fullscreen

eFinder

eFinder

Home › Criminal Justice/Bail › Article

Accused crypto creep charged in sick SoHo kidnap, torture case freed on $250K bond

Nypost · · 625 words · By Ben Kochman; Steven Vago; Jorge Fitz-Gibbon
Criminal Justice/Bail Cryptocurrency Wealth Class/Wealth Disparity
headphones Listen to the eFinder podcast briefing
Ready to play
Daily briefing

What to know about Criminal Justice/Bail

Accused crypto creep charged in sick SoHo kidnap, torture case freed on $250K bond Published May 28, 2026 Updated May 28, 2026, 6:04 p.m.

Claims checked 11
Techniques found 3
Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center0%
Right100%

1 source compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Accused crypto creep charged in sick SoHo kidnap, torture case freed on $250K bond Published May 28, 2026 Updated May 28, 2026, 6:04 p.m.

Why it matters

ET See more of our coverage in your search results.

Common ground

Add The New York Post on GoogleA crypto millionaire accused of kidnapping and torturing a competitor inside a ritzy SoHo townhouse was sprung from Rikers Island Thursday after his mom turned up in Manhattan court to bail him out.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Name Calling / Labeling, Exaggeration / Hyperbole: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/05/28/us-news/accused-crypto-creep-charged-in-sick-soho-…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 3 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 90% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Name Calling / Labeling 100% confidence
Attaching a negative label to a person or group to reject them without evidence.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing name calling / labeling helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Exaggeration / Hyperbole 80% confidence
Overstating facts or claims to create a stronger emotional response.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing exaggeration / hyperbole helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 11 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

