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In New York, 37-year-old cryptocurrency investor John Voeltz has been formally charged with kidnapping his business partner in Manhattan’s SoHo district, allegedly holding him captive for three weeks, subjecting him to torture, and coercing him to surrender the password to a Bitcoin wallet. The indictment was announced on May 29 by the District Attorney’s Office and reported by local media.
According to court filings, Voeltz was arrested on May 23. In a sworn statement submitted to a Manhattan court, the victim informed police that on May 6, Voeltz and his alleged accomplice, William Duplessis, seized his electronic devices and passport, demanding access credentials to a cryptocurrency wallet. When he refused, the assailants escalated to acts of brutal violence.
The victim recounted being pistol-whipped, bound at the wrists, threatened with harm to his family, and even suspended over a stairwell. He was also subjected to electric shocks. These abuses continued for several weeks until he managed to escape. According to The New York Times, which obtained an internal police report, both suspects were previously affiliated with a cryptocurrency hedge fund, and the victim is a citizen of Italy.
William Duplessis, aged 33 and identified as Voeltz’s accomplice, was taken into custody the day before and is scheduled to appear in court on May 30. Both men have been remanded into custody pending trial. No official pleas have yet been entered, and neither suspect has commented on the charges. Their legal representatives have declined to issue any public statements.
The case has sparked widespread public concern, as the crime took place in one of the city’s most affluent neighborhoods and involves a violent attempt to seize digital assets. Prosecutors emphasize the extreme cruelty of the accused and view the case as emblematic of the growing risks associated with digital finance.
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