A New York man, William Duplessie, has been denied bail following his indictment on charges of kidnapping, assault, and weapons possession. This comes after an alleged plot to extort Bitcoin from an Italian crypto investor through weeks of torture. His co-defendant, John Woeltz, was previously denied bail, and both men remain in custody. The victim reportedly endured severe abuse before escaping and alerting authorities.
Key Takeaways
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William Duplessie and John Woeltz are accused of kidnapping and torturing an Italian crypto investor for Bitcoin.
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The victim was held captive for 17 days, subjected to various forms of torture, and threatened.
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Both Duplessie and Woeltz have been denied bail due to the severity of the allegations.
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Police discovered evidence of torture, including Polaroid photos and various implements, at the SoHo townhouse.
Alleged Torture and Escape
The 28-year-old Italian national arrived in New York on May 6 and was allegedly lured to a SoHo townhouse rented by Woeltz for $30,000-$40,000 a month. There, he was reportedly held captive for 17 days. The victim endured horrific abuse, including being beaten, electrically shocked, hit with a gun, and dangled from a five-story staircase. He was also allegedly forced to smoke crack cocaine and had his leg cut with a saw. Threats were made against his family to coerce him into revealing his Bitcoin password.
On May 23, the victim managed to escape. After being pistol-whipped, he pretended to agree to surrender his password. While his captors retrieved a laptop, he fled the townhouse barefoot and bloodied, seeking help from a traffic enforcement officer on Mulberry Street.
Arrests and Indictments
John Woeltz, 37, a crypto investor from Kentucky, was arrested shortly after the victim's escape. He was arraigned on charges including kidnapping for ransom, assault, and unlawful imprisonment, pleading not guilty. His request for $2 million bail was denied.
William Duplessie, 32, surrendered to Manhattan police the following week. He was formally indicted on charges of kidnapping, assault, unlawful imprisonment, and weapons possession. Duplessie's request for $1 million bail was also denied due to the case's severity. Both Duplessie and Woeltz will have their indictments unsealed on June 11 for their arraignment.
A third individual, Beatrice Folchi, was arrested and charged with first-degree kidnapping and unlawful imprisonment but was later released pending further investigation.
Evidence and Broader Context
Upon searching the SoHo townhouse, police discovered a chilling array of items, including:
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A saw
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Cocaine
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Chicken wire
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Body armor
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Night-vision goggles
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Ballistic helmets
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Ammunition
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Polaroid photos of the victim with a gun to his head and smoking a cocaine pipe.
This incident is part of a disturbing trend of
Sources
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New York Man Denied Bail Over Alleged Bitcoin Ransom, Torture Plot, Decrypt.
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Crypto Investor Accused Of Kidnapping, Torturing Man Over Bitcoin Access, TronWeekly.
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Crypto investor in New York charged in kidnapping and torture plot | US crime, The Guardian.
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Crypto Investor Charged With Kidnapping and Torturing Man for Weeks, The New York Times.
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Second suspect arrested in alleged NYC Bitcoin torture scheme, BBC.
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