TLDR

  • Two NYPD officers have been placed on modified duty over alleged connections to a crypto trader kidnapping case

  • Officer Roberto Cordero allegedly picked up the victim from the airport and transported him to the townhouse where he was held

  • The victim was tortured for three weeks as captors attempted to gain access to his $30 million crypto holdings

  • Officer Raymond J. Low reportedly had financial ties to the suspects, providing private security services

  • The victim escaped on May 22, which he said was designated to be his “death day”

Two New York Police Department officers have been removed from active duty following allegations of their involvement in the kidnapping and torture of a cryptocurrency trader. The officers are being investigated for connections to suspects in what has become known as the SoHo crypto abduction case.

The officers, Roberto Cordero and Raymond J. Low, were placed on modified duty today after their alleged ties to the case came to light. The victim, Italian crypto investor Michael Valentino Teofrasto Carturan, was held captive for three weeks in a luxury townhouse in Manhattan.

Officer Cordero, who works with the NYPD’s Elite Executive Protection Unit, allegedly acted as a driver in the scheme. According to police sources, he personally picked up Carturan from a New York airport on May 6.

Cordero then transported the victim to a Prince Street townhouse in SoHo. This elite police unit is normally tasked with protecting high-ranking city officials, including New York City’s mayor.

The second officer, Raymond J. Low, is under investigation for financial connections to the suspects. Reports indicate he was paid to provide private security services for one or both of the primary suspects in the case.

Brutal Three-Week Ordeal

Court documents reveal the horrifying details of Carturan’s captivity. The suspects, John Woeltz and William Duplessie, subjected the victim to extreme torture methods over a three-week period.

The perpetrators bound Carturan and beat him with a gun. They also used electric shocks, threatened him with a chainsaw, and forced him to smoke crack cocaine.

These brutal tactics were employed to force Carturan to surrender access to his cryptocurrency holdings. The victim’s crypto assets are estimated to be worth approximately $30 million.

The torture continued in cycles throughout the three-week captivity. The suspects were persistent in their attempts to gain access to Carturan’s digital wallet phrase.

New York City Hall released a statement addressing the officers’ alleged involvement. “Every city employee is expected to follow the law, including our officers, both on and off duty,” the statement read.

Escape and Arrests

Carturan managed to escape his captors on May 22. He later told authorities this date had been designated as his “death day” by his kidnappers.

Following the escape and subsequent investigation, suspect John Woeltz was arrested and charged. On May 29, Woeltz was indicted, and a judge denied his attorney’s request for release on a $2 million bond.

The second suspect, William Duplessie, surrendered to authorities earlier this week. Duplessie is a Swiss national and co-founder of Pangea Blockchain Fund. He remains in custody and is awaiting indictment.

The extent of the officers’ direct involvement with the victim remains unclear. The case is now under internal affairs review as the investigation continues.

The investigation is focused on determining whether the officers were aware of the kidnapping plot or if they were unwittingly pulled into the scheme. Both officers have been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome.

This case represents one of the most shocking crypto-related crimes to date. The level of violence and the extended period of abuse have drawn attention to the increasing risks faced by high-profile cryptocurrency investors.

The NYPD and city officials continue to gather evidence as the case unfolds. The internal affairs investigation is running parallel to the criminal proceedings against Woeltz and Duplessie.

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