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International Business Times
a day ago
- International Business Times
NYC Crypto Torture Case: Two NYPD Detectives, One on Eric Adams' Security Detail, Linked to Kidnapping and Torture of Italian Bitcoin Millionaire
Two NYPD detectives, including one who is part of Mayor Eric Adams' security detail, have been placed to modified duty as officials investigate their possible connection to the crypto-related torture case, according to a report. One of the detectives, who was off duty at the time, is suspected of driving Italian Bitcoin millionaire Michael Valentino Teofrasto Carturan from the airport to a luxurious SoHo townhouse on May 6, where he was allegedly held hostage and tortured for weeks by two crypto investors, the New York Post reported. That detective was part of Adams' security detail but had also been working private security jobs on the side, according to the sources. Police Link in Crypto Millionaire Torture Scheme Sources also revealed that the second NYPD detective was believed to have been involved with the suspected kidnappers — John Woeltz and William Duplessie — in an unauthorized capacity. The Mayor's Office confirmed that both detectives had been placed on leave and said that they were "disturbed" by the allegations. "Every city employee is expected to follow the law, including our officers, both on and off duty," a spokesperson said. "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, 37, and Duplessie, 33, are accused of tricking the Italian millionaire into coming to the SoHo townhouse, where they allegedly tortured him to get his Bitcoin account password. The horrifying ordeal came to light after the victim escaped last Friday — barefoot and covered in blood — while his captors were momentarily distracted, according to police. Shocking Revelations He claimed he had been brutally tortured, drugged, electrocuted with wires, and repeatedly threatened with death over the course of nearly three weeks. This came as it was revealed earlier this week that Woeltz was known for spending a whopping $100,000 in one night at an exclusive erotic nightclub in New York City. Woeltz and William Duplessie 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. 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.
NDTV
a day ago
- NDTV
Private Security, Cocaine: How Crypto Kingpins Controlled New York City Nightlife
John Woeltz and William Duplessie, the two men arrested for allegedly kidnapping and assaulting Italian tourist Michael Valentino. Teofrasto Carturan once brought a freezer bag full of cocaine and hired four private security guards to keep everything under control at New York's high-end clubs. Mr Woeltz and Mr Duplessie hung Mr Carturan off a roof ledge, shocked him with electrical wires and attacked him with a chainsaw to force him to reveal the password of his Bitcoin wallet, reportedly valued at $30 million. Before they were arrested and charged with kidnapping with intent to collect ransom, assault, and unlawful imprisonment, the two men used Charlie Zakkour, a former club promoter, to get into exclusive clubs, said two women who partied with them. One of the women claimed that Mr Zakkour reached out to her, saying he knew some wealthy crypto people staying at the Mercer Hotel who wanted to spend $30,000 at a popular lounge called Paul's Baby Grand, according to The NY Post. Describing the scene, she said Mr William poured the entire bag full of cocaine onto a metal tray and casually walked away. She mentioned it was crazy because the amount of cocaine was worth the cost of her college tuition fee or even more. Another woman told The NY Post that she met these crypto traders in April at Mr Woeltz's rented townhouse in Soho after she was invited by an organiser from The Box club. These promoters pulled her, along with other girls, into a big van and took them to the exclusive party, she said. There was security everywhere, and a girl was checking coats at the entrance. She claimed, "I've never seen anything like that. Workers were serving the food and drinks — Don Julio 1942 and Grey Goose," Ms Woeltz added. The woman said she left the party after about an hour because she felt they were rude and didn't bother to have a conversation. "There was no politeness, there was no small talk. I felt like a piece of meat," she alleged. One of the sources told The NY Post that she stopped hanging out with them because she found them suspicious, but by then, the two had already gained access to popular clubs like Nebula, Hearsay and The Box. She mentioned, "I cut them off. Just because the vibes were off. It felt shady." They added, "I really regretted putting them onto the people and the places I know after I couldn't escape them anywhere."
