Man Allegedly Tortures Italian Businessman For Weeks With Chainsaw and Taser, Attempting To Extort Money, Police Say

A Kentucky man was arrested in New York City Friday after allegedly imprisoning and assaulting an Italian businessman for over two weeks, police told The Daily Caller.

At about 9:37 a.m., a 28 year old male approached an on-duty traffic agent and stated he had been kidnapped and held against his will in a nearby apartment since May 6, police told The Daily Caller. The 37-year-old perpetrator is named John Woeltz, police said.

Woeltz used tools including a chainsaw and taser in an attempt to extort access to cryptocurrency accounts, police said, according to the New York Post.

Woeltz is accused of luring the victim to the U.S. under the guise of a business meeting, the New York Post reported. When the man arrived at the $30,000 to $40,000-a-month rental on Prince Street, Woeltz allegedly seized his passport and began a prolonged and violent extortion campaign, the New York Post reported. (RELATED: Former Officers Allegedly Staged Raid To Extort $37,000,000)

Wild story out of NYC: A 37-year-old crypto investor, John Woeltz, has been arrested for allegedly kidnapping and torturing a 28-year-old Italian man for three weeks inside a $30K/month Manhattan townhouse. The victim escaped Friday morning and ran to a traffic agent for help.… pic.twitter.com/ZZdi9CxEmq

— Lauren Conlin (@conlin_lauren) May 24, 2025

The victim was reportedly bound with electrical cords, tased while standing in water, pistol-whipped, and forcibly given cocaine, the outlet reported. Investigators told the New York Post he was also threatened with dismemberment by chainsaw and suffered a wound to his arm believed to be caused by the device. An Apple AirTag was allegedly placed around his neck to track him in case of escape, the outlet reported.

The abuse was documented in Polaroid photographs found scattered throughout the apartment. One image reportedly showed the man tied to a chair with a gun pointed at his head, and authorities believe the photos were intended to be used for further extortion, potentially targeting the victim’s family abroad, police said, according to the New York Post.

After he escaped, the man told an NYPD officer he feared he was going to be killed, and officers responding to the scene discovered a makeshift torture chamber with blood, broken glass, weapons, and tactical gear in plain view, according to the outlet.

Woeltz was arrested and charged with two counts of assault in the second degree, kidnapping in the first degree, unlawful imprisonment in first degree, and criminal possession of a firearm, police told The Daily Caller. Police also arrested Beatrice Folchi, 24, of Manhattan, who faces charges of kidnapping and unlawful imprisonment, police told the New York Post.

The victim was transported to Bellevue Hospital for treatment and remains in stable condition, police told The Daily Caller.

The investigation is ongoing, and authorities are working to determine whether others were involved or if additional victims exist.