More names have begun emerging in the SoHo torture case involving a wealthy Italian businessman, who has been identified as Michael Vanlentino Teofrasto Carturan. Carturan was allegedly held captive in a luxurious Prince Street pad by John Woeltz, a 37-year-old crypto investor, and was being tortured for his Bitcoin password.
According to the New York Post, another crypto bigwig, who is a Swiss millionaire, is expected to surrender soon in this torture case. The millionaire, who heads a major trading firm, was sought for questioning in the gruesome torture incident, and sources suggest that his lawyers are arranging for his surrender.
Who is Michael Vanlentino Teofrasto Carturan?
Carturan is an affluent Italian businessman, and is now in major limelight due to the horrifying incident at a Prince Street pad. The 28-year-old businessman, a trader from Turin worth $30 million, broke out of the SoHo home on Friday morning and ran to a police officer, claiming that he had been held captive for nearly two weeks. The police officers immediately responded to the scene, and upon investigation, shocking details emerged.
Upon rushing to the scene, police found Polaroid images showing Carturan being tied up to a chair with a gun pointed at his head. There were even pictures showing the businessman being tied up with electrical wire and tortured. According to NY Post, Carturan was tased during captivity, pistol-whipped, and even forced to take cocaine forcefully.
{{/usCountry}}Upon rushing to the scene, police found Polaroid images showing Carturan being tied up to a chair with a gun pointed at his head. There were even pictures showing the businessman being tied up with electrical wire and tortured. According to NY Post, Carturan was tased during captivity, pistol-whipped, and even forced to take cocaine forcefully.
{{/usCountry}}Carturan was allegedly taken captive based on a spat related to cryptocurrency, where the Italian businessman was being coerced to give up his Bitcoin password. The incident reportedly began on May 6, when the businessman arrived in New York City from Italy and went to meet Woeltz. Carturan had a prior business relationship with Woeltz that led to his arrival at the posh pad.
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While the primary accused Woeltz was taken into custody, Carturan was rushed to Bellevue Hospital for treatment. Woeltz was charged Friday night with two counts of second-degree assault, among other charges.
Recently, a priest at the Basilica of St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral, a Catholic church across the street from the torture pad, stepped out to pour holy water on the steps of the property. “Given what’s been happening in there, the things they’re saying happened in there, I thought it was a good idea,” the priest told the New York Post.
The incident has also shaken neighbors. “I still can’t believe it,” said a neighbor, Samba. “It doesn’t make any sense that you could keep somebody hostage for a week and torture them in this neighborhood."
“It’s a very quiet street. At night especially it’s very quiet around here,” the local said. “You would think that you would hear something. You would think that the people from the church here would have heard something.”