Two NYPD detectives, including one who is part of Mayor Eric Adams' security detail, have been placed to modified duty as officials investigate their possible connection to the crypto-related torture case, according to a report.
One of the detectives, who was off duty at the time, is suspected of driving Italian Bitcoin millionaire Michael Valentino Teofrasto Carturan from the airport to a luxurious SoHo townhouse on May 6, where he was allegedly held hostage and tortured for weeks by two crypto investors, the New York Post reported. That detective was part of Adams' security detail but had also been working private security jobs on the side, according to the sources.
Police Link in Crypto Millionaire Torture Scheme
Sources also revealed that the second NYPD detective was believed to have been involved with the suspected kidnappers — John Woeltz and William Duplessie — in an unauthorized capacity.
The Mayor's Office confirmed that both detectives had been placed on leave and said that they were "disturbed" by the allegations.
"Every city employee is expected to follow the law, including our officers, both on and off duty," a spokesperson said.
"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, 37, and Duplessie, 33, are accused of tricking the Italian millionaire into coming to the SoHo townhouse, where they allegedly tortured him to get his Bitcoin account password.
The horrifying ordeal came to light after the victim escaped last Friday — barefoot and covered in blood — while his captors were momentarily distracted, according to police.
Shocking Revelations
He claimed he had been brutally tortured, drugged, electrocuted with wires, and repeatedly threatened with death over the course of nearly three weeks.
This came as it was revealed earlier this week that Woeltz was known for spending a whopping $100,000 in one night at an exclusive erotic nightclub in New York City. Woeltz and William Duplessie began regularly visiting The Box — a notorious club on the Lower East Side — starting in February, according to sources who spoke with TMZ.
The duo was spotted there on multiple nights in a row, reportedly spending between $80,000 and $100,000 during each visit. Woeltz was arrested last week, while Duplessie surrendered to police Tuesday.
Sources said that on at least one night, Duplessie was photographed partying shirtless at the club, with a woman sitting on his shoulders. The pair frequently brought women they met at The Box back to a luxurious SoHo apartment for private afterparties, according to insiders.
