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2nd suspect in SoHo Bitcoin kidnapping case turns himself in: NYPD
By
Ben Feuerherd
Published May 27, 2025
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Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images
By
Ben Feuerherd
Published May 27, 2025
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A second suspect turned himself in Tuesday in what police say was the kidnapping and torture of a cryptocurrency investor in a house in SoHo.
William Duplessie turned himself in to the NYPD’s major case squad at the 13th Precinct with his attorneys at about 7:45 a.m., a police spokesperson said.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said in an appearance on FOX 5 Tuesday morning that Duplessie will face kidnapping and false imprisonment charges.
Attorney information for Duplessie was not immediately available.
Police said Friday that they arrested John Woeltz, 37, in the kidnapping plot that began May 6.
In a criminal complaint filed Saturday, prosecutors said Woeltz and an accomplice met with their victim that day at a house on Prince Street, stole his passport and electronics and demanded he turn over his Bitcoin password so they could steal the cryptocurrency from him. The complaint did not name Duplessie.
Woeltz and his accomplice tortured the victim over 17 days as they tried to access his Bitcoin account, according to the complaint. They beat him over the head with a gun, held the gun to his head and used electrical wires to shock him, the filing states.
They also allegedly tied the victim’s wrists so he couldn’t move, brought him to the top of a staircase, hung him over a ledge and threatened to kill him.
Woeltz was charged by the Manhattan district attorney’s office with kidnapping, assault, unlawful imprisonment and possession of a firearm.
A judge on Saturday ordered Woeltz to be held in jail, pending trial.
This is a developing story based on preliminary information from police and may be updated.
Tagged
cryptocurrency
new york city
public safety
manhattan
soho
Ben Feuerherd
Ben Feuerherd covers public safety and policing for WNYC and Gothamist. He previously covered federal courts for The New York Post and The Messenger. His work has also appeared in POLITICO, the Daily Beast and NBC New York. Got a tip? Email [email protected].
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