A second individual connected with the SoHo cryptocurrency torture incident has surrendered himself to New York authorities. William Duplessie, as per ABC7NY, turned himself in early Tuesday morning and is facing multiple serious charges, including kidnapping and assault.
Previously, on a Friday night arrest was made of cryptocurrency investor John Woeltz, 37, who has now been charged with a litany of offenses such as kidnapping and assault, in reference to a statement from NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch given on Good Day New York, captured by FOX5NY. Woeltz, alongside Duplessie, are accused of torturing a 28-year-old Italian man for weeks in an attempt to retrieve his Bitcoin password.
The victim's harrowing story unfolded when he landed in New York from Italy on May 6, and was subsequently lured to an apartment on Prince Street. The assailants confiscated his passport and subjected him to brutal torture methods, including electrocution and physical beatings, as per statements in both news sources.
In an escape likened to a thriller, prosecutors disclosed that the victim took his chance to flee after the captors menacingly implied his execution was imminent. He contacted a traffic agent, leading to the rapid police intervention. Searching the SoHo townhouse resulted in the discovery of items such as night vision goggles, body armor, and most disturbingly, Polaroids of the victim with a firearm pressed against his temple, as described by ABC7NY.
Both suspects are currently in custody as the investigation proceeds. Woeltz, who was required to surrender his passport, awaits his next court appearance tomorrow. Meanwhile, the victim remains under medical care for injuries consistent with the abuse and torture described in his testimony, and as detailed by prosecutor Michael Mattson per FOX5NY.
