Two males suspected within the kidnapping and torture of a 28-year-old Italian cryptocurrency investor have pleaded not responsible, whereas the investigation into their case seems to have expanded to the New York Police Division itself.
New York police had beforehand arrested William Duplessie, 33, and John Woeltz, 37, on the fees, in addition to a 3rd particular person, Beatrice Folchi, 24, although her prosecution is being deferred. The sufferer has not been publicly named.
The lads are accused of kidnapping the sufferer and holding him hostage in a luxurious townhouse in Manhattan’s ritzy SoHo neighborhood for greater than two weeks. Throughout that point, New York Metropolis police say the trio tortured the person, forcing him to take medicine, dangling him from a ledge, urinating on him and electrocuting him in an effort to pressure him at hand over the personal keys to his bitcoin. The alleged perpetrators are accused of creating t-shirts of the sufferer with a crack pipe in his mouth and taking Polaroids of the sufferer with a gun to his head.
The sufferer escaped final Friday, grabbing his laptop computer and getting out of the townhouse after which looking for assist from a visitors officer.
Duplessie entered a not-guilty plea to 5 totally different expenses, together with kidnapping with an intent to gather a ransom, kidnapping and inflicting a bodily harm, prison possession of a loaded firearm, assault with an intent to trigger a bodily harm with a weapon and illegal imprisonment, in accordance with the courtroom docket.
Woeltz was charged with kidnapping, assault, illegal imprisonment and prison possession of a firearm, and he additionally pleaded not responsible, in accordance with his courtroom docket.
Two NYPD officers, together with a detective assigned to Mayor Eric Adams’ safety element, labored for each Duplessie and Woeltz of their off-duty hours and have now been positioned on modified obligation, Bloomberg reported Thursday. A supply acquainted advised CoinDesk that the 2 officers are usually not believed to be a part of the kidnapping, however slightly did safety work for the defendants. They could have pushed the sufferer from an airport to the townhouse, however haven’t been tied to his torture, the supply mentioned.
A spokesperson for the NYPD mentioned the matter was “under internal review.”
A spokesperson for the mayor’s workplace mentioned in a press release that, “Every city employee is expected to follow the law, including our officers, both on and off duty. We are disturbed by these allegations, and as soon as it came to our attention, the officers were placed on modified duty. The investigation is ongoing.”
UPDATE (Could 29, 2025, 22:27 UTC): Provides further element.
