Latest news with #ItalianTourist
Gizmodo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Gizmodo
Cop on NYC Mayor's Security Detail Reportedly Linked to Crypto Torture Case
The story of the Italian tourist allegedly kidnapped by crypto businessmen keeps taking wild turns—the latest potentially implicating New York law enforcement in the ordeal. According to a report from local NBC affiliate station News 4 New York, two NYPD officers, including one who was serving as security detail for Mayor Eric Adams, have been linked to two of the people charged for their involvement in the kidnapping case. According to the report, a detective tasked with protecting Mayor Adams was working a private security gig on the side. As a part of that job, the detective worked security at the Prince Street townhouse in the Nolita neighborhood of New York City—the same place where an Italian tourist was allegedly held captive and beaten for over two weeks. He is also believed to have picked up an Italian tourist from the airport earlier this month, and there is currently an Internal Affairs Bureau investigation into whether the detective transported the tourist who was kidnapped to the townhouse. The report did not clarify the other officer's alleged involvement, but two officers have reportedly been placed on modified duty following the details of their potential links to the case surfacing. At issue isn't the fact that the officers worked an off-duty job—that's apparently pretty standard, per News 4, though it's not clear whether the NYPD approved this particular side gig. What is of particular interest is just how much these cops knew about what they were potentially involved in. What happened, either under the officers' noses or not, was that an Italian tourist was allegedly lured to the townhouse on May 6 by two cryptocurrency businessmen, who allegedly tortured the man for 17 days to get him to give up the password to his stash of Bitcoin. During the time that he was held captive, he was allegedly shocked with electrical wires, hit with a gun, forced to smoke from a crack pipe, dangled over a railing five stories high, sawed on his leg, and urinated on. The tourist managed to escape when his attackers went to retrieve his computer and steal his Bitcoin, at which point he flagged down a police officer on the street. (Luckily, he didn't run into one of the cops who may have been involved.) When police entered the townhouse, they reportedly found a slew of evidence including cocaine, a saw, chicken wire, body armor, and night-vision goggles. They also found Polaroid photos of the victim with a gun pointed at his head, which was probably seen as strong evidence corroborating his story. Two men have been arrested for their alleged involvement in the kidnapping: John Woeltz, a 37-year-old man who has been identified as the 'crypto king of Kentucky,' and William Duplessie, a 33-year-old Florida man and crypto investor who turned himself into police.
BBC News
24-05-2025
- BBC News
New York crypto investor accused of kidnapping Italian tourist
A 37-year-old cryptocurrency investor appeared in court on Saturday after being arrested for allegedly kidnapping and torturing an Italian tourist in a Manhattan home, according to media reports. John Woeltz was arraigned in New York Criminal Court at 9:00 EST (14:00 BST) on charges of kidnapping with intent to collect ransom, assault, unlawful imprisonment and other counts, court records show. A second person, 24-year-old Beatrice Folchi, was arrested on Saturday in connection to the case, according to the BBC's US partner CBS News. The pair were taken into custody after the victim managed to escape a home in SoHo, where he was allegedly tortured and bound for weeks, police said. The BBC has contacted the New York Police Department, the Manhattan District Attorney's Office and Mr Woeltz's attorney for comment. The 28-year-old victim, who has not been named, was taken to the hospital and is in stable condition, police have said. Officers found several Polaroid photos of the victim being tied up and tortured, as well as firearms, in the luxury townhome, according to reports. The victim told police he came to New York from Italy on 6 May, and that upon arriving at the suspect's house, Mr Woeltz took his passport and allegedly held him captive until he escaped on Friday to a criminal complaint obtained by ABC News, the victim told police that Mr Woeltz and another person beat him and hanged him off a ledge when he refused to provide his bitcoin password. Mr Woeltz is a crypto investor from Kentucky and has been renting the SoHo home for between $30,000 (£22,000) and $40,000 per month, according to CBS News.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Yahoo
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. More Local News 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. More: Latest News from Around the Tri-State 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.
Associated Press
07-05-2025
- Associated Press
Truck crossed center line in crash with tour van that killed 7 near Yellowstone, police say
A pickup truck that collided with a tour van near Yellowstone National Park last week, killing seven people, crossed the highway's center line and hit the van, according to Idaho State Police. Investigating troopers have determined that the Dodge Ram pickup crossed the line on U.S. Highway 20 and struck the Mercedes passenger van, Police said in a Tuesday statement. Police are still investigating what caused the driver to veer into oncoming traffic. There was a group of twelve Chinese tourists and an Italian tourist on board the van, in addition to the driver. Five of the Chinese tourists, the Italian tourist and the pickup driver died in the crash, according to police, the Chinese Consulate General in San Francisco and the Italian Consulate General in San Francisco. Police previously identified the pickup driver as Isaih Moreno, 25, of Humble, Texas. The crash happened Thursday evening near Henry's Lake State Park in eastern Idaho. The state park is roughly 16 miles (26 kilometers) west of Yellowstone National Park. The truck was traveling west while the van was traveling east toward Yellowstone when it happened. Video from the scene showed clear weather conditions at the time. Both vehicles caught fire after colliding, police said. DNA tests results will be needed to identify the other people who died, according to police. The eight other people in the van were injured, police said. Because a commercial vehicle was involved and because of the magnitude of the crash, the National Transportation Safety Board is also conducting an independent investigation, police said. NTSB personnel have visited the scene and are reviewing evidence, according to police. According to the most recent data from the International Trade Administration, 36% of international visitors who arrived to the U.S. by air listed visits to national parks and national monuments as their top leisure activity while in the country.
The Independent
07-05-2025
- The Independent
Truck crossed center line in crash with tour van that killed 7 near Yellowstone, police say
A pickup truck that collided with a tour van near Yellowstone National Park last week, killing seven people, crossed the highway's center line and hit the van, according to Idaho State Police. Investigating troopers have determined that the Dodge Ram pickup crossed the line on U.S. Highway 20 and struck the Mercedes passenger van, Police said in a Tuesday statement. Police are still investigating what caused the driver to veer into oncoming traffic. There was a group of twelve Chinese tourists and an Italian tourist on board the van, in addition to the driver. Five of the Chinese tourists, the Italian tourist and the pickup driver died in the crash, according to police, the Chinese Consulate General in San Francisco and the Italian Consulate General in San Francisco. Police previously identified the pickup driver as Isaih Moreno, 25, of Humble, Texas. The crash happened Thursday evening near Henry's Lake State Park in eastern Idaho. The state park is roughly 16 miles (26 kilometers) west of Yellowstone National Park. The truck was traveling west while the van was traveling east toward Yellowstone when it happened. Video from the scene showed clear weather conditions at the time. Both vehicles caught fire after colliding, police said. DNA tests results will be needed to identify the other people who died, according to police. The eight other people in the van were injured, police said. Because a commercial vehicle was involved and because of the magnitude of the crash, the National Transportation Safety Board is also conducting an independent investigation, police said. NTSB personnel have visited the scene and are reviewing evidence, according to police. According to the most recent data from the International Trade Administration, 36% of international visitors who arrived to the U.S. by air listed visits to national parks and national monuments as their top leisure activity while in the country.
