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NBC News
4 days ago
- NBC News
NYPD detective on Eric Adams security detail tied to crypto millionaire torture case, sources say
Two members of the NYPD, including a detective in Mayor Eric Adams' security detail, have been placed on modified duty this week after links surfaced to two crypto businessmen charged with kidnapping an Italian tourist earlier this month, sources closes to the case tell NBC New York. Sources familiar with the case say NYPD brass learned the detective assigned to protect Adams had provided security at the Prince Street townhouse in Nolita where crypto businessmen John Woeltz and William Duplessie allegedly tortured and held captive an Italian tourist for 17 days. Sources believe the detective — working off duty for the two crypto businessmen — also picked up the Italian tourist from the airport earlier this month. An IAB investigation underway is looking into whether the detective may have transported the tourist to the Prince Street townhouse where he was held. It is unclear whether the detective or the other NYPD member had any knowledge or involvement in the alleged kidnap and torture plot. A source familiar with the case said that both detectives are on modified duty pending the outcome of the same investigation. It is not unusual for members of the NYPD to moonlight in outside security jobs while off-duty, though it is not known whether this particular side gig was approved by the department. 'Every city employee is expected to follow the law, including our officers, both on and off duty,' City Hall said in a statement. 'We are disturbed by these allegations, and as soon as it came to our attention, the officers were placed on modified duty. The investigation is ongoing.' Woeltz and Duplessie are both being held on multiple charges including kidnapping. The 37-year-old Woeltz was denied bail following a grand jury indictment Thursday. He has been jailed since his bathrobed arrest Friday outside the luxury rental on Prince Street. The judge said the grand jury indictment would remain sealed until his arraignment, set for June 11. Woeltz didn't appear in person Thursday. The Italian tourist, who escaped after giving up his Bitcoin password after a weeks-long ordeal, arrived in New York on May 6, allegedly lured there by John Woeltz and another business partner. d brought him to the Nolita home. Duplessie, surrendered to police earlier in the week and is awaiting his own indictment. On May 6, they allegedly lured the man — whose name has not been released by officials — to a posh townhouse in Manhattan's Soho neighborhood, one of the city's most expensive, by threatening to kill his family. The man said he was then held captive for 17 days, as the two investors tormented him with electrical wires, forced him to smoke from a crack pipe and at one point dangled him from a staircase five stories high. He eventually agreed to hand over his computer password Friday morning, then managed to flee the home as his captors went to retrieve the device. The victim made it onto the street, bloodied and shoeless, according to police. A search of the townhouse turned up cocaine, a saw, chicken wire, body armor, night vision goggles, ammunition and polaroid photos of the victim with a gun pointed to his head, according to prosecutors. Who is John Woeltz? Authorities believe Woeltz is a big-name cryptocurrency trader from Kentucky with an estimated worth around $100 million; sources said the victim is worth an estimated $30 million. Woeltz had reportedly been renting out the Nolita residence at a monthly rate of at least $30,000. The luxury six-story pad has an elevator and was described by sources as a 'high-end frat house' with bottles of liquor strewn about and stripper poles in the basement. Neighbors said they could hear loud partying at all hours of the night, but they had no idea of the alleged torture going on within its walls. Sources told NBC New York that Woeltz and Duplessie roughed up the victim in the past, but not to the same extent. He would get picked on by the other two, but their treatment of him was not as violent. Sources described the relationship among the three as complex, with a 'Wolf of Wall Street/frat guys gone wild' element to it.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
The "Crypto King of Kentucky" Allegedly Kidnapped and Tortured a Man For Weeks in NYC Over His Bitcoin Stash
