Latest news with #ManhattanDistrictAttorney'sOffice
Epoch Times
3 days ago
- Epoch Times
Second Crypto Investor Surrenders in Manhattan Kidnapping, Torture Case
A second cryptocurrency entrepreneur has turned himself in to police in connection with the alleged abduction and prolonged torture of an Italian man inside a luxury Manhattan townhouse, authorities said Tuesday. William Duplessie, 32, faces a range of charges, including kidnapping, assault, unlawful imprisonment, and criminal possession of a weapon, according to police. The Manhattan District Attorney's Office didn't immediately return a request for comment from NTD News. His surrender comes four days after the victim—a 28-year-old Italian national—managed a dramatic escape from the SoHo residence, where he told police he had been held captive, beaten, and threatened for nearly three weeks. Duplessie's arrest follows that of John Woeltz, 37, another crypto investor, who was Both men have been described in online profiles and Related Stories 5/26/2025 5/12/2025 Woeltz was described as a silicon valley investor and a former board member at Sprocket, a nonprofit economic development organization and entrepreneurship hub based in Paducah, according to a 2020 interview with The Paducah Sun. In a 'Like many in our community, we are shocked and saddened by these events. These allegations are deeply troubling and feel profoundly out of character from the person we came to know. Our thoughts are with everyone affected,' according to the Kentucky-based news outlet. Stealing Bitcoin According to prosecutor Michael Mattson, the victim arrived in New York City from Italy in early May and was lured to the eight-bedroom townhouse on May 6, where the alleged scheme to steal his Bitcoin began, Mattson told a Judge on Saturday. Over the next 17 days, the man told police he was subjected to a range of abuses: his wrists bound, shocked with electrical wires, pistol-whipped, cut on the leg with a saw, and forced to smoke from a crack pipe. At one point, he said, his captors dangled him from the top of a staircase and threatened to kill him if he did not provide the password to his Bitcoin account, according to Mattson. The victim said he was led to believe his family was also in danger if he refused to cooperate. Fearing for his life, he finally agreed to give up the password on Friday morning, May 23. When his captors left to retrieve his computer, he seized the opportunity to escape. A search of the townhouse uncovered many pieces of evidence, including cocaine, a saw, chicken wire, body armor, night vision goggles, ammunition, and polaroid photos showing the victim with a gun pointed at his head and a crack pipe in his mouth. The victim was hospitalized with injuries consistent with his account, including wrist wounds and facial cuts, Mattson said. The case comes amid a surge in violent crime targeting cryptocurrency holders. Similar incidents have been reported internationally and across the United States, including the recent rescue of a crypto entrepreneur's father in Paris after attackers severed one of his fingers, and a failed abduction attempt of another entrepreneur's daughter. Last August, a Connecticut couple was kidnapped in a ransom plot linked to a $240 million crypto heist allegedly involving their son. A recent FBI report found that internet crime losses soared to $16.6 billion in 2024, with cryptocurrency theft accounting for the largest share at over $6.5 billion—up nearly a third from the previous year. Woeltz was arraigned May 24 on charges of kidnapping, assault, unlawful imprisonment, and criminal possession of a firearm, and was ordered held without bail, according to court records. Mattson said he posed a flight risk due to his access to a private jet and helicopter and ordered him to surrender his passport. He is due back in Manhattan criminal court next week. Authorities indicated that additional suspects may be involved, referring to an 'unapprehended male' mentioned in court records. The investigation remains ongoing, and the victim's name has not been released due to privacy concerns. The Associated Press contributed to this report. From NTD News
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Second suspect in New York crypto kidnapping and torture case surrenders to police
A second suspect surrendered to police Tuesday morning in the harrowing case of a cryptocurrency trader who was allegedly kidnapped, tortured and held hostage in a Manhattan apartment for several weeks. The man turned himself in following the Friday arrest of 37-year-old John Woeltz, who was arrested after the victim escaped the apartment where he was allegedly held hostage. Miami resident William Duplessie, 33, is being charged with assault, kidnapping, unlawful imprisonment and criminal possession of a firearm, according to a law enforcement official. Police had already arrested Kentucky native Woeltz for allegedly holding the wealthy Italian cryptocurrency trader hostage as part of a violent scheme to obtain his Bitcoin password. Police said the 28-year-old victim arrived from Italy on May 6 and was held hostage inside the SoHo apartment for several weeks. CNN has reached out to Woeltz's attorney for comment and is working to identify an attorney for Duplessie. Prosecutors in Manhattan say the victim, who has not been identified, was tortured for days, threatened to be killed, and at one point dangled over a railing if he did not give up his Bitcoin password. When the victim refused to provide the two men with his Bitcoin password, they subjected him to torture, the Manhattan District Attorney said. The beatings included but were 'not limited to' using electric wires to shock him, pointing a firearm at his head and using that firearm to strike him in the head. The two men also bound the victim's wrists and said they would have his family killed, according to the district attorney. Woeltz was arraigned Saturday on charges of first-degree kidnapping, second-degree assault, first-degree unlawful imprisonment, and criminal possession of a firearm, according to the Manhattan District Attorney's office. Woeltz did not enter a plea at his initial court appearance and was ordered held without bail. He is expected to be back in court on Wednesday, according to a court docket. A third person, a woman identified as Beatrice Folchi, was also detained in connection with the case, but Manhattan prosecutors declined to charge her pending an investigation, according to a spokesperson for the Manhattan District Attorney's Office. The victim 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. 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 also reported. CNN's Michelle Watson contributed to this report.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
