1 month ago
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(NewsNation) — The brutality alleged successful the kidnapping and torture of an Italian cryptocurrency capitalist is turning adjacent the heads of seasoned FBI veterans.
“This is similar Whitey Bulger-esque, mafioso benignant of torture,” ex-FBI peculiar cause Jennifer Coffindaffer tells “NewsNation Prime,” referring to the Boston gangster known for his sadistic methods.
Kentucky cryptocurrency capitalist John Woeltz, 37, allegedly kidnapped the Italian antheral aboriginal this period and confined him an upscale Manhattan residence. Authorities accidental the visitant was beaten, shocked, urinated connected and drugged successful an effort to get his Bitcoin password, until the antheral managed to escape.
“Really, it was superb that helium didn’t springiness up the password. Right astatine that point, they could person killed him,” said Coffindaffer, a NewsNation instrumentality and justness contributor. “He was astute to beryllium capable to endure for 3 weeks each of this torture and to person his caput astir him to beryllium capable to inactive escape.”
Woeltz was charged with kidnapping, assault, unlawful imprisonment and transgression possession of a firearm and ordered held without bail. Another fishy is astatine large, and constabulary are questioning a 3rd person.
Bobby Chacon, a retired FBI peculiar agent, said the lawsuit is striking due to the fact that cryptocurrency crimes are usually associated with high-tech methods specified arsenic hacking. Here, helium notes, the perpetrators allegedly utilized old-school unit to effort to get astatine the integer assets.
“They’re tying him to a seat and they’re shocking him with wires. This is thing that’s precise low-tech successful a high-tech world,” helium said.
Woeltz was seen arsenic a palmy capitalist with sizeable wealth, Chacon said, which is different crushed the lawsuit is unusual.
“For him to beryllium progressive successful thing truthful low-tech and thing truthful hands-on (is) truly surprising,” helium said.
Coffindaffer says sometimes appearances tin beryllium deceiving.
“We’ve seen this each the clip moving white-collar cases,” she said. “A batch of white-collar criminals, they’re truly astatine their break. They are truthful successful fearfulness of losing everything they have, surviving these grandiose lifestyles.
“I’ve seen individuals bent themselves, individuals lash retired successful manners that are precise violent. They conscionable can’t basal the thought of losing what they have.”