In Manhattan's tony Nolita neighborhood, the so-called "Crypto King of Kentucky" allegedly held an Italian man hostage and tortured him for weeks when trying to gain access to his Bitcoin wallet. As NBC New York reports, the purported "king," whose real name is John Woelz, was arrested and arraigned after the Italian tourist he allegedly kidnapped escaped on foot — literally speaking, as he was filmed running barefoot — to find help. That tourist, as the New York Times reports, was identified as a millionaire named Michael Valentino Teofrasto Carturan who had been in a tumultuous business partnership with Woelz and a third man, William Duplessie. Before things went sour, the relationship between the three men was described by insiders to NBC NY as"frat guys gone wild," with Woeltz and Duplessie "roughing up" Carturan sometimes, but never to this extent. When their partnership began to deteriorate, Carturan was said to have gone home to Italy, only to be persuaded back to New York where the "Crypto King" and Duplessie allegedly held him for three weeks in a four-story, 17-room luxury townhouse that rents for $75,000 per month (though Woeltz apparently got a deal and paid about $30,000, per NBC New York.) During their not-so-pleasant stay in Nolita, one or both of the accused conspirators tortured the Italian to try to get the password to Carturan's Bitcoin wallet, which was said to contain millions of dollars worth of crypto. It remains unclear whether they gained access to it before the man escaped, bloodied and barefoot, into the New York streets. According to a police report viewed by the NYT, Carturan's torture was absolutely brutal. Per his own attestation, the man was bound with electrical wires, pistol-whipped, urinated upon, forced to smoke crack cocaine, and electrocuted with a stungun while his feet were submerged in water. The kidnappers also allegedly threatened to kill Carturan's family, per prosecutor statements viewed by the newspaper, and other reports indicate that he claimed to have been dangled from a fifth floor — which would likely have taken place elsewhere, because the Prince Street townhouse only has four stories — and threatened with a chainsaw as well. The fuzziness of those details already appears to be a point of contention. During an arraignment hearing for Duplessie, the second of the alleged co-conspirators, his attorney Sanford Talkin suggested that there's more to the case than meets the eye. "The facts here are hotly disputed," Talkin argued, per the NYT. "[Duplessie's] involvement is hotly disputed." Though the specifics of the alleged torture have not been tamped down in the aftermath of Carturan's shocking escape, there's plenty of physical evidence lending veracity to his account. When investigators looked through the house of horrors on Prince Street, they found, according to the NYT, photos of the Italian's torture, as well as multiple firearms, a ballistic vest, chicken wire, and blood. While we don't know much about either alleged kidnappers' backgrounds beyond their involvement in crypto investing and their late-night escapades, per TMZ, at an exclusive nightclub called The Box, they appear to have given neighbors the creeps. "I knew there was something weird going on, I just assumed they were shooting porn or something," a nearby jewelry vendor, who asked not to be named, told the New York Post of the "weird crypto guys" who'd taken up the townhouse. "I couldn't have guessed all this." This kind of "wrench attack," as crypto kidnappings, tortures, are robberies are now called, are unfortunately becoming more common as traders move to physical storage of their holdings to avoid hacks. This one, it seems, just happened to explode in full view of a bustling lower Manhattan neighborhood. More on crypto crazies: Crypto Tycoon's Daughter Narrowly Escapes Kidnappers in Paris
NBC News
5 days ago
- NBC News
'Crypto king' has court hearing in NYC kidnapping case
A 37-year-old man known by some as the 'crypto king of Kentucky' is on the docket for a court hearing in New York City Wednesday regarding charges he and a business partner kidnapped and tortured an Italian man, holding him captive inside a posh townhouse in Nolita for weeks in a bid to get the man's Bitcoin password. John Woeltz also faces charges including unlawful imprisonment and assault. He was arrested in his bathrobe outside the Prince Street home where he allegedly held the victim captive. Woeltz was held without bond after his weekend arraignment, after which his attorney did not speak to the media. He did not appear at Wednesday's hearing. A lawyer for Woeltz accused prosecutors of 'playing games with discovery' by providing redacted material not agreed on by the court. Court was adjourned until Thursday. The victim, an Italian citizen, was another business partner of Woeltz and William Duplessie, who surrendered a day ago to face charges in the case, officials say. Investigators believe the relationship among the three men had been tumultuous in the past, but came to a head when the Italian arrived early in the month. After arriving in New York City on May 6, Woeltz and Duplessie allegedly took the victim's passport and electronic devices, then demanded he give them his Bitcoin password. Police say the torture started