Judge denies bail to crypto investor charged with kidnapping and torturing man in posh NYC townhouse
Share this @internewscast.com

NEW YORK (AP) — A cryptocurrency investor faces a grand jury indictment for allegedly kidnapping and torturing a man over several weeks in a luxury Manhattan townhouse, intending to obtain the victim’s Bitcoin.

John Woeltz, 37, has been jailed since his arrest Friday outside the luxury rental, where an Italian national told police he was severely beaten, drugged, shocked with electrical wires and dangled over a ledge by captors seeking the password to his digital assets.

Woeltz’s alleged accomplice, William Duplessie, surrendered to police Tuesday and is awaiting his own indictment.

At the hearing Thursday, an attorney for Woeltz requested his client be released on a $2 million bond, citing his lack of criminal record, philosophy degree and professional accomplishments.

“He’s been very successful in the technology world,” the attorney, Wayne Gosnell, told a Manhattan judge, adding that his client “has every intention to fight this case.”

The judge denied bail for Woeltz, who did not appear in court.

Gosnell also requested that Woeltz not be required to turn over firearms that he legally owns in Kentucky. And he disputed the prosecutor’s earlier claims that his client owned a private jet and helicopter.

“He has no means to flee,” Gosnell said.

Woeltz has described himself in interviews as a blockchain investor who spent time in Silicon Valley before returning to Kentucky’s burgeoning crypto-mining industry.

Authorities have said Woeltz and Duplessie, another cryptocurrency investor, knew the victim personally.

On May 6, they lured the man — whose name has not been released by officials — to a posh townhouse in Manhattan’s Soho neighborhood, one of the city’s most expensive, by threatening to kill his family.

The man said he was then held captive for 17 days, as the two investors tormented him with electrical wires, forced him to smoke from a crack pipe and at one point dangled him from a staircase five stories high.

He eventually agreed to hand over his computer password Friday morning, then managed to flee the home as his captors went to retrieve the device. The victim made it onto the street, bloodied and shoeless, according to police.

A search of the townhouse turned up cocaine, a saw, chicken wire, body armor, night vision goggles, ammunition and polaroid photos of the victim with a gun pointed to his head, according to prosecutors.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Build universal child care as Mamdani vowed to do

Unlocking the Future: How Mamdani Plans to Revolutionize Universal Child Care

Luisa starts her day in the Bronx before the sun is up,…
Top Iran prayer leader who dubbed protesters 'Trump's soldiers' calls for executions amid ongoing unrest

Iran’s Leading Cleric Labels Protesters as ‘Trump’s Soldiers,’ Advocates for Executions Amid Continued Unrest

An Iranian cleric has ignited controversy by advocating for the execution of…
Adam Beckerink, Chicago attorney charged with murdering wife Caitlin Tracey in South Loop high-rise ordered detained pending trial

Chicago Lawyer Adam Beckerink Detained: Shocking Charges in South Loop High-Rise Murder Case

A Chicago lawyer is now in custody as he awaits trial on…
Bat infestation forces St. Mary's Elementary to extend relocation for safety, remediation

Bat Invasion at St. Mary’s Elementary: Extended Relocation Ensures Student Safety and Comprehensive Remediation

St. Mary’s Elementary School in Camden County is facing an extended relocation…
Fox News True Crime Newsletter: Virginia nanny's story, dentist murders charges, Barry Morphew's plea

Unveiling the Virginia Nanny’s Tale, Dentist Murder Indictments, and Barry Morphew’s Latest Court Move in True Crime News

In the Fairfax County Circuit Court on January 14, 2026, Brendan Banfield…
Man killed riding illegal electric bike in crash outside UN in Manhattan

Tragic Electric Bike Accident Claims Life Near UN Headquarters in Manhattan

A man tragically lost his life while riding a high-speed, unpermitted electric…
UNRWA officials lobby congressional staffers against Trump terrorist designation threat

UNRWA Officials Urge U.S. Congress to Reject Trump’s Proposed Terrorist Labeling

EXCLUSIVE: In a recent briefing, officials from the United Nations Relief and…
Affluent Virginia suburb rocked as trial begins for ex-federal agent husband in nanny love-triangle murders

Photos Uncover Virginia Nanny’s Move into Master Bedroom Weeks After Love Triangle Murders

WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT The dramatic trial of Brendan Banfield, a former IRS…
Michael Rapaport under fire for ‘homophobic’ comment about Colton Underwood

Michael Rapaport Sparks Controversy with Remarks on Colton Underwood: A Deep Dive into the Backlash

Michael Rapaport is catching heat after making what many viewers believed to…
Feel-Good Friday: Navy Veterans Who Married on V-J Day Celebrate 80th Anniversary in 2025

December Couples Reaffirm Love with Heartwarming Second Marriages on Feel-Good Friday

In times when global uncertainty looms, it’s refreshing to hear about individuals…
Federal judge restricts ICE agents amid ongoing Minneapolis area protests

Federal Judge Limits ICE Actions During Minneapolis Protests

A Minnesota judge has issued a decisive ruling on Friday, preventing federal…
NATO ambassador says Europe 'has a tendency to overreact' over Greenland dispute

NATO Ambassador Highlights Europe’s Overreaction in Greenland Dispute

In a recent exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, U.S. Ambassador to…