{"id":129948,"date":"2025-05-25T07:16:19","date_gmt":"2025-05-25T07:16:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cryptospotters.net\/?p=129948"},"modified":"2025-05-25T07:16:19","modified_gmt":"2025-05-25T07:16:19","slug":"crypto-investor-charged-with-kidnapping-torturing-an-italian-for-passwords","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/cryptospotters.net\/?p=129948","title":{"rendered":"Crypto investor charged with kidnapping, torturing an Italian for passwords"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Source: Cointelegraph.com NewsA Manhattan crypto investor is facing serious charges after allegedly kidnapping and torturing an Italian man in a disturbing bid to extract access to digital assets.<br \/>\nJohn Woeltz, 37, was arraigned on Saturday in Manhattan criminal court following his arrest on Friday. He stands accused of holding a 28-year-old Italian man captive for weeks inside a luxury townhouse in Soho, reportedly rented for $30,000 per month.<br \/>\nAccording to police reports cited by The New York Times, the victim arrived in the US on May 6 and was allegedly abducted by Woeltz and an accomplice.<br \/>\nThe attackers are said to have stolen the man\u2019s passport and electronic devices before demanding the password to his Bitcoin (BTC) wallet. When he refused, the suspects allegedly subjected him to prolonged physical abuse.<br \/>\nSource: Mario NawfalRelated:\u00a0Violent crypto robberies on the rise: Six attacks that targeted investors<br \/>\nCrypto victim beaten, electroshocked<br \/>\nThe victim described being beaten, shocked with electricity, assaulted with a firearm and even dangled from the upper floors of the five-story building.<br \/>\nHe also told police that Woeltz used a saw to cut his leg and forced him to smoke crack cocaine. Threats were also reportedly made against his family.<br \/>\nPhotographic evidence found inside the property, including Polaroids, appears to support claims of sustained abuse. The victim managed to escape on Friday and alert authorities, leading to Woeltz\u2019s arrest.<br \/>\nWoeltz was charged with four felony counts, including kidnapping for ransom, and entered a plea of not guilty. Judge Eric Schumacher ordered him to be held without bail. He is expected back in court on May 28.<br \/>\nA 24-year-old woman was also taken into custody on Friday in connection with the incident. However, she was seen walking freely in New York the next day, and no charges against her were found in the court\u2019s online database.<br \/>\nAuthorities have yet to clarify the relationship between the suspect and the victim or whether any cryptocurrency was ultimately stolen.<br \/>\nRelated: Crypto crime goes industrial as gangs launch coins, launder billions \u2014 UN<br \/>\nCrypto executives turn to bodyguards<br \/>\nExecutives and investors in the crypto industry are increasingly seeking personal security services as kidnapping and ransom cases surge, especially in France.<br \/>\nOn May 18, Amsterdam-based private firm Infinite Risks International reported a rise in requests for bodyguards and long-term protection contracts from high-profile figures in the space.<br \/>\nFrench authorities have responded by introducing enhanced protections for crypto entrepreneurs and their families, including security briefings and priority access to police assistance.<br \/>\nThis comes amid a recent surge in kidnappings and ransom attempts. David Balland, the co-founder of hardware wallet company Ledger, was kidnapped in January 2025 and held for ransom for several days before being\u00a0rescued by French police.<br \/>\nIn May 2024, the father of an unnamed crypto entrepreneur was\u00a0freed from a ransom attempt after French law enforcement officials raided the location in a Paris suburb where the individual was being held hostage by organized criminals.<br \/>\nMagazine:\u00a0Bitcoiner sex trap extortion? BTS firm\u2019s blockchain disaster: Asia Express<a href=\"https:\/\/cointelegraph.com\/news\/crypto-investor-charged-kidnapping-passwords?utm_source=rss_feed&amp;utm_medium=rss&amp;utm_campaign=rss_partner_inbound\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"feedzy-rss-link-icon\" rel=\"noopener\">Read More<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Source: Cointelegraph.com NewsA Manhattan crypto investor is facing serious charges after allegedly kidnapping and torturing an Italian man in a disturbing bid to extract access to digital assets. John Woeltz,&hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[5],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/cryptospotters.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/129948"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/cryptospotters.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/cryptospotters.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/cryptospotters.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=129948"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/cryptospotters.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/129948\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/cryptospotters.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=129948"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/cryptospotters.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=129948"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/cryptospotters.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=129948"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}