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The Independent
7 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
NYPD probing detectives who worked security at house where man says he was tortured, AP source says
New York City police are investigating two detectives who worked security at an upscale Manhattan townhouse where a man says he was kidnapped and tortured for weeks by two crypto investors who wanted to steal his Bitcoin, a city official said Thursday. One of the detectives serves on Mayor Eric Adams' security detail and is believed to have picked up the victim from a local airport and brought him to the townhouse, the official said. It's not immediately clear if the other detective, who is a narcotics officer, has any connection to the incident. The detectives have been placed on modified leave pending the outcome of the inquiry, according to the official, who was briefed on the case and spoke anonymously to The Associated Press because they are not authorized to discuss the internal investigation. It is not uncommon for members of the NYPD to do private security work outside of their city jobs but they need to receive prior approval. At this point, the official said, the department is looking into whether the officers received that approval. Adams' office confirmed one of the detectives provides security detail for the Democrat, but said the mayor has no knowledge of what the officer does on his personal time. 'Every city employee is expected to follow the law, including our officers, both on and off duty,' the mayor's office said in an emailed statement. 'We are disturbed by these allegations.' In response to an emailed inquiry, an NYPD spokesperson confirmed two members were placed on modified duty Wednesday. A spokesperson for the labor union representing NYPD detectives didn't immediately respond to an email seeking comment Thursday. Crypto investors John Woeltz and William Duplessie have been charged in the case. Their lawyers have declined to comment. Authorities allege that on May 6, the two men lured the victim, who they knew personally, to a posh townhouse in Manhattan's Soho neighborhood by threatening to kill his family. The man, a 28-year-old Italian national who has not been named by officials, 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 investigation into the officers began, incidentally, on the same day Adams headlined a crypto convention in Las Vegas, where he described New York as the Bitcoin capital of the country.
Associated Press
7 days ago
- Business
- Associated Press
NYPD probing detectives who worked security at house where man says he was tortured, AP source says
NEW YORK (AP) — New York City police are investigating two detectives who worked security at an upscale Manhattan townhouse where a man says he was kidnapped and tortured for weeks by two crypto investors who wanted to steal his Bitcoin, a city official said Thursday. One of the detectives serves on Mayor Eric Adams' security detail and is believed to have picked up the victim from a local airport and brought him to the townhouse, the official said. It's not immediately clear if the other detective, who is a narcotics officer, has any connection to the incident. The detectives have been placed on modified leave pending the outcome of the inquiry, according to the official, who was briefed on the case and spoke anonymously to The Associated Press because they are not authorized to discuss the internal investigation. It is not uncommon for members of the NYPD to do private security work outside of their city jobs but they need to receive prior approval. At this point, the official said, the department is looking into whether the officers received that approval. Adams' office confirmed one of the detectives provides security detail for the Democrat, but said the mayor has no knowledge of what the officer does on his personal time. 'Every city employee is expected to follow the law, including our officers, both on and off duty,' the mayor's office said in an emailed statement. 'We are disturbed by these allegations.' In response to an emailed inquiry, an NYPD spokesperson confirmed two members were placed on modified duty Wednesday. A spokesperson for the labor union representing NYPD detectives didn't immediately respond to an email seeking comment Thursday. Crypto investors John Woeltz and William Duplessie have been charged in the case. Their lawyers have declined to comment. Authorities allege that on May 6, the two men lured the victim, who they knew personally, to a posh townhouse in Manhattan's Soho neighborhood by threatening to kill his family. The man, a 28-year-old Italian national who has not been named by officials, 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 investigation into the officers began, incidentally, on the same day Adams headlined a crypto convention in Las Vegas, where he described New York as the Bitcoin capital of the country.
Telegraph
25-05-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Crypto millionaires served ‘airline food' at glitzy Trump gala
A dinner at Donald Trump's $1.7 million-a-head event for crypto investors was labelled 'worse than airline food'. Guests criticised the food served at the black-tie event for buyers of Mr Trump's official cryptocurrency, which is estimated to have netted the US president and his family $148 million (£109 million). Mr Trump is also reported to have delivered anodyne remarks about 'the whole crypto thing' and left quickly without taking questions from what organisers had billed as 'the most exclusive invitation in the world'. The president hosted 220 guests at his Virginia golf club on Thursday for buyers of the Trump 'meme coin', with critics claiming he is auctioning off his office to enrich himself. Guests were served what was billed as 'pan-seared halibut with a citrus reduction, a filet mignon with demi glaze' on Trump-branded plates. But the appearance of the food and paltry offerings of vegetables drew a poor response. Nicholas Pinto complained that the food 'sucked' and told Wired: 'It was the worst food I've ever had at a Trump golf course. The only good thing was bread and butter.' The 25-year-old added: '[I] wasn't given any drinks other than water or Trump's wine. I don't drink, so I had water. My glass was only filled once.' Another guest described the food as 'OK, but not top class'. Chris Skinner, a crypto blogger, posted a picture of the modest helpings online with the caption: 'This is what you get served (+ a 25-minute speech from a podium by the numbers with no depth on crypto).' Steve Kovach, a CNBC correspondent, said he had seen 'better food on Spirit Airlines', referring to the American budget travel company. Mr Trump, who aggressively courted crypto investors during 2024's election campaign and promised extensive deregulation of the industry, arrived at the event after his guests, landing at the golf course on Marine One. He is said to have delivered a 23-minute speech in which he frequently veered off-topic and made scant mention of cryptocurrency. 'We've got some of the smartest minds anywhere in the world right here in this room,' he said, according to Wired. 'You believe in the whole crypto thing. A lot of people are starting to believe in it … This is really something that may be special. Who knows, right? Who knows – but it may be special.' At another point, he claimed cryptocurrencies had a 'great, great future', praised attendees for being 'on the cutting edge' and said members of his administration were 'big believers'. A private reception He then reportedly left the event without taking questions, although the top 25 buyers are said to have been given a private reception. Guests at the event spent an average of $1.78 million on Mr Trump's cryptocurrency, which he launched three days before his inauguration, according to analysis by the blockchain analytics company Nansen. However, this number varied dramatically, with the top seven spending more than $10 million and the bottom 24 spending less than $100,000. The top spender, crypto billionaire Justin Sun, holds $22 million in '$Trump coin'. He was charged in 2023 with market manipulation and offering unregistered securities but regulators dropped the case in February, weeks after Mr Trump returned to office. Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, told reporters on Thursday it was 'absurd for anyone to insinuate this president is profiting off of the presidency ' because of his 'incredible success' in business before entering politics.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump ‘Orgy of Corruption' Crypto Dinner With Mystery Guests Who Paid Over $1M a Seat
President Donald Trump was attending a private dinner on Thursday night with the top investors in his meme coin in a move that Democrats and ethics experts have blasted as blatant corruption. More than 200 global investors are expected to participate in the event at his golf club billed as the 'most exclusive invitation in the world.' The average spent by guests to attend was just over $1.7 million a seat, according to a report. The dinner, critics warn, will give top crypto investors unprecedented direct access to the president as they look to influence policy while Trump benefits financially from those buying up his digit asset launched just days before the president took office. Senator Elizabeth Warren branded the event an 'orgy of corruption.' Trump has promoted the event on Truth Social on numerous occasions since the dinner was announced on April 23, boosting the $TRUMP token's value. The 220 winners of the contest to attend were expected to spend $394 million in total on the president's official cryptocurrency, according to analysis by blockchain analytics company Nansen NBC News reported. The total cost to attend ranged from $55,000 to $37.7 million. The analysis found that the top seven winners each spent more than $10 million while the bottom 24 spent less than $100,000. Details about who will attend have been largely shrouded in mystery, but some of the top $TRUMP coin holders have revealed themselves. Chinese-born crypto billionaire Justin Sun wrote in a post on X on Tuesday that he was among the buyers who had secured an invitation to attend. 'Honored to support @POTUS and grateful for the invitation from @GetTrumpMemes to attend President Trump's Gala Dinner as his TOP fan!' he wrote. 'As the top holder of $TRUMP, I'm excited to connect with everyone, talk crypto, and discuss the future of our industry.' A Singapore-based startup MemeCore will also be in attendance. Its X account wrote that as a 'top 2 holder of $TRUMP, I'm looking forward to connecting with you all, discussing crypto, and sharing diverse insights for the future of this industry' in a post on Thursday. The White House has not shared whether it would make a full list of attendees for the cryptocurrencies event public despite requests. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the president's participation in the event on Thursday. She said he was attending in his personal capacity and argued it was not a White House dinner. 'The president is abiding by all conflict of interest laws that are applicable to the president,' Leavitt insisted from the White House podium. According to the invitation, the top 25 holders of the $TRUMP token will also get to attend a private reception with the president before the dinner and participate in a White House tour on Friday. Democrats and ethics experts on Thursday called for the White House to release the list of attendees and warned that foreigners could be paying for access to Trump to influence U.S. national security. 'It would be bad enough if you could pay as an American citizen to get secret access to the president, but from what we understand, most of the attendees tonight will be foreigners,' said Senator Chris Murphy. 'These could be individuals with ties to terrorist groups. These could be representatives of Vladimir Putin. These could be sanctioned individuals.' Murphy said the dinner on Thursday may be the 'most corrupt of all of the corruption.' Democrats said the dinner should not be happening at all, but argued at the very least the administration should have no problem releasing the names of individuals set to attend to the American public to prove they're above board. 'They were able to pay their way in to an audience with the president of the United States to ask for favorable national security concessions,' Murphy said.
CNN
23-05-2025
- Business
- CNN
Trump hosts lavish dinner for meme coin investors
Trump hosts lavish dinner for meme coin investors More than 200 wealthy crypto bros gathered for a private event at President Donald Trump's golf club just outside Washington, DC, on Thursday night — dining on filet mignon and halibut while the president stood at a podium regaling them with tales of his 2024 victory. 01:33 - Source: CNN Reuters: Trump shows an image from Congo, not South Africa President Donald Trump showed an image alleging the murder of white farmers in South Africa, but it was actually an image from the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to Reuters. The incident happened at Wednesday's Oval Office meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. CNN's Larry Madowo reports. 01:12 - Source: CNN RFK Jr. walks back timeline for determining what causes autism CNN's Kaitlan Collins asks Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. about his plans to commission a study to find the cause of autism by September. 01:14 - Source: CNN Body language expert offers her advice on how to approach Trump In the wake of the White House's Oval Office ambush of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, body language expert Susan Constantine tells CNN's Max Foster that being an active listener is key for any future leader's meeting with President Donald Trump. 01:36 - Source: CNN Inside the GOP negotiations to pass Trump's agenda bill CNN's Manu Raju breaks down how President Trump and House Republican leadership managed to win the support of a key bloc of conservative hardliners to pass Trump's agenda bill, and looks ahead to the obstacles the bill may face in the Senate. 02:26 - Source: CNN Republican warns of increasing debt hours before Trump's bill passes House Republicans passed President Donald Trump's sweeping tax and spending cuts package early this morning. During a House floor debate in the early hours of Thursday morning, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) strongly criticized the bill. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that Trump's bill will add $3.8 trillion to US debt. 00:49 - Source: CNN See moment House Republicans passed a major part of Trump's agenda House Republicans passed President Donald Trump's sweeping tax and spending cuts package, marking a stunning victory for both Johnson and Trump after the bill appeared doomed just days earlier 00:52 - Source: CNN Comey discusses meeting with Secret Service amid social media controversy Following public criticism of his controversial Instagram post, former FBI Director James Comey discusses his meeting with the Secret Service with CNN's John Berman. 