A shocking new development has emerged in the kidnapping case of Michael Valentino Teofrasto Carturan, the Italian businessman allegedly held hostage for 17 days in a SoHo townhome — a video that appears to challenge the narrative of constant abuse and torment.
TMZ has obtained a 20-second video clip showing Carturan — who police say was tortured and blackmailed for access to his multi-million-dollar Bitcoin wallet — joking and smiling while cooking crack cocaine in an air fryer, surrounded by at least three other men.
A Bizarre Scene: Crack, Laughter, and a Wheelchair
In the video:
- Carturan is tied to a wheelchair at the chest, but his hands are free.
- He appears relaxed and cheerful, engaging with others in the room.
- One person jokes, “You’re in a wheelchair cooking crack,” and another adds, “That’s so whack.”
- Carturan laughs, along with the others, as another voice remarks, “This crack is gonna f**ing suck.”*
Although Carturan’s face is blurred in the footage — which TMZ chose to do out of respect for his alleged victim status — his body language and demeanor appear casual, even amused.
Timeline Questions Arise
Here’s where things get murky:
???? The video was recorded on May 11 at 1:45 AM, per embedded metadata.
????️ Police say Carturan was kidnapped on May 6 and held until May 23.
That means the video was taken five days into his alleged captivity, during a time when authorities say he was being tortured and forced to smoke crack as part of a blackmail scheme.
According to law enforcement, Carturan’s captors — John Woeltz and William Duplessie — recorded videos of him using drugs and threatened to release the footage to his investors if he didn’t hand over his crypto wallet credentials. Despite the threats, Carturan reportedly refused to comply.
This clip may indeed be one of those blackmail videos — but the relaxed tone raises serious questions.
More Than Two Captors?
Another revelation from the video: Woeltz and Duplessie weren’t the only ones present.
- A man in a white sweater is seen in the footage — not one of the charged suspects.
- At least two additional male voices can be heard.
This could indicate the existence of more individuals involved in the kidnapping — or that others were aware and did nothing.
Where the Case Stands
- Woeltz and Duplessie are currently being held without bail on charges including:
- Kidnapping
- Assault
- Unlawful imprisonment
- Criminal possession of a weapon
Attorneys for the two have so far declined to comment, and attempts to reach Carturan’s representatives have been unsuccessful.
The Big Mystery
The core question remains:
Why is Carturan seen laughing and cooking crack during a time he was reportedly being tortured?
Was he playing along to stay safe? Was this part of a staged blackmail setup? Or is there more to the story than the public has been told?
With new footage raising doubts and at least one unidentified person in the room, this strange case may be even more layered than it already appears.
