NYPD detective on Eric Adams security detail tied to crypto millionaire torture case, sources say
Share and Follow

Two members of the NYPD, including a detective in Mayor Eric ams’ security detail, have been placed on modified duty this week after links surfaced to two crypto businessmen charged with kidnapping an Italian tourist earlier this month, sources closes to the case tell NBC New York.

Sources familiar with the case say NYPD brass learned the detective assigned to protect ams had provided security at the Prince Street townhouse in Nolita where crypto businessmen John Woeltz and William Duplessie allegedly tortured and held captive an Italian tourist for 17 days. Sources believe the detective — working off duty for the two crypto businessmen — also picked up the Italian tourist from the airport earlier this month.

Read more from NBC New York

An IAB investigation underway is looking into whether the detective may have transported the tourist to the Prince Street townhouse where he was held.

It is unclear whether the detective or the other NYPD member had any knowledge or involvement in the alleged kidnap and torture plot. A source familiar with the case said that both detectives are on modified duty pending the outcome of the same investigation.

It is not unusual for members of the NYPD to moonlight in outside security jobs while off-duty, though it is not known whether this particular side gig was approved by the department.

“Every city employee is expected to follow the law, including our officers, both on and off duty,” City Hall said in a statement. “We are disturbed by these allegations, and as soon as it came to our attention, the officers were placed on modified duty. The investigation is ongoing.”

Woeltz and Duplessie are both being held on multiple charges including kidnapping.

The 37-year-old Woeltz was denied bail following a grand jury indictment Thursday. He has been jailed since his bathrobed arrest Friday outside the luxury rental on Prince Street. The judge said the grand jury indictment would remain sealed until his arraignment, set for June 11. Woeltz didn’t appear in person Thursday.

The Italian tourist, who escaped after giving up his Bitcoin password after a weeks-long ordeal, arrived in New York on May 6, allegedly lured there by John Woeltz and another business partner. d brought him to the Nolita home.

Duplessie, surrendered to police earlier in the week and is awaiting his own indictment.

On May 6, they allegedly lured the man — whose name has not been released by officials — to a posh townhouse in Manhattan’s Soho neighborhood, one of the city’s most expensive, by threatening to kill his family.

The man said he was then held captive for 17 days, as the two investors tormented him with electrical wires, forced him to smoke from a crack pipe and at one point dangled him from a staircase five stories high.

He eventually agreed to hand over his computer password Friday morning, then managed to flee the home as his captors went to retrieve the device. The victim made it onto the street, bloodied and shoeless, according to police.

A search of the townhouse turned up cocaine, a saw, chicken wire, body armor, night vision goggles, ammunition and polaroid photos of the victim with a gun pointed to his head, according to prosecutors.

Who is John Woeltz?

Authorities believe Woeltz is a big-name cryptocurrency trader from Kentucky with an estimated worth around $100 million; sources said the victim is worth an estimated $30 million. Woeltz had reportedly been renting out the Nolita residence at a monthly rate of at least $30,000.

The luxury six-story pad has an elevator and was described by sources as a “high-end frat house” with bottles of liquor strewn about and stripper poles in the basement. Neighbors said they could hear loud partying at all hours of the night, but they had no idea of the alleged torture going on within its walls.

Sources told NBC New York that Woeltz and Duplessie roughed up the victim in the past, but not to the same extent. He would get picked on by the other two, but their treatment of him was not as violent. Sources described the relationship among the three as complex, with a “Wolf of Wall Street/frat guys gone wild” element to it.

Share and Follow
You May Also Like
Kate Middleton is joined by her daughter Charlotte on the piano

Kate Middleton and Princess Charlotte Delight Royal Fans with a Mother-Daughter Piano Performance

The Princess of Wales and her daughter, Princess Charlotte, captivated audiences with…
Three dead as record-breaking storm batters California with floods

Devastating Storm Claims Three Lives in California Amid Historic Flooding

A relentless Christmas storm in California has claimed the lives of three…
Winner of $8.75 million lottery ticket sold at Jacksonville Beach store revealed

$22,000 Fantasy 5 Ticket Sold at Jacksonville Publix on Christmas Eve

While it wasn’t the Powerball, a lucky individual in Jacksonville scored a…
FILE - A memorial wreath stands next to the bronze memorial bust by Robert Berks of President John F. Kennedy in the grand foyer at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, Nov. 22, 2013, on the 50th anniversary of Kennedy

Kennedy Center’s Christmas Jazz Canceled Amid Controversy Over Trump Naming

NEW YORK (AP) — A longstanding Christmas Eve jazz concert at the…
Reiner family rush to 'traumatized' daughter Romy's side

Reiner Family Supports Daughter Romy Amid Emotional Struggles: A Heartfelt Response

In a twist of fate, Jake Reiner has found himself in a…
Late-night joyride ends in disaster as driver smashes into towering Christmas tree on camera

Late-Night Joyride Turns Chaotic: Driver Crashes into Giant Christmas Tree, Caught on Camera

A late-night joyride took a dramatic turn in southern Kazakhstan as a…
The 'hard-knock' life of Melodee Buzzard

Exploring the Resilient Journey of Melodee Buzzard

Melodee Buzzard’s young life was marked by turmoil before her tragic death.…
Little boy left an orphan after a couple are killed in car crash

Tragedy Strikes: Young Boy Becomes Orphan After Devastating Car Accident Claims Parents

A tragic accident in Texas left a young boy as the sole…