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Crypto king accused of torturing Bitcoin millionaire known for dropping $100K at erotic NYC nightclub
The crypto king accused of torturing an Italian Bitcoin millionaire in a posh New York City townhouse was known for dropping $100,000 in a single night partying it up at an exclusive erotic nightclub. John Woeltz, 37, and his alleged accomplice, William Duplessie, 33, started frequenting The Box — a notorious Lower East Side hotspot — back in February, sources told TMZ. The pair, who were spotted there multiple nights in a row, would spend up big — dropping anywhere between $80,000 to $100,000 each time, according to the sources. On at least one occasion, Duplessie was photographed partying shirtless at the nightclub with a woman perched up on his shoulders. The duo would often invite girls from The Box back to a swanky SoHo pad for afterparties, the sources said. The wild details emerged after Woeltz and Duplessie were nabbed for allegedly kidnapping and torturing wealthy trader Michael Valentino Teofrasto Carturan at a ritzy townhouse on Prince Street. Carturan, who is reportedly worth $30 million, was allegedly lured to the SoHo pad and held captive while his tormentors tortured him for his Bitcoin password. Crypto investor allegedly tortured captive Italian businessman with a chainsaw for weeks in luxe NYC pad in sadistic scheme to gain password: sources $100M Crypto King accused of sadistically torturing Italian tourist held without bail as disturbing details of ordeal emerge Crypto king accused of torturing Bitcoin millionaire known for dropping $100K at erotic NYC nightclub Bombshell brunette beauty arrested alongside $100M crypto king for sadistic torture, kidnapping of tourist The sick saga only came to light after the Italian national managed to escape, bloodied and barefoot, last Friday when his captors were distracted, cops said. He alleged he'd been severely beaten, drugged, shocked with electrical wires and threatened with death for nearly three weeks. Shortly after his escape, Woeltz was taken into custody and charged in the alleged kidnapping scheme. Duplessie, meanwhile, surrendered to police on Tuesday after sources said he enjoyed a posh Memorial Day weekend in the Hamptons.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Crypto king who allegedly kidnapped bitcoin millionaire left trail of debts before landing in NYC, becoming big-spending club fixture
The crypto bigwig accused of sadistically torturing an Italian businessman for his Bitcoin password left a trail of debt in his wake before landing in the Big Apple – where he became known in the club scene as a hard-partying big spender, The Post has learned. William Duplessie, 33, owed hundreds of thousands of dollars on luxury homes and cars in Florida and wracked up criminal trouble in Switzerland for allegedly beating his fiancée, according to public records and law-enforcement sources. But those legal woes apparently didn't slow down Duplessie's hedonistic lifestyle once he started shacking up in a posh SoHo townhouse with fellow crypto trader John Woeltz, 37, sometime after arriving in New York City in February, the sources said. 'It's a frat house for crypto bros,' one source said. The hulking Duplessie became a regular at chic hot spots such as the The Box — an exclusive erotic nightclub where photos obtained by The Post showed him partying shirtless — and often roped socialites and fellow clubbers to his pad for parties. The glitzy façade came crashing down May 23, when a barefoot Michael Valentino Teofrasto Carturan — a 27-year-old crypto millionaire from Italy — ran from the Prince Street townhouse and told a traffic cop that he had been held captive inside. Carturan had been subjected to horrific tortures — including being Tased while standing in water and cut by a chainsaw — over nearly three weeks in a bid to gain his Bitcoin password, prosecutors said. Woeltz, a seemingly mild-mannered Kentucky crypto king worth $100 million, was quickly arrested and ordered held without bail. But Duplessie remained on the loose, allegedly partying it up in the Hamptons over the Memorial Day holiday weekend before he surrendered to cops Tuesday, according to sources. He, too, is being held without bail on charges that include kidnapping and assault. Many details about the depraved scheme remain unclear, as do certain specifics about the alleged sick suspects' backgrounds. But court records from Miami, Florida, where Duplessie hails from, outline a spate of eye-watering debts he had allegedly racked up over extravagant purchases. His former landlord sued him in 2023 for failing to pay $234,000 in rent and a security deposit on a swanky, palm-shaded home in Miami's Brickell neighborhood, a hub of crypto investors where peacocks walk the streets. The home was left in 'much physical disrepair,' the lawsuit noted. Neighbor Sylvia Rayneri said her daughter used to own the home before selling it to the landlord who rented it to Duplessie. She was shocked to hear about its connection to the alleged torture case. 'I don't remember this guy,' she said Wednesday. 