A Hawthorne man facing federal charges of allegedly sending a bogus ransom demand to relatives of Nancy Guthrie, the missing mother of “Today” show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, was expected to appear in court Friday in downtown Los Angeles.
Nancy Guthrie, 84, disappeared from her Tucson, Arizona, home on Jan. 31, the victim of an apparent kidnapping.
Derrick Callella is accused in a federal complaint filed in Arizona with sending text messages on Wednesday to Guthrie’s daughter and son-in-law that read, “Did you get the bitcoin were (sic) waiting on our end for the transaction.” Guthrie’s family on Wednesday released a video asking their mother’s kidnapper to contact them, according to the complaint.
According to the criminal complaint, the text messages sent to Guthrie’s family were traced to Callella’s home, and he allegedly admitted sending the text messages. He also allegedly called a member of Guthrie’s family shortly after sending the text messages.
Callella was arrested and charged Thursday with transmitting a demand for ransom in interstate commerce, and without disclosing his identity, utilizing a telecommunications device with the intent to abuse, threaten, or harass a person. He is tentatively set to appear in federal court Friday in downtown Los Angeles.
“The Department of Justice will protect victims and families at all costs, and grief profiteers will be held accountable,” U.S. Attorney in Arizona Timothy Courchaine said in a statement. “This case came together in under 24 hours because of the coordinated work of the FBI, local law enforcement and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.”
Callella is one of 13 Los Angeles County employees who were charged last year with filing false unemployment claims, collectively defrauding the state out of more than $430,000. According to the District Attorney’s Office, Callella, 42, was a county Department of Health Services intermediate clerk who allegedly stole $9,984 in unemployment benefits between May 6, 2020, and Jan. 20, 2022. It was unclear if he is still employed by the county.
He was charged in that case with grand theft and presenting false claims. He is due back in Los Angeles Superior Court on March 5, when a date will set for a hearing to determine if there is enough evidence for him to stand trial.