A guy from Florida is charged with helping to kidnap an Italian cryptocurrency investor violently. He has a dramatic court appearance because the charges against him are life-threatening.
A second person wanted in connection with the horrible cryptocurrency kidnapping in New York City has turned himself in to the police. This comes after his claimed business partner and accomplice was arrested. The suspect, William Duplessie, 33, from Florida, turned himself in on Tuesday morning at the 13th Precinct in Manhattan.
Duplessie is charged with kidnapping, assault, illegal imprisonment, and criminal possession of a firearm. He is also accused of helping John Woeltz, a 37-year-old cryptocurrency investor who is already in police custody. He was seen with his hands tied and being led by police. Later that night, he went to court.
Giving himself up
Woeltz had already been arrested in connection with the crime, which made Duplessie decide to turn himself in. His lawyer for defense said that Duplessie’s role in the crime was “hotly disputed” and stressed that his client had done nothing wrong. As a result, the lawyer asked for a $1 million bond and for Duplessie to be detained at his father’s home in Florida. The court turned down both requests, though.
Some of Duplessie’s family, like his father, were in court to support him. His father waved as Duplessie was taken back to jail, and neither he nor the defense lawyer said anything else about the case.
What took place in SoHo?
Woeltz and Duplessie are accused of kidnapping an Italian man earlier this month and holding him hostage in a SoHo apartment for almost three weeks. The two men are accused of torturing the victim in order to get the password to his cryptocurrency wallet, which is thought to be worth millions of dollars.
The victim went through unimaginable horrors while he was being held captive. Police say he was shocked, had his leg cut off with a knife, and was even made to smoke crack cocaine. Inside the flat, police found shocking evidence, such as body armor, night vision goggles, bullets, and disturbing photos of the victim being tortured at gunpoint.
John Chell, Chief of Patrol for the New York Police Department, called the crime “horrible.” He said, “To be tortured for 17 days by having a chainsaw cut your leg, having your feet electrocuted, and having someone take drugs… this was a horrific crime.”
Along with hitting the victim, the two suspects are said to have stolen his gadgets and passports and hidden them to get him to reveal his Bitcoin password. The victim, who got away last Friday, quickly told a nearby police officer that they had been kidnapped.
Things that could go wrong and charges
Like Woeltz, Duplessie is going to face serious legal consequences. The kidnapping charge could get you 25 years to life in prison, and the attack charge could get you at least 15 years to life in prison. The defendant is now set to go back to court on Friday, when more hearings will happen. There was also a full order of protection that said Duplessie couldn’t talk to or touch the victim in any way.
Cryptocurrency Crimes Go Up
This well-known case brings attention to a worrying trend: cryptocurrency investors are being held hostage for cash more and more often. As the value of digital currencies like Bitcoin continues to rise, thieves are realizing that they can make a lot of money by kidnapping top crypto leaders or their families.
David Seltzer, a criminal defense lawyer who focuses on hacking, talked about why these types of crimes are becoming more common. “People are doing it because they think it’s a simple way to get cash.” Seltzer said, “Instead of robbing a bank, they can kidnap someone and get into their Bitcoin or real money wallet.” He also talked about how hard it is to steal cryptocurrency and how criminals are still ready to try, even though Bitcoin is hard to decrypt.
Still being looked into
Woeltz is still in jail, but there are still questions about how bad the crime really was. Authorities are still figuring out what roles Woeltz and Duplessie played in the case. Investigators are still putting together the pieces of the puzzle. The Manhattan District Attorney’s office has decided not to press charges against a 24-year-old woman who was arrested in the case so far, pending further research.
As the investigation goes on, the case has raised more concerns about how crime and digital currency can work together. Experts say this is likely not the last time something like this happens. Duplessie is currently in jail, waiting for his next court date, while the victim starts to heal from the terrible event.
“This article was written by Mathew Owen. AI tools were used lightly for grammar and formatting, but the ideas, words, and edits are all mine.”
