Crypto Investors Charged With Torture Over Bitcoin Fortune

Two crypto investors, John Woeltz and William Duplessie, have been charged with the kidnapping and torture of a 28-year-old Italian man in a Manhattan townhouse. The victim was lured into an eight-bedroom apartment in the Soho neighborhood on May 6, where he was held captive for nearly three weeks. During his captivity, the victim reported being bound by the wrists, shocked with electrical wires, pistol-whipped, cut on the leg with a saw, and forced to smoke from a crack pipe. At one point, he was even dangled from the home’s top flight of stairs, believing he would soon be killed.

The victim managed to escape on May 27, flagging down a traffic agent for help. He was found bloodied and barefoot, with injuries consistent with his account of the torture. A search of the townhouse revealed a trove of evidence, including cocaine, a saw, chicken wire, body armor, night vision goggles, ammunition, and Polaroid photos of the victim with a gun pointed to his head and a crack pipe in his mouth.

Woeltz was arrested on May 23, and Duplessie surrendered to police on May 27. Both men face charges of kidnapping, assault, unlawful imprisonment, and criminal possession of a weapon. The victim had been targeted due to his Bitcoin fortune, with the captors seeking the password to access his account. The case highlights the extreme measures some individuals may take in pursuit of cryptocurrency wealth, as well as the potential dangers that can arise from the anonymous and decentralized nature of digital currencies.

This incident is part of a series of violent crimes involving crypto investors and industry leaders. The investigation is ongoing, and further details are expected to emerge as the legal process unfolds. The case underscores the need for increased vigilance and security measures within the cryptocurrency community to prevent such heinous acts.