when the 28-year-old refused to comply. He was bound by his wrists, pistol-whipped, had a gun held to his head, a chainsaw used on his leg and was urinated on. His captors also dangled him over a staircase and threatened to kill his family, among other coercive measures. Prosecutors said the victim eventually did give in, only escaping when the men went to find his computer. After 17 days of alleged torture at the hands of the 'crypto king,' the victim managed to get out last Friday. Police said they found him covered in cuts and bruises, with ligature marks on his wrists from being bound. Video obtained exclusively by NBC New York showed the victim, disheveled and shoeless, running down Spring Street after breaking free, begging a traffic cop for help at the corner of Mulberry Street. Who is John Woeltz? Authorities believe Woeltz is a big-name cryptocurrency trader from Kentucky with an estimated worth around $100 million; sources said the victim is worth an estimated $30 million. Woeltz had reportedly been renting out the Nolita residence at a monthly rate of at least $30,000. The luxury six-story pad has an elevator and was described by sources as a 'high-end frat house' with bottles of liquor strewn about and stripper poles in the basement. Neighbors said they could hear loud partying at all hours of the night, but they had no idea of the alleged torture going on within its walls. Sources told News 4 that Woeltz and Duplessie roughed up the victim in the past, but not to the same extent. He would get picked on by the other two, but their treatment of him was never nearly as violent. Sources described the relationship among the three as complex, with a 'Wolf of Wall Street/frat guys gone wild' element to it.
International Business Times
5 days ago
- International Business Times
John Woeltz: Crypto King Who Tortured Italian Bitcoin Billionaire Was Known for Spending $100K at Erotic NYC Nightclub with William Duplessie
The 'Kentucky crypto king', who is accused of torturing an Italian Bitcoin millionaire inside a luxurious New York City townhouse for more than two weeks till he escaped from his captivity, was known for spending a whopping $100,000 in one night at an exclusive erotic nightclub. John Woeltz, 37, and his alleged partner, William Duplessie, 33, began regularly visiting The Box — a notorious club on the Lower East Side — starting in February, according to sources who spoke with TMZ. The duo was spotted there on multiple nights in a row, reportedly spending between $80,000 and $100,000 during each visit. Woeltz was arrested last week, while Duplessie surrendered to police Tuesday. Bad Boys, Bad Habits Sources said that on at least one night, Duplessie was photographed partying shirtless at the club, with a woman sitting on his shoulders. The pair frequently brought women they met at The Box back to a luxurious SoHo apartment for private afterparties, according to insiders. The shocking revelations surfaced after Woeltz and Duplessie were arrested for allegedly kidnapping and torturing Italian Bitcoin millionaire Michael Valentino Teofrasto Carturan inside a lavish Prince Street townhouse. Carturan, whose net worth is said to be around $30 million, was reportedly tricked into going to the upscale SoHo house, where he was held hostage and tortured in an attempt to force him to give up his Bitcoin password. The disturbing ordeal came to light only after the Italian victim managed to flee the SoHo townhouse last Friday, bloodied and barefoot, while his captors were momentarily distracted, according to police. He claimed he had been brutally assaulted with a chainsaw, drugged, electrocuted with wires, and repeatedly threatened with death over the course of nearly three weeks. This came as a chilling new video emerged that captures the moment the Italian crypto millionaire broke free from his kidnappers. The disturbing video obtained by NBC New York shows a shaken and barefoot Carturan running to an NYPD traffic officer on Friday, visibly distressed and traumatized. Dangerous Liaisons Carturan had just escaped from a lavish six-story apartment on Prince Street where he was allegedly chained up, electrocuted, and brutally taunted with a chainsaw for 17 days by captors who demanded access to his cryptocurrency password, according to the authorities. A distressed Carturan told the officer that he managed to flee after being warned it would be his "death day." Police said that he had visible bruises, cuts, and ligature marks on his wrists from being tied up. Not long after the victim's escape, Woeltz was arrested and charged in connection with the alleged kidnapping plot. Duplessie, on the other hand, turned himself in to authorities on Tuesday, following reports that he had spent a luxurious Memorial Day weekend in the Hamptons.
Yahoo
6 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.
