Crypto Investor John Woeltz Charged with Kidnapping and Torturing Italian Tourist for Weeks in Upscale N.Y.C. Apartment
A cryptocurrency investor has been charged after police claim he kidnapped and tortured an Italian tourist for more than two weeks in New York City.
John Woeltz, 37, was arrested on Friday, May 23, per a statement from the New York Police Department (NYPD) obtained by PEOPLE, after the tourist, 28, escaped from an upscale N.Y.C. apartment that morning and told an on-duty traffic agent that he had been “held against his will” since May 6.
"The male [tourist] further stated he had been routinely assaulted during his captivity," the NYPD said. The victim was transported to NYC Health and Hospitals in stable condition.
On Saturday, May 24, Woeltz was charged with two counts of second-degree assault and one charge each of kidnapping, imprisonment and criminal possession of a firearm.
The Associated Press reported that the victim was held captive for not giving up his Bitcoin password. The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office told the outlet that Woeltz is being held without bail.
PEOPLE reached out to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and Woeltz’s lawyer, Wayne Gosnell, for comment and additional information on Sunday, May 25, but did not immediately hear back.
| by Anonymous | reply 31 | June 2, 2025 9:25 AM
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ABC News reporting police are trying to find out the "extent" of their relationship.
| by Anonymous | reply 1 | May 25, 2025 10:51 PM
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As the previous theme song to 'The View' said,
"World's gone crazy ! Imma gonna change The View"
| by Anonymous | reply 2 | May 25, 2025 10:54 PM
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All this crypto bro, mafia related, finger print scraping, meme coin shenanigan, scamming is getting super interesting. Bitcoin is $110K ! And there are many new-money, dark side, greedy guys in the game that just may blow the whole thing apart.
I'm loving the ridiculousness of it all.
| by Anonymous | reply 3 | May 25, 2025 11:16 PM
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[quote]ABC News reporting police are trying to find out the "extent" of their relationship.
It was rape rape R1.
| by Anonymous | reply 4 | May 25, 2025 11:27 PM
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A sadistic psychopath involved in crypto? That scans.
| by Anonymous | reply 5 | May 26, 2025 1:07 AM
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I hope Trump's and his sons' finger prints are all over it. I hope he was at the dinner the other night and there are photos of him and Trump together.
| by Anonymous | reply 6 | May 26, 2025 1:34 AM
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The accused is worth 100 million. Trump Pardon forthcoming. Wait and See
| by Anonymous | reply 7 | May 26, 2025 2:13 AM
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Torture is such a loaded word.
| by Anonymous | reply 8 | May 26, 2025 4:48 AM
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Crypto guys are all assholes
| by Anonymous | reply 11 | May 26, 2025 5:13 AM
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[quote] I hope he was at the dinner the other night and there are photos of him and Trump together.
It wouldn't matter, Dump gets away with everything.
| by Anonymous | reply 12 | May 26, 2025 5:20 AM
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But can he get a table at Dorsia?
| by Anonymous | reply 14 | May 26, 2025 8:03 AM
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R7 R12 Both of you have valid points. After I posted above (hoping Trump is connected to this) I realized the media and his cult won't care. Won't care at all.
But Hunter's laptop...that's another story !
| by Anonymous | reply 15 | May 26, 2025 11:22 AM
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Any photos of the 28 year old victim who said he was 'lured here' from Italy on May 2 ?
Woeltz isn't exactly ugly. I'd hit that (but without the electric saw, chicken wire, cocaine, etc)
| by Anonymous | reply 16 | May 26, 2025 11:27 AM
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They were business partners.
I suppose it’s possible they were both involved in some shady Bitcoin shit. ($100,000,000 is a lot; even for a 37 year old.)
Could be that Woeltz believed his crypto partner pilfered a bunch of his Woeltz’s ill gotten stash. Didn’t want to go to the cops (for obvious reasons), and was just trying to retrieve “what was his.”
| by Anonymous | reply 17 | May 26, 2025 11:48 AM
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R17 I'd love to know what Woeltzer's end game was ? Once he got the password and took care of himself financially, then what ? Was he going to clean up the victim and send him on his way ? Was he going to kill him ? I'm rather intrigued by this - this will make one helluva trial in the future (I'll need to learn crypto investing beforehand).
| by Anonymous | reply 18 | May 26, 2025 1:12 PM
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We better not get cheated out of this trial!
| by Anonymous | reply 19 | May 26, 2025 1:27 PM
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I'm all in for this dirty bit of business. And agree completely, R19. It would be an even worst crime if we're denied the amusement of a trial.
Just read a story in WSJ about how crypto kidnappings becoming a theme, especially in Europe. Recent spate of them in Paris.
| by Anonymous | reply 20 | May 26, 2025 1:42 PM
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On local NYC tv news stories when the story broke they interview some old guy with a beard who had a table set up across the street, selling stuff.
He’s out there every day and kept telling interviewers he and others in the neighborhood saw people coming and going for a while now, and something seemed weird about the building. He saw it all and he got everybody talking! Blab blab blab! LOL dude’s body is gonna end up in the river.
| by Anonymous | reply 21 | May 26, 2025 2:26 PM
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R21 He may be an informant!
| by Anonymous | reply 24 | May 26, 2025 3:03 PM
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[quote]I'm rather intrigued by this - this will make one helluva trial in the future
Not to mention a great episode of “Law & Order”!
| by Anonymous | reply 25 | May 26, 2025 6:35 PM
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So for some reason, the NYPD pulled John Woeltz out from the building wrapped in a white bathrobe (looks like it was just wrapped around him, he wasn't wearing this - so he must've been buck naked when they went in to arrest him) and they patted him down / felt him up on the sidewalk in front of everyone passing by ? I wonder whether he got a hard-on with all those guys frisking him ?
| by Anonymous | reply 26 | May 27, 2025 12:05 PM
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New video shows victim after escaping alleged kidnapping, torture at Nolita townhome
| by Anonymous | reply 27 | June 1, 2025 7:41 PM
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Video shows kidnapping and torture victim's escape from NYC home
| by Anonymous | reply 28 | June 1, 2025 7:42 PM
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This is sort of what I imagine crypto investors do.
| by Anonymous | reply 29 | June 1, 2025 7:49 PM
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Kiernan Culkin has his next Oscar winning role!
| by Anonymous | reply 30 | June 1, 2025 7:49 PM
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The victim looks like he could be a skinny Twink at R27.
| by Anonymous | reply 31 | June 2, 2025 9:25 AM
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