A 37-year-old cryptocurrency investor, identified as John Woeltz, appeared in court on Saturday following his arrest in connection with the alleged kidnapping and torture of an Italian tourist in a Manhattan residence, according to media reports.
Woeltz was arraigned in New York Criminal Court at 9:00 AM EST (14:00 BST) on charges including kidnapping with intent to collect ransom, assault, and unlawful imprisonment, among other counts, court records indicate.
Authorities also arrested a second individual, 24-year-old Beatrice Folchi, on Saturday in connection to the case, according to CBS News, the BBC’s US partner.
The arrests followed the victim’s escape from a home in SoHo, where he was reportedly held captive and subjected to torture for several weeks, police stated. The New York Police Department, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, and Mr. Woeltz’s attorney have been contacted for comment.
The 28-year-old victim, whose name has not been publicly released, was taken to a hospital and is currently in stable condition, police have reported. Investigators discovered several Polaroid photographs in the luxury townhome depicting the victim bound and tortured, along with firearms, according to reports.
The victim informed police that he arrived in New York from Italy on May 6th. Upon arriving at the suspect’s residence, Woeltz allegedly confiscated his passport and held him against his will until his escape on Friday morning.
According to a criminal complaint obtained by ABC News, the victim told law enforcement that Woeltz and another individual physically assaulted him and hung him off a ledge when he refused to disclose his bitcoin password.
Reports from CBS News indicate that Woeltz is a cryptocurrency investor from Kentucky who has been renting the SoHo property for a monthly cost between $30,000 and $40,000.
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