Latest news with #PierreNoizat
LeMonde
2 days ago
- LeMonde
France charges 25 suspects in crypto abduction cases
Twenty-five people, including six minors, were charged in Paris over a spate of kidnappings and attempted abductions in France's cryptocurrency world, said the city's public prosecutor office on Saturday, May 31. "Eighteen people have been placed in pre-trial detention, three have requested a deferred hearing, and four have been placed under judicial supervision," the public prosecutor said, with the suspects between 16 and 23-years-old. The investigation centers on a May 13 kidnapping attempt targeting the daughter and grandson of the chief executive officer of crypto firm Paymium, carried out in broad daylight in Paris' 11 th arrondissement. Prosecutors said the probe also covers "other unsuccessful plans," including an initial failed attempt on the same targets the day before, and a disrupted operation near the western city of Nantes on Monday. Authorities said this week they had thwarted the Nantes abduction and detained more than 20 suspects in connection with that plot and another targeting crypto boss Pierre Noizat's pregnant daughter and grandson. Footage of the attempted abduction that went viral on social media showed four masked men attacking Noizat's daughter, her husband and their child in the French capital's hip 11 th district in mid-May. All three suffered light injuries and were taken to hospital. The kidnappings and abduction attempts have become a major embarrassment for the French government and have sparked concern about the security of wealthy crypto tycoons, who have notched up immense fortunes from the booming business.
Local France
2 days ago
- Local France
Suspects charged in French crypto abduction cases
Those charged are part of a group of 25 suspects expected to face investigating judges, with several already placed in pre-trial detention and three under judicial supervision. Others were still waiting to appear before detention judges late Friday evening, according to an AFP reporter. The investigation centres on a May 13 kidnapping attempt targeting the daughter and grandson of the chief executive officer of crypto firm Paymium, carried out in broad daylight in Paris' 11th arrondissement. Prosecutors said the probe also covers "other unsuccessful plans", including an initial failed attempt on the same targets the day before, and a disrupted operation near the western city of Nantes on Monday. Authorities said this week they had thwarted the Nantes abduction and detained more than 20 suspects in connection with that plot and another targeting crypto boss Pierre Noizat's pregnant daughter and grandson. Footage of the attempted abduction that went viral on social media showed four masked men attacking Noizat's daughter, her husband and their child in the French capital's hip 11th district in mid-May. All three suffered light injuries and were taken to hospital. Noizat later praised his "heroic" son-in-law and a man who used a red fire extinguisher to fend off the attackers. Advertisement According to a source close to the case, it was while investigating the abduction attempt that targeted Noizat's family that the police discovered the new plot near Nantes. Ambroise Vienet-Legue, who represents a suspect in the Nantes plot, described the accused as "very young profiles", lured by money and swept up in a dynamic beyond their control. "My client admitted to being a fuse in a criminal machine" and deeply regrets it, he said. Defence lawyer Sobieslaw Bemmoussat said his client, who had recently turned 18 and was recruited by more experienced actors, now risks detention in a justice system that wants to send a message rather than assessing individual responsibility. Lawyers for a 23-year-old suspect placed under supervision said judges had taken into account his personal circumstances and his lack of involvement in the case. Another lawyer welcomed the court's recognition of the defendants' age -- some are as young as 16 -- noting that even in a high-profile case, judges had considered the protections granted to minors. The two cases also have links to the May 1 abduction of a crypto-millionaire's father, who was later rescued by police, a source close to the investigation said this week. Among those arrested so far are suspects accused of involvement in carrying out the abductions and more senior figures believed to be involved in logistics, according to sources close to the case. Advertisement Connecting the dots The kidnappings and abduction attempts have become a major embarrassment for the French government and have sparked concern about the security of wealthy crypto tycoons, who have notched up immense fortunes from the booming business. One prominent cryptocurrency entrepreneur has urged authorities to "stop the Mexicanisation of France". The spate of abductions began in January, when kidnappers seized French crypto boss David Balland and his partner. Balland co-founded the crypto firm Ledger, valued at the time at more than $1 billion. Balland's finger was cut off by his kidnappers, who had demanded a hefty ransom. He was freed the next day, and his girlfriend was found tied up in the boot of a car outside Paris. In mid-May, Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau held an emergency meeting with cryptocurrency leaders, with the ministry announcing plans to bolster their security.
