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Crypto Trends

From Riches To Chains: Crypto King Arrested For Torturing Bitcoin Investor In Horror Scheme

by admin May 26, 2025


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John Woeltz’s story has taken a dramatic turn following reports of kidnapping and assault. Woeltz, also known as the ‘Crypto King of Kentucky,’ has been arrested for torturing a Bitcoin investor in an attempt to steal their coins and now faces up to 25 years in prison. 

Crypto King Tortures Bitcoin Investor For Private Keys 

According to the Hindustan Times, John Woeltz, believed to be worth around $100 million, kidnapped and tortured an Italian man for his Bitcoin password in New York. Woeltz, who is a crypto investor from Kentucky, allegedly used a chainsaw on the victim as part of an attempt to obtain the password. However, he was unsuccessful with the victim eventually escaping. 

The victim broke out of the New York apartment and reported to the cops that he had been held captive for over two weeks. John Woeltz reportedly kidnapped the victim on May 6 after he arrived in New York from Italy, after both had agreed to meet. The Crypto King then snatched the victim’s passport and held him captive. 

Woeltz tortured the Bitcoin investor and even documented it with Polaroids in the following days. The report revealed that there were photos of the victim, who is also a crypto trader, tied up with an electrical wire, while another photo showed him tied to a chair and a gun pointed at his head. The Crypto King of Kentucky went as far as threatening to kill the victim’s family in Italy to force him to give up his Bitcoin password. 

Meanwhile, in another act of desperation, John Woeltz took the Bitcoin investor to the top flight of stairs of the apartment and hung him over the ledge, threatening to kill him if he didn’t give up the BTC password. The suspect had also cut the victim’s legs and arm with a chainsaw, while there are pictures that showed he was even forced to take cocaine. 

The victim managed to escape after telling the Crypto King that he was ready to give up the password by plugging it into his laptop. Once the suspect turned to get the computer, the victim ran to the street. 

Woeltz Crypto Background And What’s Next For The Crypto King

John Woeltz is known for his wealth of experience in the crypto industry, specifically blockchain security. He once attended a crypto conference, where he discussed Grin’s security audit and the hurdles involved. The Crypto King also revealed that the scope of the audit was limited to the crypto library. 

Now, the Crypto King’s story has turned from a fairytale to a nightmare, with Woeltz being charged with two counts of second-degree assault, first-degree kidnapping, first-degree unlawful imprisonment, and criminal possession of a weapon. The court has denied him bail, with the prosecutors arguing that he is a flight risk. He faces 15 to 25 years if found guilty.

BTC trading at $110,004 on the 1D chart | Source: BTCUSDT on Tradingview.com

Featured image from Pixabay, chart from Tradingview.com

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May 26, 2025 0 comments
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GameFi Guides

Crypto Investor Charged With Kidnapping, Torturing Man in NYC Over Bitcoin Password

by admin May 26, 2025



In brief

  • A crypto investor was arrested in NYC for kidnapping and torturing a man for access to his Bitcoin wallet.
  • The victim escaped after weeks of captivity in an upscale Manhattan apartment.
  • It comes amid a growing trend in violent ‘wrench attacks’ worldwide.

A crypto investor has been arrested and charged with kidnapping and torturing another man in a violent bid to obtain access to his Bitcoin wallet, prosecutors said Saturday, according to a Saturday report by the Associated Press.

John Woeltz, 37, was taken into custody Friday night after his alleged victim escaped a luxury Manhattan townhouse where he had been held captive for weeks. According to prosecutors, the man was bound, beaten, drugged, and electrocuted as part of a prolonged attempt to force him to give up his password.

The victim, a 28-year-old Italian national, arrived in New York in early May and was abducted on May 6. He eventually managed to escape on Friday after pretending to retrieve his password from another room. 

Woeltz was arraigned Saturday on charges of kidnapping, assault, unlawful imprisonment, and weapons possession, and was ordered to be held without bail.

Prosecutors said Woeltz was not acting alone, citing an “unapprehended male” co-conspirator. A search of the property revealed cocaine, a saw, chicken wire, night vision goggles and Polaroids of the victim with a gun to his head. 

Increasing threats to crypto participants

As digital assets grow in value and profile, criminals are increasingly turning to violence to bypass encryption and obtain access to people’s wallets through brute force. 

The incident highlights a disturbing trend in so-called “wrench attacks,” physical assaults designed to forcibly extract cryptocurrency credentials from victims. 

Security experts have noted an uptick in such incidents in 2025. Jameson Lopp, CTO of security firm Casa, has tracked at least 26 physical crypto-related attacks this year alone, ranging from kidnappings to home invasions.

Among them, the daughter of a French crypto executive was targeted alongside her child in an attempted abduction last week.

Also, earlier this month, an American tourist was drugged by a fake Uber driver who emptied $123,000 from his crypto wallets. 

In January, Ledger co-founder David Balland had his finger severed during a ransom attempt. Several other attacks in France also featured the victim losing a finger.

Edited by Sebastian Sinclair

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