Suspects in New York crypto kidnapping case granted bail
New York Supreme Criminal Court Judge Gregory Carro set bail at $1 million each for John Woeltz, 37, and William Duplessie, 33, who have been in custody since their arrest in May.
Woeltz and Duplessie pleaded not guilty to multiple charges, including kidnapping, assault and coercion.
The 28-year-old victim, reportedly an Italian cryptocurrency trader, arrived in New York City from Italy in early May. He was abducted on May 6, police told CNN. It's not clear whether the victim knew the men who kidnapped him.
Prosecutors said the unnamed victim was tortured for days, threatened with death and at one point dangled over a railing unless he revealed his Bitcoin password. When he refused, he was beaten, shocked with electric wires, and struck in the head with a firearm, they said.
The accused also allegedly bound the man's wrists and threatened to kill his family, according to the Manhattan District Attorney.
In late May, the victim escaped the apartment where he was allegedly being held after agreeing to provide his password, which was stored on his laptop in another room, prosecutors said. When one of the suspects turned his back, the victim fled the apartment and sought help from a traffic officer, police said.
He was taken to a hospital and treated for injuries that prosecutor Michael Mattson said were consistent with his descriptions of being bound and assaulted, the Associated Press reported.
Woeltz, a Kentucky native and cryptocurrency investor, was arrested after the victim's escape. Duplessie, a Miami resident, turned himself in the following week.
A search of the townhouse turned up a trove of evidence, Mattson said, including cocaine, a saw, chicken wire, body armor and night vision goggles, ammunition, and polaroid photos of the victim with a gun pointed to his head, the AP reported.
Inmate records show that, as of Wednesday evening, both men are still in custody. Their next court appearance will be scheduled for October 15.
CNN has reached out to the Manhattan District Attorney's Office for further comment.
CNN's John Miller, Gloria Pazmino and Mark Morales contributed to this report.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBS News
32 minutes ago
- CBS News
Girl injured in Perry North late-night shooting
A girl was injured in a late-night shooting in Pittsburgh's Perry North neighborhood. Pittsburgh Police say officers were called to the area of Watson Boulevard just before 10 p.m. on Thursday night for reports of shots fired. When officers arrived at the scene, they found a girl who had graze wounds to her legs and police say she was taken to the hospital in stable condition. Police say officers at the scene were told that the suspected shooter might be inside a home nearby. Officers were able to make contact with a woman inside the home, who came outside and was taken in for questioning, police said. Police say officers did a sweep of the home to make sure to other victims or suspects were inside. Detectives from the Violent Crime Unit are leading the investigation into the shooting.
Yahoo
39 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Suspect arrested in series of groping attacks across San Diego
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — A suspected serial groper is in police custody after allegedly sexually assaulting women in multiple San Diego neighborhoods including University Heights, North Park and Pacific Beach. Police have not released the suspect's identity at this time, but FOX 5/KUSI spoke with three victims who shared their stories in hopes of bringing the suspect to justice. Security camera footage shows a man jogging down an alley off Emerald Street in Pacific Beach last Thursday afternoon. Katie, who wants her identity concealed, said she was walking to the post office when the suspect groped her then ran off. 'I was terrified. It was fight or flight mode. I just wanted to get out alive. Very scared, ' she said. Rebecca, a second victim, who also wants to remain anonymous, described a similar run-in while out for a walk near Garfield Elementary in North Park last Wednesday. 'He got about like six feet in front of me. I realized that his shorts were pulled up to expose full genitalia and he had a smirk on his face, and I stood there shocked and stunned and at that point he slapped and grabbed my behind and very aggressively, ' she said. Rebecca said the man, who was wearing shorts, a t-shirt, and AirPods, left the scene. Rebecca created an Instagram account and posted details of what happened and a description of the man to alert others. It soon became clear she wasn't alone. 'At that time, it was like two other women that came up to me and connected me with a PB incident that had pictures and surveillance, and I remember my heart dropping seeing the images and it was him,' she said. In all, Rebecca said six women have come forward. Another woman, Gretchen, who also prefers not to be shown, said the same person exposed himself before assaulting her during a walk on July 9 also in North Park. 'As he was passing me, he reached out and grabbed my butt pretty hard and then just kept running,' she said. Police confirm the suspect seen in surveillance footage was taken into custody for the same type of related crime and faces at least one felony charge. However, more charges could be coming. In the meantime, victims coping with what happened aren't staying silent. 'I want him to have consequences for his actions and just help keep everyone safe,' Gretchen said. San Diego police said the investigation is ongoing and are urging anyone who has had a similar experience in the past few months to contact their area commands or call 619-531-2000 and file a police report. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
44 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Fourth Milwaukee hotel worker accused in D'Vontaye Mitchell's death pleads guilty to felony murder
The last of four Milwaukee hotel workers accused of killing a man by pinning him to the ground has pleaded guilty to being a party to felony murder. Former Hyatt Hotel security guard Todd Erickson entered the plea in connection with D'Vontaye Mitchell's death in Milwaukee County Circuit Court on Thursday morning, online court records indicate. Erickson was set to go on trial on August 11. He faces up to 15 years in prison when he's sentenced September 3. His attorney, Kerri Cleghorn, didn't immediately return a voicemail left at her office. Erickson's plea moves a massive criminal case reminiscent of George Floyd's death a step closer to resolution. According to investigators, Mitchell ran into the Hyatt's lobby in June 2024 and went into the women's bathroom. Two women later told detectives that Mitchell tried to lock them in the bathroom. Security guard Brandon Turner pulled Mitchell out of the bathroom and together with a guest dragged him out of the lobby onto a hotel driveway. Turner, Erickson, bellhop Herbert Williamson and front desk worker Devin Johnson-Carson continued to struggle with Mitchell before taking him to the ground and piling on top of him, according to a criminal complaint. Hotel surveillance video shows Johnson-Carson holding Mitchell's legs while Erickson, Turner and Williamson held down his upper body. They kept him pinned for eight to nine minutes. By the time emergency responders arrived, Mitchell had stopped breathing. A medical examiner later determined that Mitchell was morbidly obese, suffered from heart disease, and had cocaine and methamphetamine in his system. The medical examiner concluded that he had suffocated and ruled his death a homicide. Attorneys for Mitchell's family have likened his death to the murder of Floyd, a Black man who died in 2020 after a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for about nine minutes. Floyd's death sparked a national reckoning on racial relations. Mitchell was Black. Court records identify Erickson as white and Turner, Williamson and Johnson-Carson as Black. The four workers told investigators that Mitchell was strong and tried to bite Erickson, but they didn't mean to hurt him. Ambridge Hospitality, the company that manages the Hyatt, fired all four of them in July 2024. Turner, Williamson and Johnson-Carson were all charged with being a party to felony murder along with Erickson. Turner pleaded guilty to that count this past March. Williamson and Johnson-Carson both pleaded guilty to a reduced count of misdemeanor battery that same month. All three are set to be sentenced Sept. 3, the same day as Erickson.
