In brief
- William Duplessie surrendered to the NYPD on Tuesday, bringing to a close a months-long search by the NYPD.
- Duplessie faces charges of first-degree kidnapping, second-degree assault, unlawful imprisonment, and weapons possession.
- He is accused of abducting a 28-year-old Italian businessman for access to his Bitcoin seed phrase.
A third person was arrested in New York on Tuesday as part of a weeks-long manhunt to apprehend those responsible for the violent kidnapping plot of a Bitcoin investor.
William Duplessie, alongside John Woeltz, has been charged with allegedly abducting an unnamed 28-year-old Italian businessman, holding him captive in an upscale Manhattan apartment for two weeks.
The pair allegedly tortured the businessman by electric shocks, physical beatings, and threats with a firearm, in an attempt to obtain access to the victim’s Bitcoin holdings.
“Duplessie is charged with assault second-degree, kidnapping first-degree, unlawful imprisonment first-degree, and criminal possession of a firearm,” an NYPD spokesperson told Decrypt.
Beatrice Folchi, who police noted worked as Woeltz’s assistant, was also arrested on Friday and charged with first-degree kidnapping and unlawful imprisonment, but was released after the Manhattan District Attorney declined to prosecute pending further investigation.
Authorities have not said whether Duplessie has legal representation or if the kidnapping is linked to a broader criminal network.
The New York Bitcoin kidnapping case is part of a growing trend of crypto-related violent crimes, as criminals increasingly target digital asset holders for abduction, extortion, and assault.
On Tuesday, French police arrested 12 suspects in connection with two crypto-related kidnappings in Paris earlier this month, including the father of a crypto entrepreneur.
In January, hardware wallet Ledger co-founder David Balland was abducted along with his wife. According to sources at the time, the kidnappers cut off one of Balland’s fingers as proof of the kidnapping.
On Saturday, John Woeltz, 33, was arrested in New York after the alleged kidnapping victim escaped from a luxury townhouse in Manhattan where he was held captive for several weeks. At the time, prosecutors said Woeltz claimed another male had participated in the kidnapping.
After his arrest, Woeltz was charged with kidnapping, assault, unlawful imprisonment, and weapons possession, and was ordered to be held without bail.
If convicted on all charges in New York, Duplessie and Woeltz could face a minimum of 15 years to life in federal prison.
Edited by Sebastian Sinclair
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