A judge rejected a defense bid to dismiss indictments against John Woeltz and William Duplessie, while approving hearings to examine how police obtained evidence in the alleged crypto kidnapping and torture case
A Manhattan judge on Tuesday rejected a defense motion to dismiss the indictments against alleged media-dubbed “crypto kidnappers” John Woeltz and William Duplessie, while approving hearings to examine how evidence and statements were obtained in the high-profile case. Woeltz sat in the back of the gallery on the judge’s Wednesday calendar, waiting for the case to be called, while Duplessie (who remains in custody) was later brought in from Rikers Island wearing orange jail garb, his pants several sizes too big.
William Duplessie and John WoeltzCredit: Curtis Means
The case stems from the alleged kidnapping and 17-day-long confinement of a 28-year-old Italian businessman, who prosecutors say was held inside a Manhattan townhouse on Prince Street beginning May 6, 2025, and subjected to repeated assaults as his captors attempted to obtain his bitcoin password. Woeltz, 37, sometimes referred to online as the “Crypto King of Kentucky,” and Duplessie were arrested later that month after the victim escaped and sought help from a traffic cop. Defense attorneys insist the prosecution’s account is misleading and say evidence shows the relationship between the men was not as prosecutors portray, and the man could have left at any point. Earlier in the case, they even pointed to surveillance footage showing the men out and about in Manhattan, with the alleged victim appearing to be perfectly calm and laughing.
In front of the alleged Crypto-Kidnappers “torture house” at 38 Prince St. in Manhattan. It was around $30k a month for John Woeltz and William Duplessie to rent. The Italian man claimed he was caged, peed on, held over a balcony, cut with a chain-saw and walked around in a dog… pic.twitter.com/yXDC85rOD0
— Lauren Conlin (@conlin_lauren) January 21, 2026
In an omnibus decision, Gregory Carro (who is also the judge in the infamous Luigi Mangione case) ruled that prosecutors presented legally sufficient evidence to sustain the charges, finding no defects in the grand jury proceedings and no basis to invalidate search warrants used in the investigation. The court denied motions to dismiss the indictments, concluding that the kidnapping and assault counts were properly charged as well. The judge did grant suppression hearings, allowing the defense to challenge whether physical evidence and any statements made by the defendants were obtained lawfully. Those hearings (known as Mapp and Huntley hearings) will not exclude evidence automatically but will allow defense attorneys to argue that police violated constitutional protections during the investigation. The same hearings were held in the Mangione case in early December of 2025.
Back in court today for a hearing involving the alleged crypto kidnappers John Woeltz and William Duplessie. Woeltz is sitting in the back row of the courtroom gallery alongside his attorney now, while Duplessie is expected to appear in custody after failing to post bail. This… https://t.co/N8twF0NuME
— Lauren Conlin (@conlin_lauren) January 21, 2026
According to the NYPD DCPI, the victim approached an on-duty traffic cop near Mulberry and Prince streets at about 9:37 a.m. on May 23, 2025, stating he had been kidnapped and held against his will for more than two weeks. Officers from the 5th Precinct responded to 38 Prince Street, where Woeltz was taken into custody. The victim was transported to Bellevue Hospital in stable condition. Woeltz was charged with first-degree kidnapping, first-degree unlawful imprisonment, two counts of second-degree assault and criminal possession of a firearm. Duplessie later surrendered to authorities and faces related charges.
Credit: Curtis Means
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Prosecutors allege the victim was repeatedly assaulted during his captivity, including an incident in which he was set on fire using tequila as an accelerant, cutting the man with a chainsaw, urinating on him, and more. Again, defense attorneys say surveillance footage exists showing the victim laughing with the defendants inside and outside a nearby eyeglasses store roughly 36 hours before his escape. Woeltz and Duplessie were granted a $1 million bail package earlier this summer, with the court barring the use of cryptocurrency or bitcoin to post bail. Woeltz was able to secure his release, while Duplessie remains held at Rikers Island after failing to make bail.
NYPD officials have said they are also working with Kentucky State Police to investigate whether Woeltz may be connected to a possible prior kidnapping outside New York. Woeltz’s attorney, Wayne Gosnell, declined to comment on the court’s January 21 ruling.