'That's so crazy. Mostly it's families who rent this place. I remember in that year sometimes hearing music, but nothing crazy.' Duplessie faced another 2023 lawsuit for allegedly failing to make his $3,700-a-month lease payments on a 2018 Lamborghini Huracan — a flashy sports car with a price tag starting at $210,000. The lawsuit was voluntarily dismissed within days of filing, records show. A source in Palm Beach's society scene said Duplessie hung out in the wealthy enclave during its peak winter season during February or March, 'with the pretty young set going to places like Mary Lou's and trying to make business contacts.' Another source said they spotted both Duplessie and Woeltz at Mary Lou's, a hip nightclub in West Palm Beach. 'William (Duplessie) was wilder and the other guy was quieter,' the source said. Duplessie's ambitions — and legal troubles — apparently extended far outside sunny Florida. He has a potential criminal conviction in Switzerland, where he had founded the Pangea Digital Asset Group and Pangea Blockchain Fund, prosecutors revealed during his arraignment. Sources said Duplessie had been accused of beating up his fiancée there. A final Miami-Dade County lawsuit against Duplessie was filed in December by a motorist who contends the crypto big crashed a Porsche into his car, injuring him. The summons for Duplessie, however, couldn't be served because the court didn't have his latest address: 38 Prince Street. Duplessie and Woeltz started showing up in New York City's wild club scene in February, sources said. A passerby outside the Prince Street home — which law-enforcement sources said was being rented out for between $30,000 and $40,000 a month — said Duplessie was a regular at Gospël, a SoHo house music bastion. 'I've seen him drop $160,000,' the passerby said. Another source said Duplessie would spent $100,000 on tables at The Box and Hearsay, an exclusive Meatpacking District club. During bleary late nights partying, Duplessie spun tales about working for the CIA, sources said. One party photo depicting three bottles of Ace of Spades champagne — a brand owned by Jay-Z — was taken in Nebula, a cavernous Midtown mega-club. 'They were spending lots and lots of money on Ace of Spades,' one source said. 'We kept watching more and more bottles coming in such a short time. William was in pajamas.' The signs of decadent boozing could be seen — and heard — outside the Prince Street townhouse. Neighbors called in three separate noise complaints about partying early April 5, 311 data shows. A SoHo street vendor who called himself 'Dutch' said he regularly spotted Woeltz cart plastic bags full of empty liquor bottles to the sidewalk. 'I am talking maybe 50, 60 bottles — wine, vodka,' Dutch said. 'Big bottles in plastic bags on the sidewalk. 'I'd look through the garbage, because I know they were wealthy. There (was) food, but not as much as liquor bottles.' The pair's glamorous assistant Beatrice Folchi, 24, had been a bottle girl at The Box, sources said. Folchi had been arrested after Carturan's escape, but Manhattan district attorney's officials declined to prosecute pending further investigation. When reached by The Post Wednesday at her Chelsea address, Folchi only repeated, 'I can't talk.' — Additional reporting by Desheania Andrews
New York Post
3 days ago
- New York Post
Crypto king who allegedly kidnapped bitcoin millionaire left trail of debts before landing in NYC, becoming big-spending club fixture
The crypto bigwig accused of sadistically torturing an Italian businessman for his Bitcoin password left a trail of debt in his wake before landing in the Big Apple – where he became known in the club scene as a hard-partying big spender, The Post has learned. William Duplessie, 33, owed hundreds of thousands of dollars on luxury homes and cars in Florida and wracked up criminal trouble in Switzerland for allegedly beating his fiancée, according to public records and law-enforcement sources. But those legal woes apparently didn't slow down Duplessie's hedonistic lifestyle once he started shacking up in a posh SoHo townhouse with fellow crypto trader John Woeltz, 37, sometime after arriving in New York City in February, the sources said. 8 The duo's extravagant lifestyle has come under scrutiny as details emerge about the harrowing ordeal Carturan endured in a SoHo townhouse. TMZ / BACKGRID 'It's a frat house for crypto bros,' one source said. The hulking Duplessie became a regular at chic hot spots such as the The Box — an exclusive erotic nightclub where photos obtained by The Post showed him partying shirtless — and often roped socialites and fellow clubbers to his pad for parties. The glitzy façade came crashing down May 23, when a barefoot Michael Valentino Teofrasto Carturan — a 27-year-old crypto millionaire from Italy — ran from the Prince Street townhouse and told a traffic cop that he had been held captive inside. Carturan had been subjected to horrific tortures — including being Tased while standing in water and cut by a chainsaw — over nearly three weeks in a bid to gain his Bitcoin password, prosecutors said. Woeltz, a seemingly mild-mannered Kentucky crypto king worth $100 million, was quickly arrested and ordered held without bail. 8 William Duplessie walking out of the NYPD 13th pct in cuffs, going to central booking. William Farrington But Duplessie remained on the loose, allegedly partying it up in the Hamptons over the Memorial Day holiday weekend before he surrendered to cops Tuesday, according to sources. He, too, is being held without bail on charges that include kidnapping and assault. Many details about the depraved scheme remain unclear, as do certain specifics about the alleged sick suspects' backgrounds. But court records from Miami, Florida, where Duplessie hails from, outline a spate of eye-watering debts he had allegedly racked up over extravagant purchases. His former landlord sued him in 2023 for failing to pay $234,000 in rent and a security deposit on a swanky, palm-shaded home in Miami's Brickell neighborhood, a hub of crypto investors where peacocks walk the streets. 