A crypto entrepreneur is being questioned Friday for allegedly torturing a man in his luxury apartment in New York City for more than two weeks, according to police.
The alleged victim, 28, told police he arrived in New York from Italy on May 6 and went to the suspect’s home. He told police the suspect took his passport and tortured him before he was able to escape Friday morning, running to a traffic enforcement officer for help. The alleged victim is now at the hospital, police said.
Police responded and found multiple Polaroid pictures of the alleged victim being tied up and tortured in the suspect’s SoHo apartment, as well as multiple torture items in view, according to police sources.
The suspect, John Woeltz, 37, is in custody with charges pending. He is a crypto entrepreneur from Kentucky.
According to law enforcement sources, part of the investigation includes whether the Italian man was hired for sex work, whether the suspect turned him into a sex slave and whether the two may have known each other from the crypto world.
A gun was recovered in the home, police said. At least one butler works in the home who police plan to interview.
