Crypto Investors Accused of Kidnapping in Soho Townhouse
13 days ago
- #cryptocurrency-crime
- #Manhattan-nightlife
- #kidnapping
- William Duplessie and John Woeltz emerged as high-spending regulars at elite Manhattan nightclubs, spending six figures in a single evening.
- The duo transformed a Prince Street townhouse into an after-hours club, hosting wild parties with alleged ties to intelligence agencies and displays of weapons.
- Michael Carturan, an Italian crypto investor, escaped from the townhouse claiming he was tortured for weeks to reveal his cryptocurrency passwords.
- Duplessie and Woeltz were arrested for kidnapping and torturing Carturan, marking the first known crypto-related kidnapping in New York.
- Cryptocurrency's lack of traditional banking safeguards makes holders vulnerable to theft, with kidnappings and 'wrench attacks' rising globally.
- Duplessie's troubled past includes expulsion from schools, alleged gang involvement, and a failed crypto investment fund, Pangea, which scammed investors.
- Woeltz, a reclusive crypto millionaire, became increasingly paranoid and violent, allegedly under Duplessie's influence.
- The pair drafted a manifesto outlining plans to steal crypto from 'evil people,' targeting foreign investors like Carturan and German CEO Michael Mauer.
- Carturan endured alleged torture, including electric shocks, burns, and psychological manipulation, but refused to hand over his crypto passwords.
- Duplessie and Woeltz were arrested after Carturan escaped and reported the kidnapping. They face charges including first-degree kidnapping and assault.