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A second suspect was apprehended on Tuesday concerning the alleged torture of an Italian man in a New York City townhouse due to his refusal to reveal a Bitcoin password.
William Duplessie turned himself in this morning at a Manhattan precinct and faces charges of assault, first-degree kidnapping, first-degree unlawful imprisonment, and criminal possession of a firearm, according to a New York Police Department (NYPD) spokesperson who spoke to Fox News Digital.
John Woeltz, 37, was observed handcuffed, wearing a robe, and barefoot outside his residence in Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood on Friday morning, shortly after the alleged victim escaped and contacted the police for assistance.
Woeltz is facing the same charges in the case.
A criminal complaint against Woeltz cited the alleged victim – an Italian former business partner, according to police and reports – as telling investigators that the saga began on May 6, when he arrived at an address on Prince Street.
John Woeltz, a crypto entrepreneur and investor, is seen being escorted by police outside the NYPD’s 5th Precinct. (WNYW)
“Informant states that when Informant refused to provide the defendant and unapprehended male with his Bitcoin password, the defendant and unapprehended male, over the course of approximately three weeks, subjected Informant to beatings, including but not limited to using electric wires to shock Informant, using a firearm to hit Informant on the head causing a laceration, pointing the firearm at Informant’s head on several occasions, and carrying Informant to the top flight of stairs within the above-mentioned location and hanging Informant over the ledge as the defendant threatened to kill Informant if Informant did not provide the defendant the Informant’s Bitcoin password,” the complaint added.
“Informant further states that the defendant and unapprehended male tied Informant’s wrists, binding Informant and preventing movement, and that the defendant and unapprehended male stated that he would have Informant’s family killed,” the complaint also said.
The alleged victim eventually managed to escape and called a nearby traffic officer.
Officers responded to the address around 10 a.m. Friday, and witnesses described a dramatic scene as police, SWAT teams and emergency vehicles swarmed the area, local station Fox 5 reported.
A 24-year-old woman was also taken into custody in connection with the case, but the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office told Fox News on Tuesday that they declined to prosecute her at this time “pending further investigation.”
Fox News Digital’s Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.
