Latest news with #Woeltz
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
Suspect in NYC crypto kidnapping, torture case allegedly involved his assistant: DA
One of two men charged with torturing an Italian cryptocurrency holder inside a luxury New York City townhouse repeatedly messaged an assistant to keep eyes on the alleged victim, according to prosecutors at the Manhattan district attorney's office. John Woeltz, along with fellow suspect William Duplessie, were granted $1 million bail this week by Judge Gregory Carro as review of the case's evidence continues. The decision was made against over the objection of the DA's office. Prosecutors said on Thursday Woeltz allegedly instructed the assistant to monitor the alleged victim whenever he used his phone. MORE: Suspects in New York City crypto torture case plead not guilty to kidnapping and assault When the assistant expressed concern the victim might have left the townhouse through an open door a second assistant replied, "Don't worry I'm watching him," prosecutors said. Prosecutors disclosed the information as attorneys for Woeltz and William Duplessie argue they did not hold the Italian man against his will. A message from Duplessie said he and Woeltz had to keep doing drugs because they were making the alleged victim do drugs, prosecutors said. Other messages described the alleged victim as broken, sobbing, with "no more life in his eyes," according to the prosecutors. In addition, they said physical evidence recovered from the scene corroborates allegations Woeltz and Duplessie subjected the alleged victim to torture, including a loaded firearm, chainsaw and cattle prod. Hacksaws, buckets, tarps and goggles were also found, with prosecutors saying the defendants threatened to use to dispose of the alleged victim's body. They are also accused of pouring tequila on the alleged victim and lighting him on fire. MORE: What we know about the NYC crypto kidnapping and torture case Prosecutors have said Woeltz and Duplessie lured the alleged victim -- an Italian man who is not identified in the indictment -- to New York by allegedly threatening to have his family killed. Woeltz and Duplessie allegedly told the Italian man that they were associated with the government and if he didn't cooperate, he would be labeled a terrorist, prosecutors said. The man told police he arrived in New York on May 6 and went to Woeltz's eight-bedroom SoHo townhouse, where he was allegedly tortured over his Bitcoin password, according to a complaint. After more than two weeks, police said the man escaped from the townhouse on May 23 and ran to a traffic enforcement officer for help. Woeltz and Duplessie were subsequently arrested. Before being granted bail on Wednesay, Woeltz and Duplessie have remained in custody since their arrest in May. They both pleaded not guilty to a dozen charges, including kidnapping, assault and coercion, during their arraignment last month. Both men must surrender passports, submit to electronic monitoring and remain on home confinement. During the arraignment, the defense pushed back against the allegations, saying there is video of the alleged victim "having the time of his life" and engaging in activity at odds with having been tortured. A prosecutor, Sarah Kahn, said in response that "victims of abuse are not always going to act in a way that we expect people to do." Kahn also said prosecutors have had conversations with other, unnamed law enforcement agencies that indicated Woeltz and Duplessie have tortured people before. Prosecutors at Wednesday's hearing brought up a law enforcement search of a property in Kentucky linked to Woeltz, who is known as the "crypto king of Kentucky," that they said turned up writings indicating that Woeltz had mused about holding people to steal their cryptocurrency. Duplessie was previously investigated in Switzerland for domestic violence and Woeltz has previously been accused of holding a different individual in Kentucky for crypto ransom.
