Third arrest and torture incident on Manhattan Bitcoin invitation

A man suspected of torture Italian cryptocurrency investors by helping them torture them in a Manhattan townhouse surrenders to the New York City police.

William Duplesey turned himself on Tuesday after the New York Times described officials as days of negotiations with authorities.

He is the third suspect in a conspiracy that allegedly extracts keys into a Bitcoin wallet belonging to Michael Valentino Theophlastro Carturan, an associate of the Cryptocurrent who said he has been a prisoner and abused for nearly three weeks.

The ordeal began on May 6th, when Cartulan arrived at a 17-room townhouse on Prince Street, around Manhattan’s Norita area. He was set up to reunite with former fund partner John Wertz. John Watts is said to have ambushed him along with another associate Beatrice Folkier.

Police say the group tried to force the Cartarians to renounce access to millions of worth of his codeholders through physical threats and psychological abuse.

According to law enforcement, Cartalan was assaulted and stopped from the top floor of the five-storey building and held at the muzzle. He escaped almost three weeks later and was able to warn authorities.

The New York City Police Department incident has attracted attention for its cruelty and connection to the growing trend of physical attacks on crypto users.

In France, the daughter and grandchild of Paymium CEO Pierre Noizat were recently targeted in a failed attempt by a video filmed entrant. Early in the same city, the father of a crypto billionaire was accused and his finger was severed before being rescued.

In another case, David Bolans, co-founder of Leisure, a hardware wallet maker, saw his wife lure him out of their home. Authorities later rescued the couple and seized ransom payments.

Folk was subsequently released and her prosecutors were postponed, but Waltz is scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday. Woeltz and Duplessie both face charges of lure, assault and illegal gun possession.

The attorney representing Woeltz did not immediately respond to a request for comment.