New York City — Two NYPD Detective officers, including one assigned to protect Mayor Eric Adams, have been placed on limited duty after being linked to a kidnapping case involving two cryptocurrency businessmen.
According to sources close to the investigation, the detective who works on Mayor Adams’ security team may have also worked privately for the two businessmen John Woeltz and William Duplessie. These men are accused of kidnapping and torturing an Italian tourist for 17 days in a townhouse on Prince Street in the Nolita neighborhood.
Investigators believe the detective provided private security at the townhouse where the tourist was held. They also say he may have picked up the Italian tourist from the airport earlier this month.
NYPD Detective Officers Under Investigation in Crypto Kidnapping Case
A New York City detective assigned to Mayor Eric Adams’ security team is under investigation for possible ties to a kidnapping case involving two cryptocurrency businessmen. The NYPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau (IAB) is looking into whether the detective helped bring an Italian tourist to a townhouse on Prince Street, where the man was allegedly held captive for 17 days.
Officials say it’s still unclear if the detective or another NYPD Detective officer involved knew about the kidnapping or played any role in the crime. Both officers are now on modified duty while the investigation continues.
It’s not uncommon for NYPD Detective officers to take on extra jobs in private security while off duty, but it’s not yet known if this side job was officially approved by the department.
City Hall released a statement saying, “Every city employee is expected to follow the law, including our officers, both on and off duty. We are disturbed by these allegations, and as soon as it came to our attention, the officers were placed on modified duty. The investigation is ongoing.”
The two men accused in the case, John Woeltz and William Duplessie, are facing NYPD Detective multiple charges, including kidnapping. Woeltz, 37, was denied bail after a grand jury indicted him. He has been in jail since his arrest last Friday, when police took him into custody in a bathrobe outside the luxury townhouse on Prince Street. His arraignment is scheduled for June 11.
Kidnapped Italian Tourist Escaped After Giving Up Bitcoin Password
NYPD Detective New details have emerged in the case of an Italian tourist who was kidnapped and held for weeks in a Manhattan townhouse. Authorities say the victim arrived in New York on May 6, after being lured by John Woeltz and one of his business partners, who are involved in cryptocurrency.
The tourist was reportedly held for 17 days and only released after he gave up the password to his Bitcoin account. After his escape, police arrested Woeltz outside the luxury townhouse on Prince Street.
William Duplessie, the second suspect, turned himself in to police earlier this week. He is currently waiting for a grand jury to decide on charges.
Crypto Investor Accused of Torturing Tourist in NYC Townhouse
Shocking new details have been revealed in the case of an Italian tourist who was kidnapped and tortured inside a luxury Manhattan townhouse by two cryptocurrency businessmen.
Officials say the 35-year-old man, whose name has not been released, arrived in New York on May 6 after being threatened by one of the suspects, John Woeltz. Woeltz and his business partner, William Duplessie, allegedly told the victim they would kill his family if he didn’t come to the U.S.
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According to police, the tourist was held for 17 days inside a six-story townhouse in Nolita, where he was tortured in brutal ways. He says the men shocked him with electrical wires, forced him to smoke from a crack pipe, and even dangled him from a staircase five stories high.
Last Friday morning, the victim finally gave them the password to his computer. While the suspects went to get the device, he escaped bloodied and without shoes. He made it onto the street and got help.
When police searched the home, they found disturbing items including cocaine, a saw, chicken wire, body armor, night vision goggles, bullets, and Polaroid photos showing a gun pointed at the victim’s head.
Who Is John Woeltz?
John Woeltz is believed to be a wealthy crypto trader from Kentucky, with a reported net worth of around $100 million. The victim is also said to be worth around $30 million.
Woeltz had been renting the Nolita townhouse for at least $30,000 a month. The home, described by sources as a “high-end frat house,” featured an elevator, stripper poles in the basement, and bottles of liquor scattered around. Neighbors said they often heard loud parties but had no idea what was happening inside.
Sources say Woeltz and Duplessie had a complicated past with the victim, including previous physical altercations. Their relationship has been described as something out of The Wolf of Wall Street, filled with chaos and excess.
The investigation is ongoing, and both suspects face serious charges including kidnapping and torture.
