Cryptocurrency Investors Arrested in Brutal Kidnapping and Torture Case

A second cryptocurrency investor has surrendered to police in connection with the alleged kidnapping and torture of a 28-year-old Italian man who was held for weeks in an upscale Manhattan townhouse. The victim was subjected to horrific treatment, including being shocked with electric wires, forced to smoke crack or cocaine, and repeatedly beaten. The captors, seeking the password to access the victim's Bitcoin, also dangled him over a ledge and threatened to kill him.

Key Takeaways:

• The victim, a 28-year-old Italian man, was abducted on May 6 and held for weeks in an eight-bedroom apartment in Manhattan's Soho neighborhood.
• The captors, identified as cryptocurrency investors William Duplessie and John Woeltz, subjected the victim to brutal treatment, including electric shock, forced substance use, and physical assault.
• The victim was forced to give up his password, after which he escaped the house and flagged down a traffic agent, who called police.
• A search of the townhouse turned up evidence including cocaine, a saw, chicken wire, body armor, night vision goggles, and polaroid photos of the victim with a gun pointed to his head and a crack pipe in his mouth.
• The victim was hospitalized with injuries consistent with being bound, cuts to his face, and other injuries.
• Duplessie, 32, has surrendered to police and will face charges of kidnapping and false imprisonment.
• Woeltz, who was arrested on Friday, is also facing charges of kidnapping and false imprisonment.

Statistics:

• The victim was held captive for 23 days.
• The victim's injuries included wrist bindings, facial cuts, and other physical harm.
• The townhouse where the victim was held had eight bedrooms and was located in the Soho neighborhood of Manhattan.
• The captors used various items, including electric wires and a saw, to inflict harm on the victim.

Sources:

• New York Police Department
• Associated Press
• Court records
• Prosecutors' statements at Woeltz's arraignment
• Victim's testimony to authorities