A newly surfaced video is raising questions about the circumstances surrounding the alleged kidnapping of Michael Valentino Teofrasto Carturan, a 28-year-old Italian entrepreneur who says he was held and tortured for 17 days inside a luxury townhouse in Manhattan’s SoHo district.
The 20-second clip, obtained by TMZ, shows Carturan seated in a wheelchair, strapped at the chest but with his arms free, joking and laughing with at least three other men as he appears to operate an air fryer. A man off camera says, “You’re in a wheelchair cooking crack,” followed by laughter. Another voice adds, “This crack is gonna f***ing suck,” and Carturan joins in the laughter. Someone else says, “Don’t get me in the crack video, bro!”
The footage was reportedly recorded at 1:45 a.m. on May 11 inside the 38 Prince St. residence where police say Carturan was being held by John Woeltz, 37, and William Duplessie, 32. According to investigators, Carturan was lured to the property on May 6 and held against his will until he escaped on May 23.
Authorities say Carturan was subjected to physical abuse and psychological coercion during his captivity. He was allegedly forced to smoke crack on camera, which the suspects intended to use as blackmail to extort the password to a Bitcoin wallet reportedly worth several million dollars. “They threatened to send the footage to his investors,” a law enforcement source told TMZ, “but he still refused to give up the credentials.”
Despite the disturbing accusations, the video paints a more ambiguous picture. Carturan appears alert, conversational, and at ease, suggesting he may have been trying to appease his captors, or buying time. The presence of at least three other male voices in the room, in addition to the two primary suspects, adds another layer of complexity. Authorities have not confirmed the identity or legal status of the others visible or audible in the footage.
Carturan told police that after arriving at Woeltz’s residence, his passport was taken and he was subjected to repeated threats, including having a gun held to his head, being shocked with electrical wires, and at one point threatened with a chainsaw. Investigators say the suspects sought access to his crypto holdings and used intimidation, drugs, and the threat of public humiliation to try to break him.
He eventually escaped barefoot and bloodied, after pretending to comply with their demands. When the men left to retrieve his laptop, he bolted from the townhouse and sought help. He was later hospitalized and recounted his ordeal to investigators.
Police who searched the property found firearms, drugs, and Polaroid photographs allegedly showing Carturan restrained and injured. The eight-bedroom townhouse, which reportedly rents for $30,000 to $40,000 per month, was being leased by Woeltz, a crypto investor originally from Kentucky.
Duplessie turned himself in to police last Tuesday, days after Woeltz’s arrest. Both men are being held without bail on charges including kidnapping for ransom, assault, unlawful imprisonment, and weapons possession. At a court hearing, Duplessie’s attorney stated that “his involvement is hotly disputed” and requested $1 million bail with relocation to his father’s home in Florida. The judge denied the request.
Prosecutors also opposed bail for Woeltz, citing his access to private aircraft and the risk of flight. A woman initially detained in connection with the case was later released without charges.
Attorneys for both men have declined to comment. Carturan has not spoken publicly and has been identified only through media reports, while U.S. officials continue to refer to him as “an Italian tourist.”
The case follows a rising trend in crypto-related abductions across Europe. French authorities recently arrested more than 20 people linked to kidnapping plots targeting crypto investors, including incidents in Nantes and Paris.
“It’s becoming a thing,” said David Seltzer, a criminal defense lawyer specializing in cybercrime. “Instead of robbing a bank, they can kidnap someone and get access to their Bitcoin wallet or crypto wallet.”
