police he was severely beaten, drugged, shocked with electrical wires and dangled over a ledge by captors seeking the password to his digital assets. Woeltz's alleged accomplice, William Duplessie, surrendered to police Tuesday and is awaiting his own indictment. At the hearing Thursday, an attorney for Woeltz requested his client be released on a $2 million bond, citing his lack of criminal record, philosophy degree and professional accomplishments. 'He's been very successful in the technology world,' the attorney, Wayne Gosnell, told a Manhattan judge, adding that his client 'has every intention to fight this case.' The judge denied bail for Woeltz, who did not appear in court. Gosnell also requested that Woeltz not be required to turn over firearms that he legally owns in Kentucky. And he disputed the prosecutor's earlier claims that his client owned a private jet and helicopter. 'He has no means to flee,' Gosnell said. Woeltz has described himself in interviews as a blockchain investor who spent time in Silicon Valley before returning to Kentucky's burgeoning crypto-mining industry. Authorities have said Woeltz and Duplessie, another cryptocurrency investor, knew the victim personally. On May 6, they lured the man — whose name has not been released by officials — to a posh townhouse in Manhattan's Soho neighborhood, one of the city's most expensive, by threatening to kill his family. The man said he was then held captive for 17 days, as the two investors tormented him with electrical wires, forced him to smoke from a crack pipe and at one point dangled him from a staircase five stories high. He eventually agreed to hand over his computer password Friday morning, then managed to flee the home as his captors went to retrieve the device. The victim made it onto the street, bloodied and shoeless, according to police. A search of the townhouse turned up cocaine, a saw, chicken wire, body armor, night vision goggles, ammunition and polaroid photos of the victim with a gun pointed to his head, according to prosecutors.
Winnipeg Free Press
29-05-2025
- Winnipeg Free Press
Judge denies bail to crypto investor charged with kidnapping and torturing man in posh NYC townhouse
NEW YORK (AP) — A grand jury has indicted a cryptocurrency investor who was charged with kidnapping and torturing a man for weeks in an upscale Manhattan townhouse in order to gain access to his Bitcoin. John Woeltz, 37, has been jailed since his arrest Friday outside the luxury rental, where an Italian national told police he was severely beaten, drugged, shocked with electrical wires and dangled over a ledge by captors seeking the password to his digital assets. Woeltz's alleged accomplice, William Duplessie, surrendered to police Tuesday and is awaiting his own indictment. At the hearing Thursday, an attorney for Woeltz requested his client be released on a $2 million bond, citing his lack of criminal record, philosophy degree and professional accomplishments. 'He's been very successful in the technology world,' the attorney, Wayne Gosnell, told a Manhattan judge, adding that his client 'has every intention to fight this case.' The judge denied bail for Woeltz, who did not appear in court. Gosnell also requested that Woeltz not be required to turn over firearms that he legally owns in Kentucky. And he disputed the prosecutor's earlier claims that his client owned a private jet and helicopter. 'He has no means to flee,' Gosnell said. Woeltz has described himself in interviews as a blockchain investor who spent time in Silicon Valley before returning to Kentucky's burgeoning crypto-mining industry. Monday Mornings The latest local business news and a lookahead to the coming week. Authorities have said Woeltz and Duplessie, another cryptocurrency investor, knew the victim personally. On May 6, they lured the man — whose name has not been released by officials — to a posh townhouse in Manhattan's Soho neighborhood, one of the city's most expensive, by threatening to kill his family. The man said he was then held captive for 17 days, as the two investors tormented him with electrical wires, forced him to smoke from a crack pipe and at one point dangled him from a staircase five stories high. He eventually agreed to hand over his computer password Friday morning, then managed to flee the home as his captors went to retrieve the device. The victim made it onto the street, bloodied and shoeless, according to police. A search of the townhouse turned up cocaine, a saw, chicken wire, body armor, night vision goggles, ammunition and polaroid photos of the victim with a gun pointed to his head, according to prosecutors.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Judge denies bail to crypto investor charged with kidnapping and torturing man in posh NYC townhouse
