Shock in New York: Bitcoin kidnapper arrested – torture and death threats!

Shock in New York: Bitcoin kidnapper arrested – torture and death threats!

On Tuesday, 33-year-old William Duplessie turned himself in to police in New York. He is accused of kidnapping and torturing an Italian tourist with a business partner in order to obtain his cryptocurrency assets. The 28-year-old Italian managed to escape from a 17-room house in the Nolita district and alerted a traffic police officer. Loud Bluewin A pistol and photos of the victim's brutal torture were found in the house.

Duplessie, who lives in Switzerland and is co-founder of Pangea Digital Asset Group, had already predicted high Bitcoin value before his arrest and is considered a long-time supporter of the digital currency. On the Friday before his arrest, two other suspects were arrested - including John Woeltz, 37 years old. Police are investigating the relationship between the suspects and the victim.

Kidnapping and torture

The Italian citizen traveled to New York at the beginning of the month and initially voluntarily went to a luxurious townhouse with Woeltz. Not only was his passport confiscated, but also his electronic devices. To get the victim's Bitcoin password, the perpetrators used brutal methods. If the victim refused, he or she was tied up and tortured for several weeks, including beatings, electric shocks and death threats. Extremely brutal measures were used, including cutting with a chainsaw and forced cocaine consumption. The tormentors threatened the 28-year-old and his family with death to emphasize their demands.

In addition to Duplessie and Woeltz, Woeltz's assistant was also arrested. However, the charges against her are still pending. Before his arrest, Duplessie spent Memorial Day weekend in the Hamptons. The estimated value of the hijacked Bitcoin assets is around $30 million.

Global dimension of crypto fraud

The methods used in this case reflect a worrying development in the cryptocurrency fraud space. Loud daily news The global damage caused by fraud with crypto assets is around 70 billion euros. In Germany, new victims are being recorded every day, with the perpetrators often being former victims of such fraud themselves. Psychologically sophisticated methods are used, including the use of artificial intelligence for deep fakes.

Criminals around the world are active in regions with weak government surveillance, where so-called “cyberslaves” are targeted. These victims, like Abdus S. from Bangladesh, work under harsh conditions and are forced to fake relationships with other victims in order to lure them into fraudulent crypto investments. The “Pig Butchering” method describes this process of recruitment and subsequent exploitation.

Providing international cooperation in the fight against crypto fraud is crucial as many of these crimes are committed abroad. In Germany, the Bavarian Ministry of Justice has reached agreements with Interpol to improve investigations and respond specifically to the challenges posed by fraud networks worldwide.