A second suspect has been arrested for allegedly kidnapping and torturing an Italian vacationer in an upmarket Manhattan dwelling for weeks in an effort to steal his cryptocurrency.
William Duplessie, 32, turned himself in to authorities on Tuesday after his alleged confederate was arrested final week.
Their alleged sufferer advised police he was hung off a roof ledge, shocked with electrical wires and attacked with a chainsaw as his attackers demanded he reveal his Bitcoin pockets password.
Each suspects are charged with kidnapping with intent to gather ransom, assault, illegal imprisonment and different crimes.
The arrests got here after the sufferer managed to flee a house in SoHo, one of many wealthiest neighbourhoods in New York, the place he was allegedly tortured and certain for almost three weeks.
In line with police, Mr Duplessie is the enterprise associate of John Woeltz, 37, who was arrested on Friday.
Mr Woeltz is a crypto investor from Kentucky and has been renting the SoHo dwelling – the place the assaults allegedly occurred – for between $30,000 (£22,000) and $40,000 per thirty days, based on the BBC’s US associate CBS Information.
Investigators within the case additionally arrested a lady on Friday, however prosecutors have declined to press fees in opposition to her.
The alleged sufferer, who has not been named publicly, advised police he got here to New York from Italy on 6 Could.
He alleged that upon arriving on the suspect’s home, Mr Woeltz took his passport and held him captive for 17 days.
Police say he had a gun pointed at his head, was struck with the gun, and had threats made in opposition to his household as his attackers demanded he reveal his password. He was additionally allegedly compelled to smoke crack cocaine.
The 28-year-old Italian nationwide says he escaped on Friday morning, bloodied and barefoot, after agreeing to offer the lads his password.
Once they went to get his laptop computer, the alleged sufferer says he fled the eight-bedroom townhouse.
He reported the assault and was taken to hospital for therapy, say authorities.
A police search of the house discovered a number of Polaroid photographs of the sufferer being tied up and tortured, in addition to firearms and medicines, police say.
At a listening to earlier than a decide on Tuesday, Mr Duplessie’s lawyer argued that “his involvement is hotly disputed” and stated he had proven good religion by turning himself in to authorities.
The lawyer requested that he be allowed to put up $1m bail and stay together with his father in Florida earlier than his trial, however the decide denied that request and ordered him to be held in detention.
Mr Woeltz has additionally been ordered to stay in jail, after prosecutors argued that he had the means to flee, together with a non-public jet and helicopter.
In a separate case in France, police have arrested greater than 20 individuals following various kidnapping plots focusing on crypto entrepreneurs and their households.
Authorities stated the arrests have been in reference to investigations right into a current abduction try in Nantes and the tried kidnapping of a lady and baby in Paris in Could.
David Seltzer, a legal defence legal professional who makes a speciality of cyber-crime, stated such circumstances are all too widespread.
“It is changing into a factor as a result of individuals suppose it is a straightforward technique to get money,” he advised the BBC’s US associate CBS.
“As a substitute of robbing a financial institution, they’ll kidnap somebody and get entry to their Bitcoin pockets or crypto pockets.”