NEW YORK (AP) — A grand jury has indicted a cryptocurrency investor who was charged with kidnapping and torturing a man for weeks in an upscale Manhattan townhouse in order to gain access to his Bitcoin. John Woeltz, 37, has been jailed since his arrest Friday outside the luxury rental, where an Italian national told police he was severely beaten, drugged, shocked with electrical wires and dangled over a ledge by captors seeking the password to his digital assets. Woeltz's alleged accomplice, William Duplessie, surrendered to police Tuesday and is awaiting his own indictment. At the hearing Thursday, an attorney for Woeltz requested his client be released on a $2 million bond, citing his lack of criminal record, philosophy degree and professional accomplishments. 'He's been very successful in the technology world,' the attorney, Wayne Gosnell, told a Manhattan judge, adding that his client 'has every intention to fight this case.' The judge denied bail for Woeltz, who did not appear in court. Gosnell also requested that Woeltz not be required to turn over firearms that he legally owns in Kentucky. And he disputed the prosecutor's earlier claims that his client owned a private jet and helicopter. 'He has no means to flee,' Gosnell said. Woeltz has described himself in interviews as a blockchain investor who spent time in Silicon Valley before returning to Kentucky's burgeoning crypto-mining industry. Authorities have said Woeltz and Duplessie, another cryptocurrency investor, knew the victim personally. On May 6, they lured the man — whose name has not been released by officials — to a posh townhouse in Manhattan's Soho neighborhood, one of the city's most expensive, by threatening to kill his family. The man said he was then held captive for 17 days, as the two investors tormented him with electrical wires, forced him to smoke from a crack pipe and at one point dangled him from a staircase five stories high. He eventually agreed to hand over his computer password Friday morning, then managed to flee the home as his captors went to retrieve the device. The victim made it onto the street, bloodied and shoeless, according to police. A search of the townhouse turned up cocaine, a saw, chicken wire, body armor, night vision goggles, ammunition and polaroid photos of the victim with a gun pointed to his head, according to prosecutors. Jake Offenhartz, The Associated Press
Chicago Tribune
20-05-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Gurnee considering sales tax increase to replace grocery tax revenue; ‘I think this is a great approach'
Gurnee may increase its home rule sales tax to recoup revenue lost when Illinois officially ends its grocery tax at the start of 2026. When food is taxed at a grocery store, that excess revenue goes back to local municipalities, but that will no longer be the case starting on Jan. 1. After passing House Bill 3144, Illinois is eliminating its 1% grocery tax, but is allowing municipalities to make up that funding by either implementing their own grocery tax, or increasing other taxes. Most groceries are currently taxed at 1.75%, with 1% being returned to municipalities, and .75% going to the Regional Transportation Authority. While Gurnee did not take a vote on what it plans to do at its Village Board meeting Monday, members of the village staff and Board of Trustees discussed a plan to instead increase a home rule sales tax to help alleviate the tax burden on residents. The new law covers most food items that can be purchased at a grocery store, but does not cover alcohol, candy, soft drinks and foods consisting of, or infused with, adult-use cannabis. Those foods will continue to be taxed when purchased throughout the state. Gurnee Finance Director Brian Gosnell said that he's 'not quite sure' the exact amount that the village receives from the grocery tax, but estimated that it's between $2 million and $2.5 million. He added that Gurnee receives approximately $1.1 million from supercenters like Target and Walmart, $670,000 from grocery stores including Aldi, Mariano's and Jewel, up to $480,000 from drugstores and $230,000 from other retailers. In addition to the amount that Gurnee hopes to make up after the grocery tax is removed, Gosnell said that the village is also seeking additional revenue to cover a $3 million upgrade to its water infrastructure, so village officials are looking for options that would bring in about $5.5 million more each year. According to Gosnell, a majority of purchases at Gurnee's grocery stores are made by village residents, and the village hopes to relieve its residents of paying a grocery tax. Instead, he recommended opting for a home rule sales tax. He said that Gurnee would have to increase its home rule sales tax in .25% increments, and a .25% increase would result in $2.89 million more in annual revenue. 'We would need a half-percent to make up the revenue that we need there,' Gosnell said. Ultimately, he recommended that Gurnee not implement a grocery tax, and instead increase its home rule tax rate by .5%, dedicating half of that revenue to infrastructure. 'I think this is a great approach,' Trustee Kevin Woodside said. 'I believe that it does provide those resources necessary to accomplish those long-term goals and the short-term goals. Importantly, in eliminating the grocery tax, which does impact our residents most directly, it does reduce the cost of food, which is essential.' Woodside added that he appreciates that the new plan of increasing sales tax would place more of the tax burden on visitors, rather than Gurnee's residents. Municipalities have until Oct. 1 to enact a tax, without having to go to a referendum. Mayor Tom Hood said that the village will vote on a potential replacement for the grocery tax at an upcoming meeting, although it has yet to be scheduled.
