### NYPD Detective Under Inquiry for Involvement in Cryptocurrency Kidnapping Plot

A New York City Police Department detective attached to Mayor Eric Adams' security team is under investigation for his alleged involvement in a perplexing kidnapping and torture scheme involving cryptocurrency. This probe centers on accusations that the detective may have unwittingly delivered the victim into the hands of his assailants, according to multiple law enforcement officials familiar with the case. Currently, it remains unclear if the detective had any awareness or direct involvement in the assaults, a key question investigators are aiming to resolve.

The case erupted following the arrest of John Woeltz and William Duplessie, who are accused of holding a 28-year-old Italian cryptocurrency trader captive for several weeks in a violent bid to extract his Bitcoin password. Manhattan District Attorney's office stated that the victim, whose identity is being withheld, endured significant torture before eventually managing to escape. Both Woeltz and Duplessie have pleaded not guilty. Duplessie’s lawyer has refrained from commenting, while CNN’s requests for comments from Woeltz’s legal team remain unanswered.

The detective reportedly collected the victim from John F. Kennedy International Airport on May 6 during his "off-duty employment" providing security services for Woeltz, a noted crypto entrepreneur. NYPD's Internal Affairs Bureau has since intervened, placing the detective on a "modified assignment," which involves relinquishing his badge and firearms and being reassigned to administrative duties as the investigation unfolds. Another detective, from the Narcotics Division, has also been similarly reassigned amid the ongoing probe. The officials have yet to determine if this second detective had any prior knowledge of the plot.

This investigation is particularly contentious given one detective's position within the mayor's security detail. Mayor Adams' office emphasized that there is no insight into the officer's personal activities and reiterated the importance of legal compliance for all city employees, both on and off duty. Mayor Adams' Press Secretary Kayla Mamelak Altus issued a statement expressing disturbance over the allegations and noting that the officers were promptly reassigned upon their knowledge of the incident.

The kidnapping victim reportedly suffered intense physical abuse including being beaten, shocked with electric wires, and threatened with a firearm, which was also used to strike him. Prosecutors detail that the victim’s wrists were bound, and he was threatened with the murder of his family to coerce him into revealing his Bitcoin password.

Further complicating matters, both implicated detectives were reportedly employed through a private security firm managed by a retired NYPD sergeant. The NYPD has found no records indicating that either detective sought or received approval for external employment, a standard procedure for NYPD personnel seeking additional work outside the department.

As investigations continue, authorities are keen to establish whether either detective had prior knowledge of or was complicit in the criminal activities.