Euronews
3 days ago
- Euronews
French court to rule on 25 suspects in crypto kidnapping attempts
Twenty-five individuals suspected of involvement in two kidnapping attempts earlier in May and targeted individuals tied to the cryptocurrency world are set to appear before a Paris court on Friday. According to French media reports, magistrates are expected to decide whether or not to indict the suspects. The suspects are suspected of involvement in the mid-May kidnapping attempt, which targeted the family of Pierre Noizat, the CEO and co-founder of cryptocurrency platform Paymium. The attack occurred in broad daylight in Paris' 11th arrondissement and sent shockwaves across France after a witness shared a video of the incident on social media. The suspects' involvement in another kidnapping attempt, which was set be carried out in the city of Nantes, but was foiled on Monday, will also be determined. Investigators are working to establish whether a single network could be behind the two separate kidnapping attempts. In response to the increasing number of violent attacks against cryptocurrency professionals and in the aftermath of the attack targeting Noizat's family, French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau convened an emergency meeting with industry leaders in mid-May. During the meeting, Retailleau outlined ways of ensuring their security, including a plan to give them access to special emergency contact numbers. "These serial kidnappings will be combated with specific tools, both immediate and short-term, to prevent, deter and hinder in order to protect the industry," Retailleau said after the meeting. At least 11 people, including two children, have been injured in Ukraine after a wave of missile and drone strikes hit the city of Kharkiv and the nearby region, officials have said. The State Emergency Service of Ukraine (SES) reported widespread destruction and that shelling ignited a major fire at a municipal transport company. A building and a trolleybus were destroyed by fire. The blaze extended to nearby vehicles and residential buildings, injuring three people, officials said. The Chuhuiv district suffered extensive damage from a combination of missile and drone strikes. A private residence, farm structures, a warehouse and agricultural equipment were all hit, with eight people reportedly injured. Also overnight, a series of Russian drone attacks on the Odesa region destroyed a branch of postal operator Nova Poshta, the SES said. Nobody was injured in the attacks, which triggered a fire covering some 300 square metres and damaged a number of lorries within the facility. The fire has since been extinguished. According to news reports, Nova Poshta is the country's largest private postal operator. One of the company's cargo facilities in the Odesa region was previously targeted by Russian attacks. Ukraine says it repelled a total of 173 Russian attacks over multiple fronts in Russia's Kursk Oblast region overnight. The fiercest fighting was in Pokrovsk, where Ukrainian forces halted 66 assaults. Russian strikes on Ukraine have intensified recently despite efforts towards peace talks between the two countries. Russian President Vladimir Putin has so far refused to meet face-to-face with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and has rejected all ceasefire proposals. After negotiations in Istanbul this month, each side released more than 1,000 prisoners — soldiers and civilians — in the biggest swap of the war and are set to meet again for peace talks next week.
New Straits Times
3 days ago
- New Straits Times
25 suspects in crypto kidnapping plots to face judges in France
PARIS: Twenty-five people today were set to appear before French investigating judges as part of several probes into a spate of kidnapping plots targeting cryptocurrency entrepreneurs, prosecutors said. This week authorities said they had foiled a new abduction attempt in the western city of Nantes, and detained more than 20 people over that attempt and another against crypto boss Pierre Noizat's pregnant daughter and young grandson. The judges will decide today whether to charge the suspects. The 25 suspects are implicated in particular in the attack in mid-May on the family of Noizat, the chief executive officer and co-founder of Paymium, a French cryptocurrency exchange platform. They will also be questioned about their roles in "other unsuccessful projects," with a view to their possible indictment for criminal conspiracy, the Paris prosecutor's office said. At least four are suspected of having plotted a kidnapping near Nantes on Monday, according to a source close to the case. The plan was foiled at the last minute. The kidnappings and abduction attempts have become a major embarrassment for the French government and have sparked concern about the security of wealthy crypto tycoons, who have notched up immense fortunes from the booming business. One prominent cryptocurrency entrepreneur has urged authorities to "stop the Mexicanisation of France". According to footage that went viral on social media, four masked men attacked the daughter of Noizat as well as her husband and their child in the French capital's hip 11th district in mid-May. All three suffered light injuries and were taken to hospital. Noizat later praised his "heroic" son-in-law and a man who used a red fire extinguisher against the attackers. According to the source close to the case, it was while investigating the abduction attempt that targeted Noizat's family that the police discovered the new plot near Nantes. In mid-May, Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau held an emergency meeting with cryptocurrency leaders, with the ministry announcing plans to bolster their security.
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@
