Second Suspect in Crypto Torture Case Hit With Kidnapping, Assault Charges
I assume you’ve been struggling to follow this outlandish crypto torture saga, so let me break down the latest legal bombshell: William Duplessie, the second defendant in the high-profile “crypto torture” case, just landed fresh kidnapping and assault counts. This isn’t clickbait—Duplessie was officially indicted on May 28, 2025, in Clark County District Court after prosecutors alleged he helped orchestrate the kidnapping and brutal assault of a Las Vegas cryptocurrency investor. According to court documents obtained by TMZ and detailed further by People Magazine, Duplessie is accused of confining the victim in a storage unit, demanding private keys to a multi-million-dollar digital wallet, and using a handgun to intimidate during an hours-long torture session.
You probably already missed the first indictment back in early April, when co-defendant Jaxon McGrath was charged with conspiracy and racketeering, but Duplessie’s arrest last week ups the stakes significantly. Prosecutors say surveillance video from a nearby gas station places him at the scene as the victim was forced into an SUV. The new criminal complaint charges Duplessie with one count of kidnapping, one count of assault with a deadly weapon, and a related conspiracy count—each punishable by up to life in prison if convicted. Bail was set at $500,000, though legal filings show his defense team has requested release on electronic monitoring pending trial.
If you find bail hearings riveting, mark your calendar: Duplessie’s arraignment is scheduled for June 10, followed by a preliminary hearing on July 2. Expect cops and cameras to swarm the courtroom—this case already spiked search traffic for “crypto kidnapping.” Prosecutors are leaning on forensic evidence, including cell-tower pings and text messages between Duplessie and McGrath, to argue they coordinated every grim detail. Meanwhile, defense attorneys claim Duplessie was merely a “peripheral player,” pointing out he has no prior criminal record and insisting he never fired the gun.
In addition to the legal wrangling, the case has sparked fresh debates about the dark side of digital currencies—namely, how million-dollar wallets can turn ordinary investors into kidnapping targets. Industry experts quoted in The Scottish Sun worry that this prosecution could set a precedent for treating private key disputes as violent crimes. For now, Duplessie remains behind bars, and the public is left wondering how deep this rabbit hole really goes. That should clear up where everyone stands—feel free to catch up on the livestream or pretend you grasp the full picture.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and TMZ, People Magazine, Clark County Court Documents
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
