2 guys charged of abusing an Italian business person in a luxe New york city City condominium to acquire his cryptocurrency have actually begged innocent to fees of kidnapping, attack and threat as district attorneys claimed there are various other feasible targets and also shared a picture that apparently illustrated the sufferer ablaze.
John Woeltz and William Duplessie, both handcuffed and in one-piece suits, were arraigned in a Manhattan court room Wednesday after a grand court arraigned them on a lots fees.
Court Gregory Carro got them to continue to be held without bond via their following court look on July 15.
John Woeltz, 37, stands for accusation in Manhattan Offender Court after he was detained for apparently holding an Italian vacationer captive in an evident system to take the guy’s crypto money lot of money in New york city, Might 24, 2025.
Curtis Method, Swimming Pool by means of Reuters, DATA
William Duplessie, billed with kidnapping and torment for attempting to take a male’s Bitcoin password, shows up in Manhattan Offender court, Might 30, 2025, in New york city.
Jefferson Siegel/The New York City Times by means of AP, Swimming Pool
A district attorney, Sarah Kahn, shared visuals information of the supposed misuse throughout the hearing. She revealed the court a picture that she claimed portrayed the supposed sufferer ablaze and claimed the accuseds would certainly put tequila on him, light him ablaze and after that placed the fire out– in some cases by peing on him.
Woeltz and Duplessie pistol-whipped the sufferer with a weapon, reduced him with a little power saw and utilized different other tools as component of the torment, Kahn claimed.
She claimed district attorneys have actually had discussions with various other, unrevealed police that suggested Woeltz and Duplessie have hurt individuals prior to. She did not clarify.
The protection pressed back, claiming there is video clip of the supposed sufferer “having the moment of his life” and taking part in task up in arms with having actually been hurt.
The defense lawyer claimed they acquired a various video clip from a spectacles shop taken 36 hours prior to the supposed sufferer left the condominium that supposedly reveals him smoking a cigarette by himself on the road.
” The tale that he is offering simply does not make good sense,” defense lawyer Sam Talkin, that stands for Duplessie, informed the court.
The Manhattan town hall where William Duplessie and John Woeltz apparently hurt an Italian guy for weeks in an effort to access to his cryptocurrency pocketbook is displayed in New york city, Might 29, 2025.
David Dee Delgado/Reuters
District attorneys have actually not seen the video clip and Kahn claimed, “Sufferers of misuse are not constantly mosting likely to act in such a way that we anticipate individuals to do.”
Woeltz and Duplessie were detained last month. The charge, which was unsealed on Wednesday, affirms they held the guy versus his will certainly “with intent to scare him” and attacked him with a power saw, gun and livestock prod.
Their lawyers have actually formerly decreased to talk about the situation.
District attorneys have actually claimed Woeltz and Duplessie drew the supposed sufferer– a 28-year-old guy that is not determined in the charge– to New york city by apparently intimidating to have his household eliminated.
The guy informed authorities he got here in New york city on Might 6 and mosted likely to Woeltz’s eight-bedroom SoHo condominium, where he was apparently hurt over his Bitcoin password, according to an issue.
After greater than 2 weeks, authorities claimed the guy left from the condominium on Might 23 and went to a web traffic enforcement policeman for assistance. Woeltz and Duplessie were consequently detained on fees consisting of kidnapping, attack and false imprisonment.
