A California man has pleaded guilty to sending fake ransom messages to the family of missing Arizona woman Nancy Guthrie, federal prosecutors announced, marking the first publicly known criminal conviction tied to the case.
Fake ransom notes
On July 2, Derrick Callella, 42, of Hawthorne, Calif., pleaded guilty in a Tucson federal court to two counts of harassment using a telecommunication device, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona. Each charge carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison and a possible fine of up to $250,000. Callella is scheduled to be sentenced on September 10.
Federal prosecutors said Callella was arrested in Hawthorne on February 5 after investigators determined he had contacted Guthrie’s family shortly after they publicly pleaded for help in finding their missing loved one.
“In his plea, Callella admitted that he called and sent text messages to a missing person’s family on February 4, which asked about a bitcoin transfer,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a statement. “Callella acknowledged that he knew an earlier ransom demand had been made. Callella also admitted that his actions were meant to harass the family by seeking information about the investigation into the missing person’s disappearance.”
Guilty plea reached
According to the Department of Justice, the guilty plea was reached as part of a plea agreement, though officials did not disclose additional details about its terms.
Callella is the first person publicly charged in connection with sending fraudulent ransom communications to the Guthrie family, but investigators have indicated he was not the only individual to do so.
Nancy is the mother of Today show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie.
Reuters previously reported that three kidnapping-related messages circulated after Nancy’s disappearance were determined to be fake, citing an unnamed FBI source. Those communications included two ransom notes sent to media organizations and another message from someone claiming to know the identities of Nancy’s alleged abductors.
Nancy Guthrie is still missing
Nancy, 84, was reported missing on February 1 after she failed to arrive at a friend’s home to watch a virtual church service. Investigators later recovered footage from her Google Nest doorbell camera showing an armed, masked individual outside her residence, but authorities have not identified a suspect in what they believe was her abduction.
“This is an active and ongoing investigation,” Pima County Sheriff’s Department spokesperson Kevin Adger told The Arizona Republic on June 29. “Forensic analysis of video and DNA evidence remains underway. If and when there is a significant development in this case, it will be shared with the public.”
