Third Arrest Made in Manhattan Bitcoin Kidnapping, Torture Case
The incident, involving alleged abduction and abuse for nearly three weeks, comes amid a growing trend of physical attacks on cryptocurrency users.
A man suspected of helping kidnap and torture an Italian cryptocurrency investor in a Manhattan townhouse has surrendered to New York City police.
William Duplessie turned himself in Tuesday after what officials described as days of negotiations with authorities, the New York Times reports.
He is the third suspect in an alleged plot to extract the keys to a bitcoin wallet belonging to Michael Valentino Teofrasto Carturan, a crypto fund associate who said he was held captive and abused for nearly three weeks.
The ordeal began on May 6, when Carturan arrived at a 17-room townhouse on Prince Street in Manhattan’s NoLiTa neighborhood. He was set to reconnect with former fund partner John Woeltz, who, along with another associate Beatrice Folchi, allegedly ambushed him.
Police say the group attempted to force Carturan to surrender access to his crypto holdings, reportedly worth millions, through physical threats and psychological abuse.
According to law enforcement, Carturan was assaulted, suspended from the top floor of the five-story building, and held at gunpoint. He managed to escape and alert authorities nearly three weeks later.
The New York City Police Department case has drawn attention for its brutality and connection to a growing trend of physical attacks on crypto users.
In France, the daughter and grandson of Paymium CEO Pierre Noizat were recently targeted in a failed kidnapping attempt captured on video. Earlier in the same city, a crypto millionaire’s father was abducted and had a finger severed before being rescued.
Another incident saw David Balland, co-founder of hardware wallet maker Ledger, and his wife kidnapped from their home. Authorities later rescued the couple and seized the ransom payment.
While Folchi has since been released and her prosecution deferred, Woeltz is scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday. Both Woeltz and Duplessie face kidnapping, assault and illegal gun possession charges.
An attorney representing Woeltz didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
