Police bust alleged magnetic mattress peddler

Darleene Barrientos

An Arizona man was released on $20,000 bail Tuesday after Glendale

Police arrested him on suspicion of trying to dupe residents with a

product he claimed would heal their aches and pains.

Thorsten Wietschel, 45, was arrested Monday on suspicion of felony

grand theft and felony commercial burglary after holding several

seminars from Carlsbad to Glendale, advertising magnetic mattress

pads he claimed would heal cancer, arthritis and other ailments

common to people as they get older, Glendale Police Investigator John

Genna said. Wietschel is scheduled to be arraigned Oct. 14.

Wietschel allegedly bought mailing lists to target people 40 to

90 with postcards advertising the product, which features magnets

sewn into a mattress pad, he said.

“He tried to hide behind his testimonials,” said Genna, who works

in the department’s financial crimes unit. “He said he read books. He

was calling himself a doctor. He gave a different name than his real

name.”

At a seminar Monday that an undercover Glendale Police officer sat

in on, Wietschel introduced himself as a medical doctor named Sven

Kugler. He urged the seminar participants to buy the mattresses at

reduced prices ranging from $500 to $800, saying the prices would

only be valid that night, Genna said. Wietschel also urged the

participants to pay by cash or check, to avoid having credit card

charges reversed on purchases, Genna said.

The case was brought to the Glendale Police investigators’

attention when the state Department of Consumer Affairs contacted

them, Genna said. The undercover police officer was joined Monday by

a Consumer Affairs official and about 20 potential victims in a Marie

Callender’s conference room at 707 N. Pacific Ave., Genna said.

Wietschel was about to bilk about five or six more people when

Glendale Police officials stepped in, Genna said. Wietschel had

allegedly already taken the money of about 20 to 22 customers in

Pasadena, Genna said.

Last year, state Atty. Gen. Bill Lockyer filed a lawsuit against a

European company manufacturing magnetic therapy mattresses. European

Health Concepts Inc. sponsored seminars featuring free dinner for the

victim and up to five guests. The lawsuit alleged the company

unlawfully claimed its mattresses help people suffering from various

diseases, including lupus, sciatica, herniated discs, asthma,

bronchitis, cataracts, chronic fatigue syndrome, colitis,

diverticulitis and heart disease.

Under California law, drugs and devices may not be promoted as

having a “curative or therapeutic effect” on specific conditions,

disorders or diseases unless they have been approved by appropriate

state or federal agencies. The case is pending in court in

Sacramento, according to the Attorney General’s office.

Anyone who believes he or she was victimized by Wietschel can call

Glendale Police Department’s financial crimes unit at 548-4045.