Two defendants plead not guilty in crypto kidnapping and torture case

John Woeltz and William Duplessie reportedly pleaded not guilty to the kidnapping and false imprisonment of Michael Valentino Teofrasto Carturan in New York City.

Two of the men charged with the kidnapping and torture of a cryptocurrency holder visiting New York City have reportedly pleaded not guilty to all counts.

In a Wednesday hearing in the New York Supreme Criminal Court, John Woeltz and William Duplessie pleaded not guilty to kidnapping and false imprisonment of Michael Valentino Teofrasto Carturan, Reuters reported.

The two men are accused of abducting the tourist, who was apparently a friend, from New York City and administering electric shocks, beatings, and other forms of torture in an effort to gain access to his crypto wallet.

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