Latest news with #MichaelValentinoTeofrastoCarturan
New York Post
2 days ago
- New York Post
What to know about the SoHo crypto kidnapping case and the suspects John Woeltz, William Duplessie
On May 23, a shoeless and distressed man rushed up to a NYPD traffic cop in lower Manhattan with a sickening allegation. The 28-year-old man was an Italian crypto millionaire named Michael Valentino Teofrasto Carturan. He claimed that he had just escaped from a posh Prince Street townhouse where he was allegedly held prisoner, brutalized, and tortured for his cryptocurrency password. Two suspects, John Woeltz and William Duplessie, have been arrested in the disturbing case.
New York Post
3 days ago
- Business
- New York Post
Crypto moguls face reckoning after alleged kidnapping and torture: ‘The cost of doing business'
The entire cryptocurrency community is on edge following the alleged kidnapping and torture of seemingly obscure Italian meme coin millionaire Michael Valentino Teofrasto Carturan in a Soho apartment. While the horrific crime, for which crypto bros John Woeltz and William Duplessie have been arrested, is obviously very close to home, it's part of a rash of kidnappings in recent months. France, in particular, has been targeted. In Paris at the beginning of May, the 60-year-old father of a cryptocurrency millionaire was held hostage with his finger severed until his son paid a €5 million ransom. 3 Those who have made money in cryptocurrency — like Paymium CEO Pierre Noizat — have been targeted. Paymium Later this month, four armed men in the City of Light attempted to kidnap the daughter of Paymium CEO Pierre Noizat. Luckily, a plucky shop owner managed to thwart the attackers with a fire extinguisher. Earlier this week, 24 people were taken into custody in connection with the attempted kidnapping. And in January in Vierzon in Central France, the co-founder of Ledger, David Balland, and his wife were abducted and held for ransom, part of which was paid by his co-founder. Law enforcement were able to rescue the couple but not before Balland had a finger cut off; ten people have been arrested. What has surprised me the most over the last week as the New York story unfolds is how many people in crypto have — at least until now — posted so openly about their wealth and flaunted their belongings, while, at the same time, eschewing security measures. Notable security experts I spoke with told me that as of last week, those with crypto money haven't prioritized protection. 'One of the key issues — crypto millionaires (and billionaires) are nouveau riche and got rich quickly through crypto,' Mac Segal, whose AHNA Group provides security for wealthy individuals and corporations, told me. 'They're posting their homes, their helicopters, and their sneakers on Instagram — they are not cautious about their online footprint.' 3 For many in crypto, conspicuous consumption is central to showing off that their bets on risky assets paid off. TMZ / BACKGRID Sources in the cryptocurrency world told me that only a minority of those in crypto are concerned with privacy. They won't share their names online, make purchases through trusts and are attracted to crypto because it provides anonymity. But, the majority are in it for the glitz and glamor. Conspicuous consumption is the whole point — it's central to their motivation in getting into digital currency in the first place. 'The euphoria of crypto is showing you were right and now you're successful,' Aubrey Strobel, Bitcoin investor and advisor to crypto companies Lolli and Trust Machines told me. She added that the combination of 'ego and new money' has created a lot of problems. To be sure, notable billionaires like the Winklevoss twins or Michael Taylor are very protected — many of these billionaires also have wallets that [are secured by] bigger companies like Circle or Kraken, which have invested heavily in security for executives. But that isn't necessarily true on an individual level. 3 Before their arrests, John Woeltz and William Duplessie spent big on nightlife — throwing out as much as $100,000 on a table at a club. TMZ / BACKGRID 'Crypto millionaires don't think of themselves as Bill Gates or Steve Jobs,' Segal said. 'They don't realize how vulnerable they are online.' But this latest attack seems to be changing that. Even the lesser known crypto magnets are aware they may be in danger. One crypto millionaire said recent security concerns were enough to nudge him to relocate to a state where he could legally own a firearm. He also added that he had canceled some recent conference appearances but noted it's not unique to him, 'anyone active or high profile in crypto gets threats.' This story is part of NYNext, an indispensable insider insight into the innovations, moonshots and political chess moves that matter most to NYC's power players (and those who aspire to be). Another source who has made their money in crypto told me that in light of the recent attacks in France, some digital coin companies based in Europe are considering relocating as their employees agitate for better safety measures. Targeting someone who has made a lot of money from cryptocurrency is, in many ways, the perfect crime. An obscure wallet is impossible to trace and the transactions are final. One founder in crypto seems resigned to it, 'This is the cost of doing business.' But another source explained that it could cause the industry to go underground. 'You don't have to be a big figure to be kidnapped … now people are afraid they may say something at a party and they'll be targeted.' For now, it seems like the huge displays of wealth may be diminishing and the days of bragging at parties about a meme coin success and how much money you made may be over. Send NYNext a tip: nynextlydia@
