Crypto bigwig accused of torture of bitcoin dealer in NYC townhouse sports scowl as hes thrown behind bars without bail
The second suspect in the alleged kidnapping and torture of an Italian bitcoin dealer inside a SoHo townhouse was seen scowling as he was remanded without bail in court Tuesday night.After he partied it up in the Hamptons over the weekend, William Duplessie appeared in Manhattan Criminal Court, where his lawyer claimed the 33-year-old crypto trader’s criminal case will “begin to unravel” when more details come out. “The facts here are hotly disputed, his involvement is hotly disputed,” attorney Sanford Talkin claimed to Judge Julieta Lozano during his nighttime arraignment hearing.Duplessie, who sported a frown at the hearing, is facing charges of kidnapping, unlawful imprisonment, assault and weapons possession, just hours after turning himself in to police at the 13th Precinct stationhouse in Manhattan.Duplessie was sought in the horrific torture of Italian bitcoin millionaire Michael Valentino Teofrasto Carturan, who was allegedly held captive in the posh townhouse.Kentucky crypto king John Woeltz has already been charged in the explosive case.Talkin asked the judge to release Duplessie on $1 million bail, claiming he would not flee the Big Apple.
He also said his client would live with his father — who attended the hearing and waved to his son from the spectator benches — and was willing to wear an ankle monitor.“If he was a risk of flight, he wouldn’t have gotten an attorney,” Talkin told the judge.“He would’ve been out of here.” But Lozano disagreed, stating that “remand was necessary to ensure he return to court.” She also ordered him to surrender his passport and issued an order of protection for the victim.Duplessie’s next court date is Friday.Both Assistant District Attorney Amanda Blott and the judge referenced a criminal case against Duplessie in Switzerland, though more details were not revealed.Duplessie and Woeltz allegedly tormented Carturan as they tried to pry his bitcoin password from him to obtain millions o...