TUCSON, AZ – A Hawthorne, California man pleaded guilty on Thursday to sending a fraudulent ransom demand to the family of Nancy Guthrie during the ongoing search for the missing 84-year-old woman.
The Extortion Attempt
Derrick Callella, 42, admitted in federal court to sending text messages to the Guthrie family on Feb. 4, 2026, demanding a Bitcoin transfer. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona, Callella acknowledged that his intent was to harass the family and gather insider information about the active investigation.
Federal authorities traced the digital footprint back to Callella’s residence after he utilized a Voice over IP (VoIP) application to send the messages. One text sent to multiple family members read: “Did you get the bitcoin were [sic] waiting on our end for the transaction.”
The Abduction of Nancy Guthrie
Nancy Guthrie—the mother of Today Show host Savannah Guthrie—was abducted from her Tucson home on Jan. 31, 2026. The FBI previously released home surveillance images showing a masked suspect approaching her door in the middle of the night.
While local police have detained several persons of interest, no official kidnapping charges have been filed against anyone directly involved in the abduction itself.
FBI Investigation Continues
The FBI’s Phoenix office clarified that while Callella’s messages were a cruel hoax, other ransom demands received by the family are being treated as potentially “legitimate.” The FBI stated that the disappearance continues to be aggressively investigated as a kidnapping-for-ransom case.
Facing Sentencing
Callella pleaded guilty to transmitting an interstate communication with the intent to extortionately threaten. He now faces:
- A maximum of two years in federal prison
- A fine of up to $250,000
- One year of supervised release
His formal sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 10, 2026.
