Third individual arrested in NYC crypto torture and kidnapping case
A third suspect, 33-year-old William Duplessie, surrendered to the NYPD on May 27 in connection with the kidnapping, torture, and attempted extortion of Italian tourist Michael Valentino Teofrasto in New York City. Duplessie faces charges of kidnapping and false imprisonment. The incident is part of a trend involving kidnappings targeting crypto investors. Teofrasto was held captive for weeks, during which he was beaten, shocked with a Taser, and coerced to reveal his crypto private keys. He escaped from a luxury townhome in SoHo and reported the incident to police. Following his report, crypto investor John Woeltz was arrested and charged with kidnapping for ransom and other felonies. Woeltz remains in custody without bail, awaiting a court hearing on May 28.
