A cryptocurrency investor from Kentucky is suspected of torturing an Italian tourist with a chainsaw in a sadistic, weeks-long extortion attempt to obtain the password for his accounts in a Ritzy apartment in Manhattan-Voordat de Pastele made a daring escape.
John Woeltz, 37, was arrested after the bloody and bruised tourist-a 28-year-old man-free day from the Soho House of Horrors broke, ran to a police officer and said he had been imprisoned for more than two weeks, the sources said.
Cops hurried to the luxurious Prince Street Pad – which Woeltz reportedly rented for around $ 30,000 to $ 40,000 a month – and discovered several polaroid photos that show that the tourist was tied with electric wire and tortured, including one of him bound to a chair with a gun, according to the sources.
Since he was imprisoned, the tourist had been bound with an electric cord, plagued while his feet were placed in water, gun cut, forced to take cocaine and threatened to cut his limbs with an electric chainsaw, the sources said.
The nightmare broke out of a dispute about cryptocurrency, in which the suspect reportedly tried to extort millions of dollars from the man by releasing a litany of horrible tortures, according to sources.
The man was rushed to the Bellevue Hospital for treatment, while the police arrested Woeltz, who was expected to attack, the sources said.
Woeltz was accused on Friday evening of two counts of second -degree attack, first degree kidnapping, first degree, first degree illegal prison and criminal possession of a weapon.
A second person-the 24-year-old Beatrice Folchi, 24, from Manhatan-Werd also arrested and accused of first degree kidnapping and first degree illegal prison.
Two other people believed that they were employed by Woeltz – who is a crypto entrepreneur and investor – waiting to be interviewed by the police, says sources.
The test started on 6 May, when the tourist arrived in New York City and met Woeltz, with whom he apparently had business transactions, according to sources.
But when the man went to the chic path, the crypto Bigshot grabbed his passport and tied him, sources said.
The man suffered from days of torture that were documented by polaroids – who were probably intended to falsify money, either from the victim or his family back in Italy, according to sources.
The police found the photos spread over the bleeding room, soaked with blood, together with various terror tools-broken glass, night vision glasses, a bulletproof vest and a gun-in the sight, said sources.
The man had a wound on his arm that it is believed to be a cut of the chainsaw, according to the sources.
The victim also had an apple -air tag to put his neck in case he tried to escape, according to the sources.
He eventually made his successful attempt to flee because he believed that Friday was the day he would be killed, sources said.
Ciaran Tully, a photographer who sells his work on the other side of the building, said he saw Woeltz, dressed in a robe and handcuffs.
“This is definitely the strangest thing I have seen here in my time,” he said. “Normally this is a fairly quiet block.”
A jewelry seller who did not want to be further mentioned said that he received a “weird atmosphere” from the “crypto boys” who recently withdrawn.
“I knew something strange was going on, I just assumed that they are shooting porn or something,” he said. “I couldn’t have guessed all of this.”
Woeltz was held in the 5th district of the NYPD on Friday awaiting charges.
The Emergency Service unit of the NYPD searched the building to ensure that there were no other torture victims, the sources said.