CNN
6 days ago
- CNN
Suspects in New York crypto kidnapping case granted bail
Two men accused of torturing and holding a man hostage in a Manhattan townhouse for several weeks as they tried to access his cryptocurrency were granted bail Wednesday, according to updated case information. New York Supreme Criminal Court Judge Gregory Carro set bail at $1 million each for John Woeltz, 37, and William Duplessie, 33, who have been in custody since their arrest in May. Woeltz and Duplessie pleaded not guilty to multiple charges, including kidnapping, assault and coercion. The 28-year-old victim, reportedly an Italian cryptocurrency trader, arrived in New York City from Italy in early May. He was abducted on May 6, police told CNN. It's not clear whether the victim knew the men who kidnapped him. Prosecutors said the unnamed victim was tortured for days, threatened with death and at one point dangled over a railing unless he revealed his Bitcoin password. When he refused, he was beaten, shocked with electric wires, and struck in the head with a firearm, they said. The accused also allegedly bound the man's wrists and threatened to kill his family, according to the Manhattan District Attorney. In late May, the victim escaped the apartment where he was allegedly being held after agreeing to provide his password, which was stored on his laptop in another room, prosecutors said. When one of the suspects turned his back, the victim fled the apartment and sought help from a traffic officer, police said. He was taken to a hospital and treated for injuries that prosecutor Michael Mattson said were consistent with his descriptions of being bound and assaulted, the Associated Press reported. Woeltz, a Kentucky native and cryptocurrency investor, was arrested after the victim's escape. Duplessie, a Miami resident, turned himself in the following week. A search of the townhouse turned up a trove of evidence, Mattson said, including cocaine, a saw, chicken wire, body armor and night vision goggles, ammunition, and polaroid photos of the victim with a gun pointed to his head, the AP reported. Inmate records show that, as of Wednesday evening, both men are still in custody. Their next court appearance will be scheduled for October 15. CNN has reached out to the Manhattan District Attorney's Office for further comment. CNN's John Miller, Gloria Pazmino and Mark Morales contributed to this report.
6 days ago
Suspects in New York City crypto kidnapping, torture case granted bail
A Manhattan judge agreed Wednesday to release on bail two men charged with torturing a man in a luxury SoHo townhouse to obtain his cryptocurrency. Over the objection of the Manhattan district attorney's office, Judge Gregory Carro set bail at $1 million each for John Woeltz and William Duplessie, who have both pleaded not guilty to multiple charges. The judge said there were enough discrepancies between the prosecution and defense accounts to merit bail while he continues to review evidence. Both men must surrender passports, submit to electronic monitoring and remain on home confinement. Woeltz and Duplessie have remained in custody since their arrest in May. They both pleaded not guilty to a dozen charges, including kidnapping, assault and coercion, during their arraignment last month. The indictment alleges they held the man against his will "with intent to terrorize him" and assaulted him with a chainsaw, pistol and cattle prod as part of the torture. They are also accused of pouring tequila on the alleged victim and lighting him on fire. Prosecutors have said Woeltz and Duplessie lured the alleged victim -- an Italian man who is not identified in the indictment -- to New York by allegedly threatening to have his family killed. The man told police he arrived in New York on May 6 and went to Woeltz's eight-bedroom SoHo townhouse, where he was allegedly tortured over his Bitcoin password, according to a complaint. After more than two weeks, police said the man escaped from the townhouse on May 23 and ran to a traffic enforcement officer for help. Woeltz and Duplessie were subsequently arrested. During the arraignment, the defense pushed back against the allegations, saying there is video of the alleged victim "having the time of his life" and engaging in activity at odds with having been tortured. A prosecutor, Sarah Kahn, said in response that "victims of abuse are not always going to act in a way that we expect people to do." Kahn also said prosecutors have had conversations with other, unnamed law enforcement agencies that indicated Woeltz and Duplessie have tortured people before. Prosecutors at Wednesday's hearing brought up a law enforcement search of a property in Kentucky linked to Woeltz, who is known as the 'crypto king of Kentucky,' that they said turned up writings indicating that Woeltz had mused about holding people to steal their cryptocurrency.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Yahoo
Suspects in New York City crypto torture case plead not guilty to kidnapping and assault
