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Two NYPD detectives are being investigated over their suspected involvement in a kidnapping case that centers on a cryptocurrency dispute involving millions of dollars in bitcoin. Detectives Roberto Cordero and Raymond J. Low are accused of providing unauthorized security for individuals who allegedly held Italian crypto entrepreneur Michael Valentino Teofrasto Carturan captive in a luxury Manhattan townhouse.
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According to a New York Times report citing unnamed officials, Cordero and Low may have knowingly assisted the captors by providing private protection at the residence. Cordero allegedly went as far as picking Carturan up from the airport on May 6 and driving him to the location where he was later held against his will.
The case began to unfold when Carturan escaped and contacted police. He told authorities that he had been tortured by his former business partners, John Woeltz and William Duplessie, who were demanding access to his crypto wallet. Investigators believe the wallet contained millions in bitcoin.
Woeltz and Duplessie were arrested soon after Carturan’s report. They now face kidnapping and torture charges filed by the Manhattan District Attorney’s office. A grand jury has indicted Woeltz, with the arraignment scheduled for June 11.
Both detectives involved in the investigation have a history of complaints. Cordero, who has spent 20 years in the department, has been accused multiple times of overstepping his authority and using unnecessary force. Low has also been the subject of complaints, although the exact details remain undisclosed.
The full scope of their involvement is still unclear, but city officials have already reassigned both detectives while the investigation continues. If the allegations are confirmed, it would mark a troubling case of law enforcement officers potentially assisting in a violent, crypto-related crime.