The Manhattan Crypto investor is facing serious allegations after allegedly abducting and harassing in a disturbed bid to get access to digital assets.
The 37 -year -old John Voltz was produced in the Manhattan Criminal Court on Saturday after his arrest. He accuses a 28 -year -old Italian man of captives inside a luxury townhouse in Soho, allegedly rented for $ 30,000 per month.
According to police report Quoted To the New York Times, the victims arrived in the US on 6 May and were allegedly abducted by Voltz and a companion.
The attackers are said to have stolen the man’s passport and electronic devices before demanding a password in their bitcoin (BTC) wallet. When he refused, the suspects allegedly subjected him to physical abuse for a long time.
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Crypto victim beaten, electronock
The victim described being beaten, shocked by lightning, assaulted with a gun and even in danger from the upper floors of the five -storey building.
He also told the police that Woeltz used a saw to cut his leg and forced him to smoke cocaine. It was also allegedly threatened against his family.
Photographic evidence found inside the property including poleroid supports claims of continuous misuse. The victim managed to escape on Friday and alerted the authorities, causing Veltz arrest.
Woeltz was accused of four hooliganism, including kidnapping for ransom, and entered a petition for not being guilty. Judge Eric Schumacher ordered him to be held without bail. He expects back to court on 28 May.
A 24 -year -old woman was also taken into custody on Friday in connection with the incident. However, he was seen freely walking in New York the next day, and any allegation against him was found in the court’s online database.
The authorities have not yet clarified the relationship between the suspect and the victim or was there an eventually the theft.
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Crypto officials turn to the bodyguard
Executive and investors in the Crypto industry are rapidly looking for individual security services as kidnapping and ransom cases have increased, especially in France.
On 18 May, Amsterdam-based private firm Anant Risk International reported an increase in requests of bodyguards and long-term protection contracts from high-profile data in space.
French authorities have responded by introducing increased security for crypto entrepreneurs and their families, including priority access for security briefing and police assistance.
It comes amid the recent bounce in kidnapping and extortion efforts. David Bland, co-founder of the hardware wallet company Laser, was abducted in January 2025 and was held for ransom for several days before being rescued by the French police.
In May 2024, the father of an anonymous Crypto entrepreneur was raided by French law enforcement officers in a Paris suburb, where the person was being taken hostage by organized criminals.
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