Two defendants plead not guilty in crypto kidnappi

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.Justice Gregory Carro, overseeing the case in New York state court, ordered Woeltz and Duplessie to be held without bail. Both men could face up to life in prison if convicted. No trial date had been set as of the Wednesday hearing.The alleged kidnapping and torture case of a crypto holder was the latest in a series of attacks globally involving individuals connected to digital asset companies or who may have had access to large amounts of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin