2 weeks ago
Two men suspected successful the kidnapping and torture of a 28-year-old Italian cryptocurrency capitalist person pleaded not guilty, portion the probe into their lawsuit appears to person expanded to the New York Police Department itself.
New York constabulary had antecedently arrested William Duplessie, 33, and John Woeltz, 37, connected the charges, arsenic good arsenic a 3rd individual, Beatrice Folchi, 24, though her prosecution is being deferred. The unfortunate has not been publically named.
The men are accused of kidnapping the unfortunate and holding him hostage successful a luxury townhouse successful Manhattan’s ritzy SoHo vicinity for much than 2 weeks. During that time, New York City constabulary accidental the trio tortured the man, forcing him to instrumentality drugs, dangling him from a ledge, urinating connected him and electrocuting him successful an effort to unit him to manus implicit the backstage keys to his bitcoin. The alleged perpetrators are accused of making t-shirts of the unfortunate with a ace tube successful his rima and taking Polaroids of the unfortunate with a weapon to his head.
The unfortunate escaped past Friday, grabbing his laptop and getting retired of the townhouse and past seeking assistance from a postulation officer.
Duplessie entered a not-guilty plea to 5 antithetic charges, including kidnapping with an intent to cod a ransom, kidnapping and causing a carnal injury, transgression possession of a loaded firearm, battle with an intent to origin a carnal wounded with a limb and unlawful imprisonment, according to the tribunal docket.
Woeltz was charged with kidnapping, assault, unlawful imprisonment and transgression possession of a firearm, and helium besides pleaded not guilty, according to his tribunal docket.
Two NYPD officers, including a detective assigned to Mayor Eric Adams' extortion detail, worked for some Duplessie and Woeltz successful their off-duty hours and person present been placed connected modified duty, Bloomberg reported Thursday. A root acquainted told CoinDesk that the 2 officers are not believed to beryllium portion of the kidnapping, but alternatively did information enactment for the defendants. They whitethorn person driven the unfortunate from an airdrome to the townhouse, but person not been tied to his torture, the root said.
A spokesperson for the NYPD said the substance was "under interior review."
A spokesperson for the mayor's bureau said successful a connection that, "Every metropolis worker is expected to travel the law, including our officers, some connected and disconnected duty. We are disturbed by these allegations, and arsenic soon arsenic it came to our attention, the officers were placed connected modified duty. The probe is ongoing."
UPDATE (May 29, 2025, 22:27 UTC): Adds further detail.
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