Latest news with #Woeltz
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Millionaire Bro Crypto Torture Plot Takes Bizarre New Twist
An NYPD detective reportedly provided security at a ritzy SoHo townhouse where two cryptocurrency kingpins allegedly kidnapped and tortured an Italian tourist to obtain his Bitcoin passcode. The detective, News 4 New York reported Thursday, is part of Mayor Eric Adams' security detail. Both he and another member of the force were placed on modified desk duty this week. The detective, who was working off-duty, is also believed to have picked up the tourist at the airport, sources told the outlet. It's unknown how aware either NYPD member was of what allegedly took place at the Prince Street townhouse. 'Every city employee is expected to follow the law, including our officers, both on and off duty,' City Hall told the NBC affiliate 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.' Two men, John Woeltz and William Duplessie, have been taken into custody for allegedly holding the tourist captive for 17 days. The 28-year-old Italian national told police that they stole his passport and electronic devices upon his arrival, and demanded his Bitcoin passcode. When he refused, their methods of torture included shocking him with electric wires, putting a gun to his head, hitting him with the gun, holding a chainsaw to his leg, and dangling him over the ledge of the five-story staircase. After relinquishing his password last Friday, the victim managed to escape the $40,000 per month townhouse and flag down an NYPD traffic cop. Police said he was shoeless and bloodied. Prosecutors said that when police arrived on scene, they found Polaroid photos depicting the alleged abuse. They also found cocaine, body armor, a gun and ammunition, and chicken wire. Woeltz, who has been referred to as the Crypto King of Kentucky, has a net worth of around $100 million, according to NBC New York. The 37-year-old was arrested Friday in his bathrobe outside the townhouse. Woeltz was indicted by a grand jury on Thursday and denied bail. He has a June 11 arraignment, at which time the charges will be unsealed. Duplessie, who had been living in Switzerland, was an early supporter of Bitcoin, having claimed back in 2017 that the value of one unit would reach $1 million. He turned himself in on Tuesday, with an indictment forthcoming. Sources told News 4 New York that the three men's relationship was complex, and like 'Wolf of Wall Street/frat guys gone wild.'
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Detective assigned to NYC Mayor Eric Adams' security detail allegedly dropped off victim in crypto kidnapping case, sources say
A New York City Police detective assigned to Mayor Eric Adams' security detail will be questioned in relation to a bizarre crypto currency kidnapping and torture plot after he allegedly delivered the victim to his tormentors, according to multiple law enforcement officials briefed on the case. It is not clear if the detective had any knowledge or any role in the multiple assaults, officials said, adding that is a key question that investigators are trying to answer. The investigation comes after two people, John Woeltz and William Duplessie, were charged in the case. Prosecutors said they were involved in holding a 28-year-old wealthy Italian cryptocurrency trader hostage for several weeks as part of a violent scheme to obtain his Bitcoin password, the Manhattan District Attorney said. The victim, who has not been named by investigators, was ultimately able to escape. Both men have pleaded not guilty. Duplessie's attorney declined to comment on the case. CNN has reached out to Woeltz's attorney for comment. Investigators learned that the detective, who picked up the victim on May 6 from John F. Kennedy International Airport, was working 'off-duty employment' providing security for Woeltz, a Crypto entrepreneur, sources said. The detective was contacted by NYPD's Internal Affairs Bureau and has been placed on 'modified assignment,' meaning his badge and guns have been taken and he is assigned to administrative duties as the investigation into the plot continues. A second detective, assigned to the Narcotics Division, was also placed on modified assignment as part of the same investigation, according to the officials. Investigators also do not know whether that detective had any awareness of the plot or involvement in it. The union representing the detectives declined to comment. Two members of the NYPD were placed on modified duty Wednesday, an NYPD spokesperson told the Associated Press. CNN has reached out to the mayor's office and the NYPD for more information. Adams' office confirmed one of the detectives provides security detail for the mayor, but said the mayor has no knowledge of what the officer does on his personal time, the Associated Press reported. 'Every city employee is expected to follow the law, including our officers, both on and off duty,' the mayor's office told the Associated Press. 'We are disturbed by these allegations.' Prosecutors say the victim in the kidnapping plot 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, he was subjected to beatings that 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, they said. The two men also bound the victim's wrists and said they would have his family killed, according to the district attorney. Both detectives being questioned in relation to the case were apparently hired through a private security and investigation company run by a retired NYPD sergeant, sources told CNN. The NYPD had no record of either detective applying for, or being approved for, off duty employment, the process by which an NYPD employee can pick up other work outside the department, law enforcement sources told CNN. Officials briefed on the investigation are considering several questions, including if the detectives have any knowledge or any role in the multiple assaults.
