Suspect in NYC crypto kidnapping, torture case allegedly involved his assistant: DA

SOHO, New York City -- One of two men charged with torturing an Italian cryptocurrency holder inside a luxury New York City townhouse repeatedly messaged an assistant to keep eyes on the alleged victim, according to prosecutors at the Manhattan district attorney's office.

John Woeltz, along with fellow suspect William Duplessie, were granted $1 million bail this week by Judge Gregory Carro as review of the case's evidence continues. The decision was made against over the objection of the DA's office.

Prosecutors said on Thursday Woeltz allegedly instructed the assistant to monitor the alleged victim whenever he used his phone.

When the assistant expressed concern the victim might have left the townhouse through an open door a second assistant replied, "Don't worry I'm watching him," prosecutors said.

Prosecutors disclosed the information as attorneys for Woeltz and William Duplessie argue they did not hold the Italian man against his will.

A message from Duplessie said he and Woeltz had to keep doing drugs because they were making the alleged victim do drugs, prosecutors said. Other messages described the alleged victim as broken, sobbing, with "no more life in his eyes," according to the prosecutors.

In addition, they said physical evidence recovered from the scene corroborates allegations Woeltz and Duplessie subjected the alleged victim to torture, including a loaded firearm, chainsaw and cattle prod.

Hacksaws, buckets, tarps and goggles were also found, with prosecutors saying the defendants threatened to use to dispose of the alleged victim's body. They are also accused of pouring tequila on the alleged victim and lighting him on fire.

Prosecutors have said Woeltz and Duplessie lured the alleged victim -- an Italian man who is not identified in the indictment -- to New York by allegedly threatening to have his family killed.

Woeltz and Duplessie allegedly told the Italian man that they were associated with the government and if he didn't cooperate, he would be labeled a terrorist, prosecutors said.

The man told police he arrived in New York on May 6 and went to Woeltz's eight-bedroom SoHo townhouse, where he was allegedly tortured over his Bitcoin password, according to a complaint.

After more than two weeks, police said the man escaped from the townhouse on May 23 and ran to a traffic enforcement officer for help. Woeltz and Duplessie were subsequently arrested.

Before being granted bail on Wednesay, Woeltz and Duplessie have remained in custody since their arrest in May. They both pleaded not guilty to a dozen charges, including kidnapping, assault and coercion, during their arraignment last month.

Both men must surrender passports, submit to electronic monitoring and remain on home confinement.

During the arraignment, the defense pushed back against the allegations, saying there is video of the alleged victim "having the time of his life" and engaging in activity at odds with having been tortured.

A prosecutor, Sarah Kahn, said in response that "victims of abuse are not always going to act in a way that we expect people to do."

Kahn also said prosecutors have had conversations with other, unnamed law enforcement agencies that indicated Woeltz and Duplessie have tortured people before.

Prosecutors at Wednesday's hearing brought up a law enforcement search of a property in Kentucky linked to Woeltz, who is known as the "crypto king of Kentucky," that they said turned up writings indicating that Woeltz had mused about holding people to steal their cryptocurrency.

Duplessie was previously investigated in Switzerland for domestic violence and Woeltz has previously been accused of holding a different individual in Kentucky for crypto ransom.