Crypto Investor John Woeltz Charged with Kidnapping and Torturing Italian Tourist for Weeks in Upscale N.Y.C. Apartment
Cryptocurrency investor John Woeltz has been charged after police claim he kidnapped and tortured an Italian tourist for more than two weeks inside an upscale New York City apartment The 37-year-old is charged with two counts of second-degree assault and one charge each of kidnapping, imprisonment and criminal possession of a firearm Woeltz is being held without bailA cryptocurrency investor has been charged after police claim he kidnapped and tortured an Italian tourist for more than two weeks in New York City. John Woeltz, 37, was arrested on Friday, May 23, per a statement from the New York Police Department (NYPD) obtained by PEOPLE, after the tourist, 28, escaped from an upscale N.Y.C. apartment that morning and told an on-duty traffic agent that he had been 'held against his will' since May 6. "The male [tourist] further stated he had been routinely assaulted during his captivity," the NYPD said. The victim was transported to NYC Health and Hospitals in stable condition. On Saturday, May 24, Woeltz was charged with two counts of second-degree assault and one charge each of kidnapping, imprisonment and criminal possession of a firearm. The Associated Press reported that the victim was held captive for not giving up his Bitcoin password. The Manhattan District Attorney's Office told the outlet that Woeltz is being held without bail. PEOPLE reached out to the Manhattan District Attorney's Office and Woeltz's lawyer, Wayne Gosnell, for comment and additional information on Sunday, May 25, but did not immediately hear back. Beatrice Folchi, 24, was also taken into custody in relation to the crime on May 24 and faces one count each of first-degree kidnapping and first-degree unlawful imprisonment, according to CBS News. However, The New York Post reported that the Manhattan District Attorney's Office declined to prosecute Folchi, pending further investigation. Folchi worked as Woeltz's assistant, police sources told the Post. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. The victim told police he arrived in the U.S. from Italy on May 6 and went to Woeltz's rented home, police sources previously told WNBC. The victim said he and Woeltz had previously done business together, WABC reported, citing police sources. Their relationship soured after a dispute and the victim went back to Italy, but Woeltz allegedly convinced him to return to Manhattan, where he was held against his will, per police sources. The victim told police that Woeltz allegedly took the victim's passport and tortured him, per WNBC's police sources. The outlet also stated that police found Polaroid pictures of the victim tied up and being tortured. Police reportedly recovered a gun and several torture devices, per WNBC and WABC. Read the original article on People
Mint
6 days ago
- Mint
Who are crypto investor John Woeltz, assistant held for kidnapping and torture of Italian man in New York?
Crypto 'king', 37-year-old John Woeltz, accused of the kidnap and torture of an Italian man for his crypto wallet password, has been held without bail and instructed to stay away from the victim, according to a report by the New York Post. He has been charged with first-degree kidnapping, first-degree unlawful imprisonment, second-degree assault and criminal possession of a weapon, among others. His assitant, identified as 24-year-old Beatrice Folchi, was also arrested and then released, the NY Post said, but she has denied being arrested. She is charged with first-degree kidnapping and first-degree unlawful imprisonment, but prosecution is awaiting further investigation, a spokesperson for the Manhattan District Attorney's Office told the publication. The victim, identified as a 28-year-old man from Turin, Italy, was kidnapped and tortured for his Bitcoin password at a posh flat in the SoHo neighbourhood of New York city, as per the report. He had told family he was traveling to the US 'for a trip of tourism and language learning,' according to Italian publication la Repubblica. Prosecutors said the victim is also a crypto trader, and is worth around $30 million. They added that he made a 'daring escape' after nearly three weeks of physical abuse, which included being held off a ledge, threatened with a gun, urinated on, and being forced to consume drugs. The arrested crypto trader is worth $100 million, according to the NT Post, citing law enforcement sources. It cited authorities saying that he owns private jet and a helicopter; and added that public records show Woeltz has 150-acres of land in Kentucky. (This is a developing story, more updates coming…)
USA Today
22-05-2025
- USA Today
3 men sentenced to decades in prison for fatal New York gay bar drugging scheme
