In a disturbing twist blending crypto wealth, violence, and law enforcement misconduct, two New York City police detectives have been reassigned to modified duty following reports of their alleged connection to a brutal kidnapping and torture case involving a cryptocurrency trader.
According to multiple outlets, including The New York Times and ABC11, detectives Roberto Cordero and Raymond J. Low—both veterans of the NYPD—are now under internal investigation after allegedly being linked to a Manhattan townhouse where a crypto investor, Michael Valentino Teofrasto Carturan, claims he was held captive and tortured for over two weeks.
Detective Cordero, notably assigned to New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ personal security team, reportedly picked up Carturan from the airport and transported him directly to the Soho townhouse where the traumatic events unfolded. Sources familiar with the case told The Times that both Cordero and Low also provided some form of security presence at the property where Carturan was later able to escape.
The officers were reportedly off-duty at the time of the incidents. One of them, according to ABC11, was allegedly compensated by suspects involved in the crime for private security services. Notably, NYPD policy strictly prohibits officers from moonlighting with private security entities unless explicitly approved by the department—a rule central to the internal probe now being conducted by the NYPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau.
“These allegations are deeply troubling,” said a spokesperson for Mayor Adams’ office in response to inquiries. “The moment we were informed, the officers were placed on modified duty while the investigation proceeds.”
The crime itself is harrowing. Carturan, a crypto trader reportedly worth an estimated $30 million, says he was kidnapped and subjected to physical and psychological torture over 17 days. He claims he was targeted in an effort to extract access to his crypto wallet—likely via a recovery phrase or private keys.
Court filings and police statements reveal chilling details: Carturan was allegedly bound with electrical cords, electrocuted, and even tased while submerged in water. At one point, his captors reportedly threatened to amputate his leg using an electric chainsaw. He managed to escape on May 22, the very day he was reportedly told would be his “last.”
Two suspects—John Woeltz and William Duplessie—have been charged in connection with the case. Woeltz, sometimes referred to as the “Crypto King of Kentucky,” was indicted by a grand jury on May 29, with bail denied by the presiding judge. His attorney argued unsuccessfully for release, citing Woeltz’s clean criminal record and educational background.
Duplessie, a co-founder of the Pangea Blockchain Fund and a Swiss national, remains in custody while awaiting formal indictment.
Further scrutiny has now turned to the NYPD detectives caught in this web. Public disciplinary records show Detective Cordero, a 20-year veteran, has been the subject of four civilian complaints, two of which alleged abuse of authority. One incident, from 2009, resulted in disciplinary action. Another involved a 2014 excessive force claim that went unresolved after the complainant withdrew cooperation.
Detective Low’s record is even more extensive, with nine complaints lodged against him. These include serious allegations such as use of a chokehold, causing restricted breathing, and making a false official statement. While he has not yet been formally disciplined, Low is still under review for a November 2023 incident involving those very complaints. The most recent complaint against him was filed as recently as January 2024.
As the investigation unfolds, this case is raising difficult questions about the integrity of some within the city’s police ranks—especially those trusted with sensitive positions. It also spotlights the risks faced by individuals in the high-stakes world of crypto finance, where enormous personal wealth can make traders vulnerable targets.
While the full scope of involvement by the two NYPD officers is still being determined, the incident has already cast a shadow over the department and highlighted the darker edges of both policing and crypto’s growing presence in urban crime.