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Suspects in Manhattan Crypto Kidnapping, Torture Case Plead Not Guilty as Investigation Widens
Two men suspected in the kidnapping and torture of a 28-year-old Italian cryptocurrency investor have pleaded not guilty, while the investigation into their case appears to have expanded to the New York Police Department itself. New York police had previously arrested William Duplessie, 33, and John Woeltz, 37, on the charges, as well as a third individual, Beatrice Folchi, 24, though her prosecution is being deferred. The victim has not been publicly named. The men are accused of kidnapping the victim and holding him hostage in a luxury townhouse in Manhattan's ritzy SoHo neighborhood for more than two weeks. During that time, New York City police say the trio tortured the man, forcing him to take drugs, dangling him from a ledge, urinating on him and electrocuting him in an effort to force him to hand over the private keys to his bitcoin. The alleged perpetrators are accused of making t-shirts of the victim with a crack pipe in his mouth and taking Polaroids of the victim with a gun to his head. The victim escaped last Friday, grabbing his laptop and getting out of the townhouse and then seeking help from a traffic officer. Duplessie entered a not-guilty plea to five different charges, including kidnapping with an intent to collect a ransom, kidnapping and causing a physical injury, criminal possession of a loaded firearm, assault with an intent to cause a physical injury with a weapon and unlawful imprisonment, according to the court docket. Woeltz was charged with kidnapping, assault, unlawful imprisonment and criminal possession of a firearm, and he also pleaded not guilty, according to his court docket. Two NYPD officers, including a detective assigned to Mayor Eric Adams' protection detail, worked for both Duplessie and Woeltz in their off-duty hours and have now been placed on modified duty, Bloomberg reported Thursday. A source familiar told CoinDesk that the two officers are not believed to be part of the kidnapping, but rather did security work for the defendants. They may have driven the victim from an airport to the townhouse, but have not been tied to his torture, the source said. A spokesperson for the NYPD said the matter was "under internal review." A spokesperson for the mayor's office said in a statement that, "Every city employee is expected to follow the law, including our officers, both on and off duty. 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." UPDATE (May 29, 2025, 22:27 UTC): Adds additional detail.
The Star
9 hours ago
- The Star
Man charged in New York with 3-week kidnapping to try to steal Bitcoin
FILE PHOTO: John Woeltz, 37, appears for arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court after he was arrested for allegedly holding an Italian tourist hostage in an apparent scheme to steal the man's crypto currency fortune in New York City, U.S., May 24, 2025. Curtis Means/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo NEW YORK (Reuters) -A grand jury has indicted a 37-year-old cryptocurrency investor accused of kidnapping a business partner inManhattan's upscale Soho neighborhood for three weeks, shocking him with electric wires, and dangling him over a staircase to try to get him to give up his Bitcoin password, prosecutors said on Wednesday. John Woeltz was arrested on May 23, court records show. According to a criminal complaint filed in Manhattan criminal court, an unnamed man told New York City police that Woeltz and another man, William Duplessie, on May 6 took his electronic devices and passport demanded he give up his password so they could steal his cryptocurrency. Woeltz and Duplessie, 33, have not yet entered pleas. Their lawyers declined to comment. Local media have called Woeltz a cryptocurrency investor and described the alleged victim as an Italian man. Both had ties to a crypto hedge fund in New York, the New York Times reported, citing an internal police report described by a law enforcement official. When the man refused to share his password, Woeltz and Duplessie allegedly began a series of brutal beatings until the man managed to escape weeks later. They tied his wrists, hit him on the head with a gun, and threatened to kill his family, according to the complaints against the two men. Duplessie was arrested on Tuesday and is due in court for a preliminary hearing on Friday. Judges have ordered both men detained. Woeltz is due to be arraigned on June 11. (Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York; Editing by Alistair Bell)
New York Post
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Aggressive security guards and a freezer bag full of cocaine: What it was allegedly really like to party with the ‘kidnapper' crypto bros
