2 NYPD detectives employed by suspect in crypto torture case under investigation: Sources

Two New York City police detectives were placed on modified duty after the department learned they had a prior connection to a Manhattan townhouse where an Italian businessman was allegedly held and tortured.

One off-duty detective drove the alleged victim from the airport to the SoHo townhouse on May 6, sources told ABC News.

The 20-year veteran has been assigned to the NYPD's Executive Protection Unit, which handles the mayor's security, since December 2021. He works as part of the advance team, which checks out locations before the mayor arrives. He was working an off-duty security job, employed by one of the two crypto suspects, at the time he drove the victim to the townhouse, the sources said.

A second detective was also being paid by one of the suspects, apparently also as off-duty security, the sources said.

NYPD's Internal Affairs Bureau is looking into how long the two were employed by the crypto suspect and whether the employment had been approved internally. NYPD members are not permitted to work for private security without going through a strict series of approvals.

Neither detective had knowledge of illegal or inappropriate behavior at the townhouse, and the mayor had no knowledge or connection to the two crypto suspects, according to city officials.

"Every city employee is expected to follow the law, including our officers, both on and off duty. We are disturbed by these allegations, and as soon as it came to our attention, the officers were placed on modified duty. The investigation is ongoing," a statement from City Hall said.

James Moschella, an attorney for the Detectives' Endowment Association, said in a statement on Friday that it appears the two detectives "were working a legitimate job driving a private business client in their off-duty hours."

"There is simply no way to have predicted the true activities of what by all objective accounts were legitimate businessmen," Moschella said. "Most importantly, there is absolutely no indication that any officer witnessed any of the alleged illegal activity at that location or by any of the people involved."

"Had they actually witnessed any such activity, we are certain they would have been the first to take action to stop it," he continued. "We therefore ask everyone to withhold their judgment of these members until all the facts are in."

Two men -- John Woeltz, 37, and William Duplessie, 33 -- are accused of torturing the alleged victim over the man's bitcoin password, according to the criminal complaint.

The alleged victim -- a 28-year-old man from Italy -- was allegedly stripped of his electronics and passport, bound by the wrists and subjected to beatings, electric shock and a hit to the head from a gun, according to the complaint.

Police said the man escaped from the townhouse on Friday and ran to a traffic enforcement officer for help. Woeltz and Duplessie were subsequently arrested and initially charged with kidnapping, assault and unlawful imprisonment in the case. Duplessie pleaded not guilty at his arraignment, court records show.

Woeltz has since been indicted by a grand jury, though the indictment will remain sealed until his arraignment on June 11. He has not yet entered a plea to the indictment.

Both suspects were denied bail at their initial court appearances. Their attorneys had no comment when contacted by ABC News.