Two men accused of torturing an Italian businessman in a luxe New York City townhouse to obtain his cryptocurrency have pleaded not guilty to charges of kidnapping, assault and coercion as prosecutors said there are other possible victims and even shared a photo that allegedly depicted the victim on fire. John Woeltz and William Duplessie, both handcuffed and in jumpsuits, were arraigned in a Manhattan courtroom Wednesday after a grand jury indicted them on a dozen charges. Judge Gregory Carro ordered them to remain held without bail through their next court appearance on July 15. A prosecutor, Sarah Kahn, shared graphic details of the alleged abuse during the hearing. She showed the judge a photo that she said depicted the alleged victim on fire and said the defendants would pour tequila on him, light him on fire and then put the fire out -- sometimes by urinating on him. Woeltz and Duplessie pistol-whipped the victim with a gun, cut him with a small chainsaw and used various other instruments as part of the torture, Kahn said. She said prosecutors have had conversations with other, unnamed law enforcement agencies that indicated Woeltz and Duplessie have tortured people before. She did not elaborate. MORE: What we know about the NYC crypto kidnapping and torture case The defense pushed back, saying there is video of the alleged victim "having the time of his life" and engaging in activity at odds with having been tortured. The defense attorneys said they obtained a different video from an eyeglass store taken 36 hours before the alleged victim left the townhouse that purportedly shows him smoking a cigarette by himself on the street. "The story that he is selling just doesn't make sense," defense attorney Sam Talkin, who represents Duplessie, told the judge. Prosecutors have not seen the video and Kahn said, "Victims of abuse are not always going to act in a way that we expect people to do." Woeltz and Duplessie were arrested last month. The indictment, which was unsealed on Wednesday, alleges they held the man against his will "with intent to terrorize him" and assaulted him with a chainsaw, pistol and cattle prod. Their attorneys have previously declined to comment on the case. MORE: 2 NYPD detectives employed by suspect in crypto torture case under investigation: Sources Prosecutors have said Woeltz and Duplessie lured the alleged victim -- a 28-year-old man who is not identified in the indictment -- to New York by allegedly threatening to have his family killed. The man told police he arrived in New York on May 6 and went to Woeltz's eight-bedroom SoHo townhouse, where he was allegedly tortured over his Bitcoin password, according to a complaint. After more than two weeks, police said the man escaped from the townhouse on May 23 and ran to a traffic enforcement officer for help. Woeltz and Duplessie were subsequently arrested on charges including kidnapping, assault and unlawful imprisonment. Suspects in New York City crypto torture case plead not guilty to kidnapping and assault originally appeared on
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Yahoo
Suspects in New York City crypto torture case plead not guilty to kidnapping and assault
Two men accused of torturing an Italian businessman in a luxe New York City townhouse to obtain his cryptocurrency have pleaded not guilty to charges of kidnapping, assault and coercion as prosecutors said there are other possible victims and even shared a photo that allegedly depicted the victim on fire. John Woeltz and William Duplessie, both handcuffed and in jumpsuits, were arraigned in a Manhattan courtroom Wednesday after a grand jury indicted them on a dozen charges. Judge Gregory Carro ordered them to remain held without bail through their next court appearance on July 15. A prosecutor, Sarah Kahn, shared graphic details of the alleged abuse during the hearing. She showed the judge a photo that she said depicted the alleged victim on fire and said the defendants would pour tequila on him, light him on fire and then put the fire out -- sometimes by urinating on him. Woeltz and Duplessie pistol-whipped the victim with a gun, cut him with a small chainsaw and used various other instruments as part of the torture, Kahn said. She said prosecutors have had conversations with other, unnamed law enforcement agencies that indicated Woeltz and Duplessie have tortured people before. She did not elaborate. MORE: What we know about the NYC crypto kidnapping and torture case The defense pushed back, saying there is video of the alleged victim "having the time of his life" and engaging in activity at odds with having been tortured. The defense attorneys said they obtained a different video from an eyeglass store taken 36 hours before the alleged victim left the townhouse that purportedly shows him smoking a cigarette by himself on the street. "The story that he is selling just doesn't make sense," defense attorney Sam Talkin, who represents Duplessie, told the judge. Prosecutors have not seen the video and Kahn said, "Victims of abuse are not always going to act in a way that we expect people to do." Woeltz and Duplessie were arrested last month. The indictment, which was unsealed on Wednesday, alleges they held the man against his will "with intent to terrorize him" and assaulted him with a chainsaw, pistol and cattle prod. Their attorneys have previously declined to comment on the case. MORE: 2 NYPD detectives employed by suspect in crypto torture case under investigation: Sources Prosecutors have said Woeltz and Duplessie lured the alleged victim -- a 28-year-old man who is not identified in the indictment -- to New York by allegedly threatening to have his family killed. The man told police he arrived in New York on May 6 and went to Woeltz's eight-bedroom SoHo townhouse, where he was allegedly tortured over his Bitcoin password, according to a complaint. After more than two weeks, police said the man escaped from the townhouse on May 23 and ran to a traffic enforcement officer for help. Woeltz and Duplessie were subsequently arrested on charges including kidnapping, assault and unlawful imprisonment. Suspects in New York City crypto torture case plead not guilty to kidnapping and assault originally appeared on