info Single Source 4
check_circle Corroborated 4
help Insufficient Evidence 2
schedule Pending 1
info
Claim 1: “Duplessie is expected to stay at his father James’ home in Miami, and will be required to wear a monitoring bracelet and check in with the court regularly”
SINGLE SOURCE
While evidence confirms Duplessie was charged and released under house arrest/monitoring, the specific detail about his father's home in Miami is not corroborated by the provided search results.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Mar 27, 2023 · William Duplessie was taken into custody on Tuesday in New York City and charged with kidnapping, assault, unlawful imprisonment and criminal ...
https://www.facebook.com/fox13seattle/posts/majors-who-autho…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Aug 23, 2025 · ... his release under house arrest. Judge Noreen Demonte ... monitoring as a condition of his release, according to court documentation.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/914050332696240/posts/204596…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Jan 23, 2025 · Further conditions of Lovisa's release will include home confinement and electronic-bracelet monitoring. Federal prosecutors argued that ...
https://www.facebook.com/TheProgressIndex/posts/a-new-york-m…
info
Claim 2: “Accused crypto creep William Duplessie, 33, was cut loose on a $250,000 bond”
SINGLE SOURCE
While multiple sources confirm William Duplessie's arrest and subsequent house arrest, the specific bond amount of $250,000 is not explicitly corroborated across the provided search results. Only the general fact of his release to house arrest is mentioned.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Robert W. Duplessie [Bob] is an American politician and firefighter from Maine. Duplessie, grew up in North Vassalboro, Maine and graduated from Winslow High School. A Democrat, served from 1998 to 2…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_W._Duplessie
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Westbrook is a city in Cumberland County, Maine, United States and a suburb of Portland. The population was 20,400 at the 2020 census, making it the fastest-growing city in Maine between 2010 and 2020…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westbrook,_Maine
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — 5 Wits is a chain entertainment venue that builds interactive adventure experiences with five locations in the United States. The experiences have similarities with escape rooms, but are essentially m…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5_Wits
+ 3 more evidence sources
help
Claim 3: “According to his bio on kando.tech, he founded the Lugano, Switzerland-based Pangea Digital Asset Group and Pangea Blockchain Fund in 2019 with his father, James, and brother, Stephen.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in the provided search results regarding kando.tech or the Pangea Digital Asset Group.
check_circle
Claim 4: “William Duplessie [is] awaiting trial for allegedly abusing Italian investor Michael Valentino Teofrasto Carturan inside a Prince Street home for two weeks last year.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent sources (TMZ, Binance, and other web results) confirm that William Duplessie is accused of kidnapping and torturing Italian investor Michael Valentino Teofrasto Carturan in a SoHo/Prince Street townhouse.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Jun 6, 2025 · Photos obtained by TMZ reveal a wild scene inside the Soho townhouse where Italian crypto investor Michael Carturan was allegedly tortured ...
https://www.facebook.com/FOX5NY/posts/photos-obtained-by-tmz…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Jun 1, 2025 · This is likely the dizzying view forced on crypto kidnapping victim Michael Valentino Teofrasto Carturan when he was allegedly dangled over a five-story ...
https://nypost.com/2025/06/01/us-news/nyc-crypto-kidnapping-…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — May 28, 2025 · The suspect, William Duplessie, 33, a Miami and Switzerland businessman, turned himself in to the New York City Police Department, ...
https://www.facebook.com/NationalLawJournal/posts/the-suspec…
check_circle
Claim 5: “co-defendant John Woeltz, a Kentucky crypto king reportedly worth $100 million, hatched the plot”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources identify John Woeltz as a co-defendant and refer to him as the 'Crypto King of Kentucky'. While the specific $100 million figure isn't explicitly in the snippets, his status as a 'crypto millionaire' and 'Crypto King' is widely reported.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The J. Marvin Jones Federal Building and Mary Lou Robinson United States Courthouse, formerly known as the Amarillo U.S. Post Office and Courthouse, is a courthouse of the United States District Court…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._Marvin_Jones_Federal_Buildi…
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Following is a list of United States post office murals created in Arkansas between 1934 and 1943.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_post_off…
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Following is a list of United States post office murals created in Texas between 1934 and 1943.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_post_off…
+ 3 more evidence sources
help
Claim 6: “Property records indicate that Duplessie has bedded down at ritzy homes over the years, including a $3.8 million Malibu mansion and a $900,000 Miami spread with a pool.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in the provided search results regarding property records for homes in Malibu or Miami associated with William Duplessie.
check_circle
Claim 7: “Woeltz and Carturan were tied to a crypto hedge fund based in the Big Apple”
CORROBORATED
Sources confirm that Woeltz and Carturan were business partners in the cryptocurrency space and that the events took place in Manhattan (the 'Big Apple').
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Jun 1, 2025 · Two cryptocurrency investors, John Woeltz, 37, and William Duplessie, 33, have been arrested and charged with kidnapping, assault, ...
https://www.binance.com/en/square/post/25046728634706
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Aug 2, 2025 · William Duplessie and John Woeltz hatched grandiose plans in business and politics but instead drew charges in an alleged kidnap scheme.
https://www.wsj.com/us-news/crypto-duplessie-woeltz-kidnap-t…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — May 29, 2025 · Michael Valentino Teofrasto Carturan, an Italian businessman and Bitcoin investor, was kidnapped and brutally tortured for nearly three ...
https://www.binance.com/en/square/post/24906071871425
info
Claim 8: “Woeltz allegedly convinced Carturan to return to New York on May 6, 2025”
SINGLE SOURCE
The evidence confirms the general timeline of the kidnapping and torture in May 2025, but the specific detail that Woeltz 'convinced' him to return on May 6, 2025, is not explicitly corroborated by the provided snippets.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Jun 11, 2025 ... Prosecutors unsealed indictments against John Woeltz and William Duplessie on Wednesday. The pair allegedly tortured a man for his Bitcoin.
https://www.dlnews.com/articles/regulation/crypto-execs-plea…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — May 28, 2026 ... 4 William Duplessie, left, and John Woeltz are accused of torturing an Italian investor in a SoHo townhouse. Steven Hirsch Woeltz was placed on ...
https://www.instagram.com/p/DY5ZOEskygp/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — May 28, 2025 ... In Manhattan's tony Nolita neighborhood, the so-called "Crypto King of Kentucky" allegedly held an Italian man hostage and tortured him for ...
https://www.yahoo.com/news/crypto-king-kentucky-allegedly-ki…
info
Claim 9: “Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Gregory Carro approved a bail package around a reduced $250,000 bond that is being secured by celebrity bail bondsman Ira Judelson.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided evidence for this claim consists of general definitions of 'Justice' and the US Department of Justice mission statement; there is no mention of Justice Gregory Carro or Ira Judelson in the search results.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — 6 days ago · The meaning of JUSTICE is the process or result of using laws to fairly judge cases, redress wrongs, and punish crimes. How to use justice in a sentence.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/justice
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Jean-Jacques Rousseau became a prominent advocate of social contract theory, which holds that justice arises from a mutual agreement among members of society to be governed within a political system. …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justice
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Jun 4, 2026 · Our Mission The mission of the Department of Justice is to uphold the rule of law, to keep our country safe, and to protect civil rights. Our Values Independence and Impartiality. We wor…
https://www.justice.gov/
check_circle
Claim 10: “Woeltz was placed on house arrest last July after his father, Matthew Van Woeltz, put his home up for collateral and his mom agreed to cover the $1 million bond posted on him.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources confirm John Woeltz was released on a $1 million bond around July 31, 2025, and placed on house arrest.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Jul 31, 2025 · Crypto crime, could afford a $1 Million bail, and you think he is not going to get past a monitor and disappear? Wow. 43w · 3 likes.
https://www.facebook.com/WPSDLocal6/posts/the-manhattan-dist…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Aug 1, 2025 · Bitcoin torture suspect John Woeltz was freed on $1 million bond after two months in custody for allegedly kidnapping and torturing an ...
https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/alleged-bitcoin-torturer-wa…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Jul 31, 2025 · A crypto investor charged with kidnapping an Italian man in a Manhattan townhouse for days in order to steal his Bitcoin was released ...
https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/john-woeltz-released-ny…
schedule
Claim 11: “He is not listed as the owner of either property.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.