A $1 million mansion in Kentucky owned by the crypto bros jailed for allegedly torturing a man for his digital coins was raided by authorities Tuesday.
The six-bedroom waterfront home in Smithland — which appears to be styled after the White House — was bought by self-styled “Crypto King of Kentucky” John Woeltz and his business partner William Duplessie for $1 million cash in January, multiple sources told The Post.
The house was raided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the NYPD, with support from the Kentucky State Police, according to a release from authorities.
The six-bedroom, 10-bathroom house in Smithland, Kentucky, which was purchased by John Woeltz and his business partner William Duplessie for $1 million cash in January. MLS
The impressive home, which sits on the banks of the Ohio River, boasts a swimming pool and a tennis court. Vick Patel/Paducah DroneVideo of the raid obtained by The Post shows vehicles rolling into the town, which has a population of less than 300, and a series of unmarked black SUVs and trucks at the property. It is unclear if anyone was there at the time of the raid.
Authorities have yet to say if anything was recovered from the property. Sources say one of the more unusual features of the house is a series of tunnels under it, accessible from the main house.
Woeltz, 33, and Duplessie, 37, are in jail over charges they allegedly held an associate, Michael Carturan, captive in another house they were renting in New York. They are alleged to have tortured him with a chainsaw while attempting to get him to hand over the password for his digital wallet containing $28 million in cryptocurrency over 17 days in May, according to prosecutors.
The home — which has secret tunnels underneath — was swarmed with unmarked cars during the raid. Vick Patel/Paducah Drone
Authorities used a huge number of resources, even though Woeltz and Duplessie were in jail at the time of the raid. It is unclear if anyone else was in the house at the time. Vick Patel/Paducah DroneA neighbor who lived opposite Woeltz and Duplessie in Smithland told The Post: “The two men we now know as the ‘crypto bros’ purchased the property at 101.
“There was talk they were looking at making the mansion a venue for events. They joined local societies and stuff like that and were trying to fit in.
“But there were all kinds of rumors going around. There was an awful lot of traffic, cars coming and going nonstop and stuff. At the same time there was an undercurrent that something wasn’t right,” said Joshua Johnson, who lived opposite the mansion until recently.
Duplessie (left) and Woeltz (right) at their hearing in Manhattan Supreme Court on Wednesday. Steven Hirsch
Woeltz calls himself the “Crypto King of Kentucky” and is rumored to be worth over $100 million. Steven Hirsch for NY PostNew evidence against the pair was presented at a hearing Wednesday, where prosecutors accused them of holding another two people against their will and unveiled new evidence, including a photo of them setting Carturan, an Italian national, on fire.
Woeltz and Duplessie are charged with kidnapping, assault and unlawful imprisonment and have both pleaded not guilty. Lawyers for both did not comment for this article.
Property deeds for the house obtained by The Post show it was bought by a Wyoming LLC, which was incorporated just weeks before the January 27 sale.
A source close to the sale told The Post: “Their cash was good and that’s all I know.”
Video obtained by NBC showed Michael Carturan flagging down a police officer after his escape from the home where Woeltz and Duplessie are alleged to have held him captive. WNBC
Duplessie (left) and Woeltz (right) at a New York nightclub before their arrest. TMZ / BACKGRIDThe stunning property boasts 10 bathrooms, an outdoor swimming pool and a tennis court, and sits on the bank of the Ohio River. Is known locally as the Strait house, after the family who previously lived there.
Carturan had raised the alarm against them after escaping from the house on Prince Street where he claimed he had been held and flagging down a traffic officer on May 23.
During their time in New York, Woeltz and Duplessie, who hails from Connecticut, gained a reputation for their hard partying and lavish spending.
