In a chilling case that has captured public attention, a cryptocurrency investor and a woman have been apprehended in connection with a harrowing kidnapping plot targeting an Italian tourist.
The victim, who endured weeks of torment, was allegedly abducted in a bid to extract the password to his Bitcoin wallet, with the perpetrators aiming to pilfer an unspecified sum of money.
John Woeltz, identified as the crypto investor, faces a slew of charges, including second-degree assault, first-degree kidnapping, first-degree unlawful imprisonment, and criminal possession of a firearm. He is currently held in custody as he awaits trial.
Meanwhile, 24-year-old Beatrice Folchi was also detained on charges of first-degree kidnapping and unlawful imprisonment. However, as reported by Gateway Pundit, the Manhattan District Attorney's office has opted not to prosecute her at this time, citing the need for further investigation.
The victim recounted a terrifying ordeal, claiming he was subjected to various forms of torture and threatened with the death of his family should he fail to divulge his Bitcoin credentials. In a desperate bid for freedom, he eventually managed to flee the premises, barefoot and seeking assistance. According to ABC 7, the torture methods included electric shock, battery, psychological torment, and forced drug consumption, specifically cocaine.
During Woeltz's arraignment, prosecutors revealed that the victim had been shocked with electric wires, had his leg cut with a saw, and was coerced into smoking crack cocaine. CBS News reported that authorities recovered a saw from the crime scene, alongside other incriminating evidence such as chicken wire, ballistic helmets, body armor, night vision goggles, and t-shirts depicting the victim with a crack cocaine pipe.
Disturbingly, Polaroids showing the victim with a firearm aimed at his head were also found, along with bloodstains throughout the apartment, underscoring the brutality of the ordeal.
Prosecutors further alleged that Woeltz, along with an accomplice, at one point dangled the victim over a stairwell ledge, threatening his life if he refused to surrender his Bitcoin password.
This case raises significant concerns about the lengths to which individuals may go in pursuit of digital wealth, highlighting the darker side of the cryptocurrency world. As the investigation unfolds, the public awaits further developments in this disturbing saga.
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