A 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.
Accused crypto creep William Duplessie, 33, was cut loose on a $250,000 bond and is now expected to hole up in comfort in Florida as he awaits trial for allegedly abusing Italian investor Michael Valentino Teofrasto Carturan inside a Prince Street home for two weeks last year.
“Stay away from my mother,” Duplessie snapped at reporters as he left the courthouse with his mom, Eve, who helped find a family friend, Connecticut retiree Dean Gestal, to plunk down the collateral to get her son sprung. The two rode off in a yellow cab.
William Duplessie leaves Manhattan Supreme Court with his mom, Eve Duplessie, on Thursday. Steven Hirsch for NY PostProsecutors allege that co-defendant John Woeltz, a Kentucky crypto king reportedly worth $100 million, hatched the plot before the pair pistol-whipped, urinated on and cut Carturan with a chain saw.
Woeltz and Carturan were tied to a crypto hedge fund based in the Big Apple but had a falling out — prompting the victim to initially return to Italy, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office alleges.
But Woeltz allegedly convinced Carturan to return to New York on May 6, 2025, when prosecutors said the torture began — until the Italian broke free two weeks later and tipped off cops.
Police nabbed Woeltz that day, while Duplessie reportedly partied it up in the Hamptons before turning himself in days later.
House of horrors: The SoHo townhouse where crypto investor Michael Valentino Teofrasto Carturan was allegedly held. Kevin C Downs forThe New York Post
William Duplessie, left, and John Woeltz are accused of torturing an Italian investor in a SoHo townhouse. Steven HirschWoeltz 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.
On Thursday, Duplessie was also released into house arrest after 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. The DA’s office had urged the judge to keep the accused kidnapper’s bail at $1 million.
Here’s the latest on the crypto investor who tortured an Italian tourist in Soho
- Crypto investor allegedly tortured captive Italian businessman with a chainsaw for weeks in luxe NYC pad in sadistic scheme to gain password: sources
- Photos show inside ritzy SoHo house of horrors where Italian businessman was allegedly tortured by crypto bigwigs
- How ‘kidnapper’ crypto bros allegedly attacked NYC’s club scene: Private security and a freezer bag full of cocaine
- Crypto bros in twisted NYC kidnap case held 2 other victims ‘against their will,’ DA says while revealing sick new details
- Watch alleged crypto torture bros’ secret $1M Kentucky mansion with underground tunnels raided by ATF, NYPD
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, according to sources familiar with the case.
The burly, bearded Duplessie wore an orange jail jumpsuit and glasses as he walked into the courtroom for a brief hearing, then was uncuffed and changed into a dark blue polo shirt after Carro signed off.
William Duplessie walked into court in prison garb and left with a dark colored polo shirt and dark slacks. Steven Hirsch for NY PostAccording 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.
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.
He is not listed as the owner of either property.
— Additional reporting by Joe Marino.
