A California man has entered a guilty plea to federal charges after sending a fraudulent ransom demand to the family of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of television personality Savannah Guthrie. Derrick Anthony Callella, 42, from Hawthorne, California, admitted to harassing the family with a fake ransom payment request in a federal court in Tucson, Arizona, on Thursday.
Nancy Guthrie disappeared from her residence in Tucson's Catalina Foothills neighborhood during the early hours of February 1. The following day, ransom demands began to circulate to local media outlets, with investigators still working to ascertain their authenticity.
Messages sent by Callella were quickly identified as a hoax by the FBI, leading to his arrest within days of Guthrie's suspected abduction. He was subsequently indicted on charges of online harassment.
According to reports from Tucson-based KVOA-TV, Callella is expected to receive a sentence of five years on federal probation at a later formal sentencing.
Details of the Phony Demand
Callella was accused of contacting Nancy Guthrie's other daughter, Annie Guthrie, and son-in-law, Tommaso Cioni, on February 4. Utilizing a spoofed phone number, he allegedly inquired, "Did you get the bitcoin were waiting on our end for the transaction." He is also accused of making a nine-second call to the family shortly thereafter.
Following Callella's initial court appearance in mid-February, federal prosecutors released a statement explaining his actions. "Through the course of the investigation, it was found that Callella was acting as an imposter, trying to take advantage of the ongoing situation," the statement read.
Court documents indicate that investigators have not established any connection between Callella and a separate ransom demand sent to local media and TMZ on February 2. However, authorities reportedly linked the spoofed phone number used by Callella to a Google email account registered under his name.
After being informed of his Miranda rights, Callella allegedly confessed to sending two messages. He claimed he had obtained the family's contact information online and had been closely following news coverage of the case, as detailed in the criminal complaint.
Ongoing Investigation into Other Demands
During a February news briefing, Heith Janke, then-FBI Phoenix Special Agent in Charge, announced Callella's arrest but clarified that the FBI was also investigating a distinct ransom demand that could potentially originate from the actual abductor.
Callella had been released on a $20,000 bond following his arrest, with a condition prohibiting him from applying for a passport.
Savannah Guthrie and her siblings had previously addressed two other ransom demands, which she stated in March she believed might be legitimate. The sender of these notes remains unidentified, and no arrests have been made in connection with them.
The FBI's Phoenix office issued a statement on Wednesday regarding the broader investigation. "The FBI and its task force partners have received several ransom notes over the course of this investigation," the statement said. "Some have been deemed to be extortion attempts without legitimacy. Other ransom demands may potentially be legitimate and are still being investigated as such. This case continues to be investigated as a kidnapping for ransom case."
The statement confirmed the FBI's involvement in the investigation, noting that the Pima County Sheriff's Department continues to serve as the lead agency.
However, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has repeatedly asserted that the FBI is leading the investigations specifically related to ransom notes. "Any questions regarding alleged ransom notes should be directed to the FBI," Sheriff Nanos stated. "We appreciate the public's continued cooperation and the information provided throughout this investigation. Anyone with information that may assist investigators is encouraged to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit an anonymous tip to 88-CRIME."
On Thursday, the sheriff's department referred inquiries regarding Callella's guilty plea to the FBI, which did not immediately provide a response.