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Barefoot NYC crypto torture victim begs cop for help after fleeing captors, shocking video shows
Shocking new video captures the moment an Italian crypto millionaire escaped his captors after police said he was brutally tortured inside a posh SoHo townhouse. The footage, obtained by NBC New York, shows battered bitcoin trader Michael Valentino Teofrasto Carturan shoeless and distressed as he runs up to an NYPD traffic cop Friday after fleeing the Prince Street house of horrors – where he was allegedly held and brutalized for his crypto password, authorities said. Cops have charged Kentucky crypto king John Woeltz with kidnapping, unlawful imprisonment, assault and weapons possession in the shocking case. On Tuesday, bitcoin trader William Duplessie surrendered to police for questioning after being identified as a person of interest. Woeltz's assistant, Italian beauty Beatrice Folchi, was arrested Friday but released after Manhattan prosecutors declined to prosecute pending further investigation.
Malay Mail
5 days ago
- Business
- Malay Mail
Second suspect surrenders in kidnapping, torture of Italian bitcoin investor in New York
NEW YORK, May 28 —A second suspect in the alleged kidnapping and torture of an Italian bitcoin investor in New York surrendered yesterday, authorities said. Police on Friday arrested John Woeltz, 37, of Kentucky, on suspicion of brazenly kidnapping and torturing an Italian cryptocurrency entrepreneur for weeks in a luxury Manhattan townhouse in order to extort his bitcoin password. New York City Police Chief Jessica Tisch said on Fox 5 that the second suspect in the case, William Duplessie, was also taken into custody Tuesday morning. 'We do have someone that we were looking for, Mr Duplessie, in custody. As of this morning, 7:45, he turned himself in at our 13th precinct,' Tisch said. 'We know he is going to be charged with Mr Woeltz with kidnapping and false imprisonment of an associate in Soho,' said. Duplessie, who according to US media is 33 and comes from Miami, Florida, surrendered to police clad in black pants and a white shirt, photos from the scene showed. The name of the alleged victim has not been published, but US media reports identified him as Italian bitcoin entrepreneur Michael Valentino Teofrasto Carturan. According to reports, Carturan arrived in New York from Italy on May 6 and went Woeltz's home. There, Woeltz, described by the New York Post as 'Kentucky's crypto boss,' and Duplessie confiscated the victim's electronic devices and passport, and demanded access to his bitcoin accounts, according to police. After the victim refused, the two men tortured him for two weeks, tying his wrists, hitting him with a rifle, pointing a gun at his face, threatening to throw him off the roof of the five-story building and promising to kill his family members, media reports said. Several details of the story remain murky, including exactly why the victim had agreed to come to the townhouse in an upscale SoHo neighborhood, and whether he revealed anything of use to the kidnappers. —AFP
Time of India
5 days ago
- Time of India
Italian crypto millionaire escapes torture after kidnapping, runs barefoot to NYPD officer
An Italian crypto millionaire was caught on camera escaping from the luxury SoHo townhouse after allegedly being tortured for his cryptocurrency password. Michael Valentino Teofrasto Carturan, a well-known bitcoin trader, was seen barefoot and visibly shaken as he approached an NYPD traffic officer on Friday, according to exclusive footage obtained by NBC New York. Police say the video was taken just moments after he fled the Prince Street property, where he had been held against his will. According to investigators, Carturan endured brutal treatment at the hands of his captors, who were trying to force him to hand over access to his digital fortune. John Woeltz, a Kentucky-based crypto investor often called the 'crypto king,' has been arrested and charged with kidnapping, unlawful imprisonment, assault, and weapons possession in connection with the incident. William Duplessie, another bitcoin trader, turned himself in to police on Tuesday after being named a person of interest in the ongoing investigation. Woeltz's assistant, Beatrice Folchi, an Italian national, was also taken into custody on Friday but was later released after prosecutors said more evidence was needed before moving forward. The investigation remains ongoing.