01:45 - Source: CNN Inside Capitol Hill as Trump pushes Republicans to pass his 'Big Bill' President Donald Trump appealed to House Republicans Tuesday amid party infighting as hardliners resist Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill'. Republican Speaker Mike Johnson dodged questions from CNN's Manu Raju and a gaggle of press in the House gallery, an uncharacteristic move he blamed on the 1:00 am deadline looming over his subcommittee, a decision that ultimately defines how and when this legislation moves forward. 03:27 - Source: CNN RFK Jr. and top Democrat spar over HHS cuts US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. got into a tense exchange with Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) during a Senate Appropriations hearing. Kennedy accused the committee's top Democrat of standing by as chronic disease spiked in the country after Murray asked a question about childcare and development block grant funding. 01:17 - Source: CNN Sources contradict Trump's claim that Qatar jet was offered as a gift The Trump administration first approached Qatar to inquire about acquiring a Boeing 747 that could be used as Air Force One by President Donald Trump, four sources familiar with the discussions told CNN. That's contrary to the narrative from the president that Qatar reached out and offered the jet as a 'gift' to him. 01:55 - Source: CNN FDA tightens requirements for Covid-19 vaccine The FDA is changing how it approves Covid-19 vaccines, which may restrict updated shots to the elderly and people with underlying health conditions who are at higher risk for severe disease. 01:10 - Source: CNN How Trump is learning that peace is hard this time around The Nobel Peace Prize hasn't been far from Trump's mind, with him saying in February, 'I deserve it, but they will never give it to me.' But as CNN's Jim Sciutto points out, today's global conflicts are proving hard to keep a lid on. 01:11 - Source: CNN Collins asks Trump about meeting with Putin CNN's Kaitlan Collins asked President Trump in the Oval Office today whether he thinks meeting with Russian President Putin is necessary for peace with Ukraine. 00:45 - Source: CNN What happened during Trump and Putin's call Monday's phone call between Russian leader Vladimir Putin and President Trump marked a turning point in peace talks to end the war in Ukraine. CNN's Nick Paton Walsh lays out what might come next. 01:28 - Source: CNN Former President Biden diagnosed with prostate cancer Former President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with prostate cancer that has spread to his bones. Biden and his family are currently reviewing treatment options. 00:39 - Source: CNN James Comey heads to Secret Service interview amid social media controversy Former FBI Director James Comey was escorted by US Secret Service agents to their Washington Field Office on Friday afternoon for an interview, according to law enforcement sources. Comey will be interviewed by agents investigating a social media post he posted Thursday showing shells in the sand on a beach spelling out '86 47,' which has become a popular social media code for removing Trump from the presidency, according to the law enforcement source. 00:17 - Source: CNN Here are the deals Trump signed during his Middle East trip CNN's Betsy Klein breaks down the deals that President Donald Trump has brokered during his three-day trip to the Middle East. 01:17 - Source: CNN Watch Trump visit the Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi as part of his overseas trip During his first overseas trip of his second term, President Trump visited the Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi. CNN's Chief White House Correspondent Kaitlan Collins was on the ground in the United Arab Emirates for a look inside. 00:38 - Source: CNN Did Comey threaten Trump? Former Director of the FBI James Comey took down an Instagram post of seashells spelling out the numbers '86 47' after Republicans claimed that it was a threat against President Donald Trump. CNN's John Miller reports. 01:14 - Source: CNN The mind behind Trump's economic strategy US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is a former Democratic donor and hedge-fund manager with no ties to MAGA. CNN's Phil Mattingly reports on how he rose to become the most important economic voice in the Trump administration. 01:49 - Source: CNN Springsteen criticizes Trump administration during show Bruce Springsteen has criticized President Trump's administration on stage during a performance at the start of his UK tour in Manchester. 01:15 - Source: CNN Lawmakers fall asleep during hearing Republican Rep. Blake Moore and Democratic Rep. Debbie Dingell both appeared to fall asleep during what were at-times contentious debates over provisions in President Donald Trump's sweeping tax and spending cuts package. 01:01 - Source: CNN
