Crypto Investor Charged with Kidnapping and Torture Over Bitcoin Holding

A Manhattan-based cryptocurrency investor, John Woeltz (37), has been arrested and charged with multiple felonies after allegedly kidnapping and torturing a 28-year-old Italian man in an attempt to gain access to his Bitcoin holdings. The alleged kidnapping occurred following the victim’s arrival in the United States on May 6th. Police believe Woeltz, along with an accomplice, held the victim captive for weeks inside a luxurious townhouse in Soho, where he reportedly paid $30,000 per month. The victim was subjected to brutal treatment, including physical abuse and threats against his family, before eventually escaping on Friday.