Suspects in Manhattan Crypto Kidnapping, Torture Case Plead Not Responsible as Investigation Widens
Two males suspected within the kidnapping and torture of a 28-year-old Italian cryptocurrency investor have pleaded not responsible, whereas the investigation into their case seems to have expanded to the New York Police Division itself.
New York police had beforehand arrested William Duplessie, 33, and John Woeltz, 37, on the fees, in addition to a 3rd particular person, Beatrice Folchi, 24, although her prosecution is being deferred. The sufferer has not been publicly named.
The lads are accused of kidnapping the sufferer and holding him hostage in a luxurious townhouse in Manhattan’s ritzy SoHo neighborhood for greater than two weeks. Throughout that point, New York Metropolis police say the trio tortured the person, forcing him to take medication, dangling him from a ledge, urinating on him and electrocuting him in an effort to drive him handy over the non-public keys to his bitcoin. The alleged perpetrators are accused of constructing t-shirts of the sufferer with a crack pipe in his mouth and taking Polaroids of the sufferer with a gun to his head.
The sufferer escaped final Friday, grabbing his laptop computer and getting out of the townhouse after which in search of assist from a visitors officer.
Duplessie entered a not-guilty plea to 5 completely different fees, together with kidnapping with an intent to gather a ransom, kidnapping and inflicting a bodily damage, felony possession of a loaded firearm, assault with an intent to trigger a bodily damage with a weapon and illegal imprisonment, in keeping with the courtroom docket.
Woeltz was charged with kidnapping, assault, illegal imprisonment and felony possession of a firearm, and he additionally pleaded not responsible, in keeping with his courtroom docket.
Two NYPD officers, together with a detective assigned to Mayor Eric Adams’ safety element, labored for each Duplessie and Woeltz of their off-duty hours and have now been positioned on modified obligation, Bloomberg reported Thursday. A supply acquainted instructed CoinDesk that the 2 officers will not be believed to be a part of the kidnapping, however reasonably did safety work for the defendants. They might have pushed the sufferer from an airport to the townhouse, however haven’t been tied to his torture, the supply mentioned.
A spokesperson for the NYPD mentioned the matter was “beneath inner overview.”
A spokesperson for the mayor’s workplace mentioned in an announcement that, “Each metropolis worker is anticipated to comply with the legislation, together with our officers, each on and off obligation. We’re disturbed by these allegations, and as quickly because it got here to our consideration, the officers had been positioned on modified obligation. The investigation is ongoing.”
UPDATE (Could 29, 2025, 22:27 UTC): Provides extra element.
