Share this article
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.
May 27, 2025, 7:33 p.m.
Make us preferred on Google
What to know:
- William Duplessie, suspected of aiding in the kidnapping and torture of an Italian cryptocurrency investor, surrendered to New York City police.
- The suspect is accused of participating in a plot to extract access to a bitcoin wallet from Michael Valentino Teofrasto Carturan through physical and psychological abuse.
- Carturan, a former fund partner of one of the attackers, was allegedly held captive for nearly three weeks, assaulted, and tortured in a Manhattan townhouse.
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.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
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.
More For You
KuCoin captured a record share of centralised exchange volume in 2025, with more than $1.25tn traded as its volumes grew faster than the wider crypto market.
What to know:
- KuCoin recorded over $1.25 trillion in total trading volume in 2025, equivalent to an average of roughly $114 billion per month, marking its strongest year on record.
- This performance translated into an all-time high share of centralised exchange volume, as KuCoin’s activity expanded faster than aggregate CEX volumes, which slowed during periods of lower market volatility.
- Spot and derivatives volumes were evenly split, each exceeding $500 billion for the year, signalling broad-based usage rather than reliance on a single product line.
- Altcoins accounted for the majority of trading activity, reinforcing KuCoin’s role as a primary liquidity venue beyond BTC and ETH at a time when majors saw more muted turnover.
- Even as overall crypto volumes softened mid-year, KuCoin maintained elevated baseline activity, indicating structurally higher user engagement rather than short-lived volume spikes.
More For You
Ukraine banned Polymarket and there’s no legal way for it to come back
Polymarket and similar platforms are considered unlicensed gambling operators, leading to blocked access.
What to know:
- Ukraine has no legal framework for Web3 prediction markets, and current legislation provides no recognition for such platforms.
- Polymarket and similar platforms are considered unlicensed gambling operators, leading to blocked access.
- Legal changes are unlikely in the near future, as Parliamentary revisions to gambling definitions are extremely improbable during wartime, leaving prediction markets in a legal deadlock.
Top Stories