Before they allegedly kidnapped and tortured an Italian tourist at a swanky Soho townhouse, high-rolling crypto bros John Woeltz and William Duplessie were rolling up to Manhattan's trendiest nightclubs with their own security detail — and looking for 'Instagram baddies' flaunting Brazilian butt lifts, according to two women who partied with them. A nightlife source claimed that the pair — who have been arrested on charges including the kidnapping and assault of Michael Valentino Teofrasto Carturan — were using Charlie Zakkour, a club kid turned crypto trader who is one of the stars of the upcoming Bravo reality show 'Next Gen NYC,' as a connection to set them up at exclusive clubs. The source alleged that Zakkour reached out to her in early March to say he knew 'big' crypto guys who were staying at the Mercer Hotel and wanted to spend around $30K at Paul's Baby Grand, the lounge opened by actress Chloë Sevingy brother, Paul Sevigny. 8 Before they allegedly kidnapped and tortured an Italian tourist at a swanky Soho townhouse, high-rolling crypto bros William Duplessie (left) and John Woeltz (right) were rolling up to Manhattan's trendiest nightclubs with their own security detail. TMZ / BACKGRID But Woeltz, 37, and Duplessie, 33, 'ended up changing their mind and picked a sh–ty commercial club, Nebula, because they just wanted to be seen — to just be flashy. Nebula is extravagant.' At Nebula, the source claimed, the duo spent '$100K on bottles. They had the front table.' Duplessie immediately got comfortable at the nightclub, the source alleged: 'The first time I met Will at Nebula, he was shirtless with sunglasses and smoking a cigar.' And the duo 'had four security guards with them at all times. I met Kate Moss and even she doesn't do that,' the source sniffed. 'You could tell they were trying to prove can tell they're posers.' 8 One of the exclusive nightclubs where the duo partied was The Box. Bre Johnson/ An attorney for Duplessie had no comment. Woeltz's lawyer did not respond to a request for comment, and The Post has attempted to reach Zakkour. The source claimed that, while with Duplessie and Woeltz — who reportedly calls himself the 'Crypto King of Kentucky' and has boasted of holding $100 million in digital currency — she 'saw a lot of blow … Tusi, ketamine.' The source was also asked to wrangle other girls to hang out with the duo. 'They wanted Instagram baddies with tons of followers and BBLs [Brazilian butt lifts]. They wanted girls who were not drinking age, like 19,' the source alleged, adding that she roped in six female friends to hang out with Woeltz and Duplessie. 8 Duplessie has become known on the nightlife scene for partying without his shirt. TMZ / BACKGRID 8 Duplessie 'didn't really talk to a girl unless he wanted to hook up with her,' a source said behavior at parties and clubs. Gregory P. Mango But things 'got weird,' the source said, when 'Charlie just started being so rude — saying [the girls] were not hot enough. This was Charlie on [Woeltz and Duplessie's] behalf. This was around the time I started questioning my friendship with him. 'Will and John always had other people doing the talking for them. Will didn't really talk to a girl unless he wanted to hook up with her. John was always giving me a creepy vibe. He didn't seem really happy to be there.' When the two did speak, the source said, 'Pretty much all they talked about was how much money they have.' 8 Woeltz reportedly rented the townhouse where the duo spent lavishly on parties — and where they allegedly tortured an Italian tourist to try and claim his $30 million crypto wallet. Michael Nagle Another party girl who hung out with Woeltz and Duplessie told The Post that she met them when a promoter from The Box invited her and some other young women to an April after-party at the Soho townhouse Woeltz was renting. It's also where Carturan claims he was held against his will for 17 days, from May 6 to 23, and allegedly tortured for the password to his $30 million Bitcoin wallet. 'The promoters put us all in this Sprinter van. When we got to the apartment, there was security everywhere. There was a girl doing coat check. I've never seen anything like that. Workers serving the food and drinks — Don Julio 1942, Grey Goose,' the party girl claimed. 8 Woeltz was arrested at the Prince Street townhouse on May 24. Paul Martinka 8 A source said she attended one of Woeltz and Duplessie's parties at the townhouse, where cocaine was allegedly served on a platter. TMZ / BACKGRID There were even velvet ropes keeping guests from parts of the townhouse: 'The kitchen was roped off, the dining room was roped off, the stairs were roped off.' Duplessie — who was shirtless — was DJing, the party girl said, when 'a girl I was with took a selfie. I don't know if it was Will or a security guard, but someone immediately jumped at her and said, 'You can't take any pictures.' It was a big deal.' But there was plenty of illicit behavior to photograph, she claimed. 'There was a big metal platter on a table in the basement. Will brought a freezer bag full of cocaine and poured it all on as if it was nothing and walked away. It was actually insane. It was a freezer bag of cocaine worth my tuition in college or more.' 8 Italian tourist Michael Valentino Teofrasto Cartura claimed to have been held against his will for weeks. WNBC The party left after an hour or so, she said, because 'there was no politeness, there was no small talk. I felt like a piece of meat.' The nightlife source, meanwhile, said that after a week of back-to-back partying at clubs with Woeltz and Duplessie, 'I cut them off. Just because the vibes were off. It felt shady.' But it was too late — the duo were integrated into the city's nightlife scene, frequenting places like Nebula, Hearsay and The Box. 'I really regretted putting them onto the people and the places I know after I couldn't escape them anywhere,' the source said. ''When I kept seeing them out they had tons and tons of girls by their side. I had friends who would see them out and report back to me how they were acting. 'Will was still shirtless with sunglasses.'
