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(New York, NY) – A bruised up Italian tourist made an escape from what he says was weeks of torture at an apartment in Soho. On Friday, the 28-year-old victim found a traffic cop and told him that he was held prisoner and tortured at a ritzy Prince Street apartment in an alleged cryptocurrency robbery scheme. Police have arrested and charged John Woeltz, 37, on multiple charges.
The crypto investor from Kentucky previously did business with the victim. Woeltz is accused of luring the tourist to the Manhattan rental and torturing him in an attempt to get access to his cryptocurrency accounts. Some of the alleged torture included pistol whipping the victim, holding him at gunpoint, dangling him over a staircase, tasing him while his feet were in water and threatening to cut off his limbs with an electric chainsaw.
A Swiss businessman is also suspected of being involved in the case and is reportedly set to turn himself in. An assistant to Woeltz, a 24-year-old woman, was also charged but the Manhattan District Attorney decided against prosecution as the investigation continues. Woeltz was ordered to be held without bail during his Saturday arraignment. He is facing charges including kidnapping, unlawful imprisonment, assault and criminal possession of a weapon.