3 men sentenced to decades in prison for fatal New York gay bar drugging scheme Show Caption Hide Caption Why fentanyl is the leading cause of overdose deaths in the US Over 150 Americans die every day from overdoses related to fentanyl and synthetic opioids. Here's why fentanyl is so deadly. Three men were sentenced on May 21 to decades in prison for their roles in a conspiracy to drug and rob men leaving New York bars and nightclubs late at night, resulting in two deaths in 2022, prosecutors said. Jayqwan Hamilton, 37, Robert DeMaio, 36, and Jacob Barroso, 32, were found guilty in February on multiple counts of murder, robbery, and conspiracy for the 15-month-long scheme that targeted victims in Manhattan's Hell's Kitchen neighborhood, according to the Manhattan District Attorney's Office. The case sent shockwaves through the city's LGBTQ+ community after two men were found dead in April and May 2022. The two men were identified as Julio Ramirez, 25, and John Umberger, 33, who both died from "drug-facilitated thefts," according to the medical examiner's office. Lab tests revealed that the men had fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and several other drugs in their systems when they died. Their family members told news outlets that they suspected foul play after discovering the men's bank accounts had been drained, USA TODAY previously reported. Prosecutors accused Hamilton, DeMaio, and Barroso of lurking outside nightclubs and bars to "exploit intoxicated individuals." Prosecutors said the defendants gave their victims drugs laced with fentanyl to immobilize them before taking the victims' phones and withdrawing money from their online financial accounts. On May 21, Hamilton and DeMaio were sentenced to 40 years to life in state prison, while Barroso was sentenced to 20 years to life, according to the Manhattan District Attorney's Office. All three were convicted of the murder of Ramirez, and only Hamilton and DeMaio were convicted in Umberger's death. "Julio Ramirez and John Umberger were beloved by their friends and family and had incredibly bright futures ahead of them," Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg said in a statement. 'Yet their lives were cut short by these defendants, who displayed a wanton disregard towards their victims. They left both men to die as they used their financial accounts to purchase clothes and sneakers, never once showing concern about the deadly consequences of their actions." New Orleans jail escape: What are the odds that all fugitives will be caught? Robbery crew drugged victims to the point of unconsciousness During the three-week trial, prosecutors detailed at least five incidents that occurred between March and May 2022 in which the defendants targeted victims outside of The Q NYC, a now-closed gay nightclub, and The Ritz Bar and Lounge. The two venues were located in Hell's Kitchen, a neighborhood that has a large LGBTQ+ population. Prosecutors said the defendants drugged their victims with fentanyl-laced drugs to cause them to become unconscious. The defendants then stole the victims' phones to make unauthorized charges and transfers on Cash App, Apple Cash, or Zelle. Their victims often woke up the next day, only to realize their phones and wallets were missing, according to prosecutors. In one instance, the defendants used a victim's credit card to purchase luxury fashion at Prada and Bloomingdale's. In another instance, a victim discovered that $2,000 had been transferred from his bank account to DeMaio's account, prosecutors said. On April 21, 2022, the defendants met Ramirez outside of The Ritz Bar and Lounge, prosecutors said. They then left Ramirez unresponsive in the back of a cab at about 3:30 a.m. after giving him the laced drugs. Ramirez was later transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to prosecutors. Prosecutors said the defendants spent thousands of dollars on sneakers and clothing after transferring money from Ramirez's Apple Cash and Cash App accounts. About a month later, Umberger met with DeMaio and Hamilton outside of The Q NYC. The three men eventually went back to Umberger's apartment building, where DeMaio and Hamilton left Umberger "motionless and incapacitated on his bed" after providing him with laced drugs, according to prosecutors. Prosecutors said DeMaio and Hamilton spent over $2,000 from Umberger's accounts on sneakers and clothing at multiple stores. Umberger was found dead five days after the incident. Three other men were also arrested and convicted in connection with the scheme, according to prosecutors. The three co-conspirators were each sentenced to eight to nine years for robbery and conspiracy charges, W42ST, CBS News, and NBC4 Washington previously reported. U.S. fentanyl crisis: Drug overdose deaths plummet to pre-pandemic levels during fentanyl crisis Similar scheme reported in New York City during same time period During the same time, New York City authorities also reported that a different robbery crew was using similar tactics to commit crimes throughout lower Manhattan. In June 2023, a 33-year-old man was indicted for a drugging, robbery and larceny spree that targeted 21 victims and caused five deaths in 2022, according to the Manhattan District Attorney's Office. Prosecutors accused Kenwood Allen of drugging his victims with fentanyl after they spent the night out at bars before stealing their phones, credit cards or watches. Prosecutors alleged that in some instances, Allen left his victims on the street after they had overdosed. The New York Post previously reported that Allen and other members of the robbery crew targeted at least 26 victims together. In response to these incidents, Bragg sent letters in 2024 to the companies that own Venmo, Zelle, and Cash App, demanding that they enhance customer fraud protections. "No longer is the smartphone itself the most lucrative target for scammers and robbers – it's the financial apps contained within," Bragg said in a statement at the time. "Thousands or even tens of thousands can be drained from financial accounts in a matter of seconds with just a few taps. Without additional protections, customers' financial and physical safety is being put at risk." Contributing: Amanda Lee Myers, USA TODAY
