Two men, John Woeltz and William Duplessie, have been granted bail following their arrest for allegedly torturing an Italian cryptocurrency holder in a luxury townhouse in SoHo, New York City.
The pair was granted $1 million bail by Judge Gregory Carro this week, despite objections from prosecutors at the Manhattan district attorney’s office as the review of evidence continues.
According to prosecutors, Woeltz instructed an assistant to keep an eye on the alleged victim while he was using his phone.
When concerns were raised about the victim’s potential escape through an open door, another assistant assured, “Don’t worry I’m watching him.”
The messaging between the suspects revealed clear signs of coercion and abuse.
Duplessie mentioned in messages that they were using drugs because they were forcing the alleged victim to do the same, while other exchanges described him as broken and sobbing, saying he had “no more life in his eyes.”
Prosecutors also noted the physical evidence collected from the scene, which included a loaded firearm, a chainsaw, and a cattle prod, supporting the claims of torture.
Other items discovered included hacksaws, buckets, tarps, and goggles that were allegedly intended for disposing of the victim’s body.
The severity of the accusations includes allegations that they poured tequila on the man and set him on fire.
Woeltz and Duplessie are accused of luring the unidentified Italian man to New York by threatening harm to his family if he did not comply.
The suspects purportedly claimed to have government connections and warned the victim that non-cooperation would result in being labeled a terrorist.
The victim reported arriving in New York on May 6, where he was taken to Woeltz’s opulent eight-bedroom townhouse, where the alleged torture took place as they sought access to his Bitcoin password.
After enduring more than two weeks of abuse, the man managed to escape on May 23 and sought assistance from a traffic enforcement officer.
Following his escape, police arrested Woeltz and Duplessie.
Both individuals had been in custody since their arrest in May and pleaded not guilty to a total of twelve charges that include kidnapping, assault, and coercion during their arraignment last month.
As conditions of their bail, both must surrender their passports, submit to electronic monitoring, and remain on home confinement.
During the arraignment, the defendants’ attorneys contested the charges, claiming there is video evidence showcasing the alleged victim “having the time of his life” and engaging in activities inconsistent with the accusations of torture.
In response, prosecutor Sarah Kahn emphasized that victims of abuse often do not behave in predictable ways expected by outsiders.
Kahn added that discussions with unnamed law enforcement agencies had indicated previous torture incidents linked to Woeltz and Duplessie.
At a Wednesday hearing, prosecutors presented evidence of a law enforcement search conducted at a property in Kentucky tied to Woeltz, who is known as the “crypto king of Kentucky.”
The search reportedly uncovered writings in which Woeltz had contemplated abducting individuals to seize their cryptocurrency.
It was also revealed that Duplessie had previously been scrutinized in Switzerland for domestic violence, while Woeltz faced accusations of holding another person in Kentucky for a crypto ransom.
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