Key dealers
- A Kentucky Crypto Investor was arrested for alleged kidnapping and toring of an Italian tourist to extract the cryptopress.
- Two suspects are facing several charges including first degree kidnapping and abuse due to the alleged crime in an apartment in Manhattan.
A Kentucky -Crypto contractor has been arrested and faces serious charges after claiming kidnapped and torturing an Italian tourist with a chainsaw and other brutal methods to force him to hand over the crypto -accounting words, police sources told New York Post.
The suspect, John Woeltz, was taken into custody on Friday after the Italian victim fled from a luxurious Soho row house, where he is alleged to have been held in captivity and abused for more than two weeks.
The man managed to break away from his limitations, escape from the home and flag a nearby police to report the torture. Sources said he made the move for fear that he would be killed on Friday.
The 28-year-old victim told the investigators that he was Woeltz’s former business partner, but one falling led to him leaving the country.
He flew back to the United States on May 6, reportedly at Woeltz’s call, and went straight to Brownstone on Prince Street, where the trial began.
Chainsaw, polaroids and blood found on stage
When the police received the report, officers from the fifth area rushed to the Prince Street property and revealed a chilly scene with blood stains, broken furniture and disturbing evidence scattered throughout the Million-Dollar rent.
There was a polaroid photo that showed the victim bound and snapped with electric cords, and a picture of him bound to a chair with a gun pointed to his head, according to investigator.
The victim had been alleged to have been removed, gunpowered and forced to take cocaine, while Woeltz threatened to cut the limbs with an electric chainsaw unless he handed access to his crypto holdings.
Police also recovered several objects from the scene, including a chainsaw with obvious blood residue, a bulletproof vest, night -gray glasses and a firearm. An Apple AirTag was placed allegedly around the victim’s neck to track his movements and discourage escape.
The victim was transported to Bellevue Hospital for treatment, where his condition was confirmed to be stable.
Woeltz was arrested at the site and reportedly had a bathrobe. A number of charges are raised against him, including two bills of other grades, a first degree kidnapping, an illegal prison in the first degree and criminal possession of weapons in the first degree.
NYPD police remove John Woeltz, 37 from a home on Prince St. Near Mulberry St. In Manhattan on Friday, May 23, 2025, after an Italian man claimed he was held against his will for 3 weeks.https://t.co/8svk0hx7uq pic.twitter.com/rfhwuapyxr
– κ§πΈπΎππΆππΆππ πβ±κ§ (@eilagan87) May 24, 2025
The police have also arrested Beatrice Folchi, believed to be involved in the kidnapping and torture. A third male suspect remains at large, with law enforcement that is actively looking for him.
Investigators also interview two butlers who worked in Prince Street Townhouse and may have witnessed certain aspects of the crime.
Who is John Woeltz?
Before his name appeared in connection with the shocking kidnapping and torture case in Manhattan, Woeltz was known in cryptocets as a security-oriented developer and early adopter of digital assets.
A former nuclear amem member of GrinAn privacy -focused crypto project, Woeltz played an important role in its early development. He officially Joined the Grin Core team in March 2020 after helping to organize the project’s first security audit.
He also appeared publicly at Grincon 2019, where he talked about the risks that privacy projects encounter without rigorous security practice.
Despite his previous visibility, his Github activity seems to have dropped after 2020, and his current connection to Flin is unclear.
