Blood, Crack, and Bitcoin in SoHo Kidnapping

What started as a luxury visit to Manhattan ended with a barefoot Italian man sprinting into the street, begging a traffic cop for help. Authorities now say he’d just escaped from a two-week ordeal so extreme, it has stunned even veteran investigators. The alleged motive? A massive Bitcoin fortune.

The SoHo Setup

The story begins on May 6, 2025, when a 28-year-old Italian tourist arrived in New York City at the invitation of two acquaintances - cryptocurrency investors John Woeltz, 37, and William Duplessie, 32.

According to prosecutors, the pair lured the man to a luxury townhouse in SoHo by promising to return the Bitcoin they had previously taken from him. But once he entered the home, that promise allegedly turned into a nightmare.

Authorities say Woeltz and Duplessie then began a brutal campaign to get the password to the man’s Bitcoin wallet. Over the next 17 days, the tourist was allegedly bound, beaten, shocked with electrical wires, and even forced to smoke from a crack pipe.

Prosecutors claim the two men threatened to kill his family and dangled him by the feet from a staircase inside the multistory residence.

A Bloody Escape

On May 23, the victim allegedly told his captors he’d finally give them the password - if he could retrieve his laptop. As the suspects went to get it, the man bolted. A bystander recorded him moments later, disheveled and shoeless, approaching a traffic agent and asking for help.

When police raided the apartment, they found a chilling array of items, including a saw, electrical cords, chicken wire, cocaine, night-vision goggles, body armor, and even Polaroids that appeared to show the man being tortured. Ammunition and firearms were also discovered, and an AirTag tracking device was reportedly used to threaten the victim with continued surveillance if he tried to escape.

The Investigation Grows

Woeltz was arrested at the SoHo townhouse. Prosecutors noted he had access to a private jet and a helicopter, calling him a flight risk. Duplessie surrendered days later, on May 27, after news of the arrest broke. He has since been indicted by a Manhattan grand jury, though the indictment remains sealed until his arraignment on June 11. Both men are currently being held without bail.

The case has also drawn scrutiny toward two NYPD detectives who were working private security at the property. One officer even picked up the Italian tourist at the airport and brought him to the townhouse. Both detectives have been placed on desk duty pending an internal affairs investigation. A union representative stated there is “absolutely no indication” that either detective was aware of the alleged kidnapping, according to the Associated Press.

A Business Deal Turned Violent

While many details remain sealed or under investigation, law enforcement officials say the motive appears clear - money. According to the NYPD, the men were once involved in a business relationship with the victim that eventually soured.

As the investigation continues, authorities are now tasked with not only proving the shocking allegations but also unpacking the digital trail of cryptocurrency dealings that brought three men together - and tore one of them apart.

References: He Was Urinated On, Cut with a Saw and Forced to Smoke Crack: What Police Say Happened to Tourist Lured to N.Y.C. - and Why | 2nd Suspect in Manhattan Crypto Kidnapping and Torture Case Indicted | A Man with a Bitcoin Fortune Was Allegedly Tortured for Weeks in a New York City Home. Here’s What We Know