8 William Duplessie, 33, owed hundreds of thousands of dollars on luxury homes and cars in Florida and wracked up criminal trouble in Switzerland for allegedly beating his fiancée. chris Bott for The home was left in 'much physical disrepair,' the lawsuit noted. Neighbor Sylvia Rayneri said her daughter used to own the home before selling it to the landlord who rented it to Duplessie. She was shocked to hear about its connection to the alleged torture case. 'I don't remember this guy,' she said Wednesday. 'That's so crazy. Mostly it's families who rent this place. I remember in that year sometimes hearing music, but nothing crazy.' Duplessie faced another 2023 lawsuit for allegedly failing to make his $3,700-a-month lease payments on a 2018 Lamborghini Huracan — a flashy sports car with a price tag starting at $210,000. 8 The Italian businessman was allegedly held captive inside this Prince Street townhouse. Kevin C Downs forThe New York Post The lawsuit was voluntarily dismissed within days of filing, records show. A source in Palm Beach's society scene said Duplessie hung out in the wealthy enclave during its peak winter season during February or March, 'with the pretty young set going to places like Mary Lou's and trying to make business contacts.' Another source said they spotted both Duplessie and Woeltz at Mary Lou's, a hip nightclub in West Palm Beach. 'William (Duplessie) was wilder and the other guy was quieter,' the source said. Duplessie's ambitions — and legal troubles — apparently extended far outside sunny Florida. 8 John Woeltz and William Duplessie were regulars at NYC's exclusive nightclub The Box, reportedly spending up to $100,000 a night on champagne and burlesque shows. TMZ / BACKGRID He has a potential criminal conviction in Switzerland, where he had founded the Pangea Digital Asset Group and Pangea Blockchain Fund, prosecutors revealed during his arraignment. Sources said Duplessie had been accused of beating up his fiancée there. A final Miami-Dade County lawsuit against Duplessie was filed in December by a motorist who contends the crypto big crashed a Porsche into his car, injuring him. The summons for Duplessie, however, couldn't be served because the court didn't have his latest address: 38 Prince Street. Duplessie and Woeltz started showing up in New York City's wild club scene in February, sources said. 8 Another source said they spotted both Duplessie and Woeltz at Mary Lou's, a hip nightclub in West Palm Beach. Michael Nagle A passerby outside the Prince Street home — which law-enforcement sources said was being rented out for between $30,000 and $40,000 a month — said Duplessie was a regular at Gospël, a SoHo house music bastion. 'I've seen him drop $160,000,' the passerby said. Another source said Duplessie would spent $100,000 on tables at The Box and Hearsay, an exclusive Meatpacking District club. During bleary late nights partying, Duplessie spun tales about working for the CIA, sources said. 8 Police at 5th Precinct investigating the alleged torture incident that took place inside a posh four-story house at 38 prince Street in SoHo. Paul Martinka One party photo depicting three bottles of Ace of Spades champagne — a brand owned by Jay-Z — was taken in Nebula, a cavernous Midtown mega-club. 'They were spending lots and lots of money on Ace of Spades,' one source said. 'We kept watching more and more bottles coming in such a short time. William was in pajamas.' The signs of decadent boozing could be seen — and heard — outside the Prince Street townhouse. Neighbors called in three separate noise complaints about partying early April 5, 311 data shows. A SoHo street vendor who called himself 'Dutch' said he regularly spotted Woeltz cart plastic bags full of empty liquor bottles to the sidewalk. 'I am talking maybe 50, 60 bottles — wine, vodka,' Dutch said. 'Big bottles in plastic bags on the sidewalk. 8 Suspect John Woeltz is taken by Police from Manhattan's 5th Precinct to Manhattan Central Booking. David Burns 'I'd look through the garbage, because I know they were wealthy. There (was) food, but not as much as liquor bottles.' The pair's glamorous assistant Beatrice Folchi, 24, had been a bottle girl at The Box, sources said. Folchi had been arrested after Carturan's escape, but Manhattan district attorney's officials declined to prosecute pending further investigation. When reached by The Post Wednesday at her Chelsea address, Folchi only repeated, 'I can't talk.' — Additional reporting by Desheania Andrews
