Long Island man sentenced for torturing women with hot iron

A 34-year-old Long Island man who spent several hours torturing two women with a hot iron in a Ronkonkoma hotel room could spend the next four decades in prison.

Johnathan Wright was sentenced to 32 and a half to 40 years for his brutal crimes, the Suffolk County district attorney’s office said Tuesday.

“On July 21, 2021, Wright became enraged with the women because they fell asleep while giving him a back massage,” prosecutors charged in March. “Wright began choking and punching the women in their faces and bodies and attempted to push the women out of the hotel window. He then ordered the women to strip naked and proceeded to tie them together with a belt.”

One of the victims was mentally impaired, according to the district attorney’s office.

“While the women were tied up, Wright took a clothing iron from the hotel bathroom, plugged it in, and began holding the hot iron to their skin, repeatedly burning them all over their bodies,” prosecutors said. “Wright warned the women not to scream and threatened that the burning would get worse if they made noise.”

The assault lasted “three to four hours” before Wright fell asleep on the hotel bed after instructing his victims to shower. He later threatened the women not to seek medical help or contact law enforcement. One of the women’s mothers notified authorities.

After he was arrested, prosecutors said the Lindenhurst man used a jail phone to repeatedly threaten his victims and their families between August 2021 and February 2023.

On March 28, a jury convicted Wright on 46 charges including first-degree assault, endangering the welfare of an incompetent or physically disabled person, witness tampering and criminal contempt.

“Justice has been served today, but our support for these victims does not end here,” District Attorney Raymond Tierney said Tuesday. “We will continue to advocate for their rights, provide them with the resources they need and ensure their voices are heard.”