- Police arrested a cryptocurrency investor, John Woeltz, in New York City after allegations of kidnapping and torture.
- Authorities removed Woeltz from an apartment wearing only a bathrobe and no shoes.
- Prosecutors say Woeltz and an accomplice held a man captive for two weeks, using physical violence and electric shocks.
- Woeltz faces several charges, including first-degree kidnapping and criminal possession of a weapon.
- A judge ordered Woeltz held without bail and seized his passport at his court appearance.
Police took John Woeltz, a 37-year-old cryptocurrency investor from Kentucky, into custody on Friday in New York City. Officers moved in after a man reported to police that Woeltz held him captive in a SoHo apartment for several weeks.
Upon arriving at the scene, officers entered the apartment and brought Woeltz out wearing only a bathrobe and no shoes. Video footage shows police escorting him down the stairs and conducting a pat-down on the street.
According to officials, officers thoroughly checked Woeltz for weapons or contraband. "Officers check his legs, buttocks and even inside his robes … looking for any weapons or other contraband on his person. They don’t seem to find anything." After the search, police took him to a local precinct, where he remained handcuffed.
Prosecutors claim the alleged abuse started on May 6, and that Woeltz and another individual, who has not been apprehended, used various methods to torture the victim. They allege the pair shocked the victim with wires, repeatedly struck him with a pistol, and threatened to drop him from a ledge with the intention of causing harm. For full details, see the official police response.
Authorities have charged Woeltz with first-degree kidnapping, first-degree unlawful imprisonment, second-degree assault, and criminal possession of a weapon. Technical terms like "first-degree kidnapping" refer to unlawfully seizing a person with intent to cause injury or terror.
Woeltz appeared in court on Saturday. The judge ordered him held without bail and confiscated his passport as part of the legal proceedings. The suspected accomplice remains at large.
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