A California man with a prior criminal history tied to pandemic-era fraud has been arrested and federally charged for allegedly sending hoax ransom messages to the family of NBC “Today” co-anchor Savannah Guthrie amid the ongoing disappearance of her 84-year-old mother, Nancy Guthrie. Derrick Callella, 42, of Torrance, was taken into custody by the FBI on February 5, 2026, facing two counts: transmitting a ransom demand related to a kidnapped person and anonymous interstate communications intended to harass or threaten. The arrest stems from text messages sent to Nancy’s daughter Annie Guthrie and son-in-law Tommaso Cioni, inquiring about Bitcoin payments in what authorities describe as an “imposter” scheme unrelated to the genuine abduction investigation.
The messages, received shortly after the family’s emotional public plea for Nancy’s safe return, read variations of “Did you get the bitcoin we’re waiting on our end for the transaction?” Callella reportedly admitted to investigators that he obtained the family’s contact information from a cyber website and had been closely following media coverage of the case. He claimed the texts were merely to “see if the family would respond,” according to the federal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Arizona. A brief nine-second phone call to an unidentified family member was also traced to him. Authorities tracked the communications to a virtual phone number linked to an email account in Callella’s name, with IP addresses pointing to his California residence.
This development comes as the primary investigation into Nancy’s suspected abduction from her Tucson home on January 31 remains without a named suspect or person of interest. Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos emphasized during a February 5 press conference that the imposter ransom texts are separate from a more credible ransom note received by media outlets, which included specific details about Nancy’s disappearance and demanded millions in Bitcoin by deadlines of February 5 and February 9. The FBI, alongside local authorities, continues to treat the core case as a possible forced abduction, citing blood evidence at the scene, signs of forced entry, and the deactivated security system at 12:38 a.m. No proof-of-life has been verified, and Nancy’s fragility—limited mobility and dependence on daily medications—heightens urgency.
Callella’s arrest reveals a troubling backstory. In October 2025, he was one of 13 former Los Angeles County employees charged by the LA County District Attorney’s Office in a large-scale unemployment insurance fraud scheme. Prosecutors alleged the group fraudulently claimed over $430,000 in benefits from the California Employment Development Department between 2020 and 2023 while employed full-time by the county. Callella, who worked as an intermediate clerk in the Department of Health Services, was accused of stealing $9,984 in benefits from May 2020 to January 2022—one felony count of grand theft and one misdemeanor. He appeared for a preliminary hearing in that case on February 4, the day before his federal arrest in Hawthorne, California, by FBI SWAT.
The coincidence of a man already facing theft charges now exploiting a high-profile disappearance for potential gain has drawn widespread condemnation. Federal authorities stress that Callella’s actions are opportunistic and not connected to the actual abduction. The FBI’s Heith Janke confirmed the imposter demand was unrelated to the legitimate ransom note, which remains under active scrutiny for authenticity and leads. A $50,000 reward continues for information leading to Nancy’s recovery or the arrest of those responsible.
Savannah Guthrie, her siblings Annie and Cameron, and the extended family have maintained a public plea for Nancy’s safe return, emphasizing her vulnerability without medications. “We need to know without a doubt that she is alive,” Savannah said in an Instagram video. The family has cooperated fully with investigators, who have deployed K-9 units, helicopters, and extensive digital forensics to trace leads from the crime scene: blood droplets, drag marks, a removed Ring camera, and the precise 12:38 a.m. security blackout suggesting insider knowledge.
The case has gripped the nation, with President Trump offering federal resources and high-profile involvement from Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel. Community vigils persist at St. Philip’s in the Hills Episcopal Church, where Nancy was a regular, while Tucson’s Catalina Foothills neighborhood remains in shock over the violation of a quiet, affluent area.
Callella’s arrest provides a measure of accountability in one thread of the ordeal but underscores the additional pain inflicted on the Guthries by opportunists preying on their crisis. As the search for Nancy enters its sixth day, authorities reiterate that no primary suspect has been identified in the abduction itself. Tips continue to flood in, with the FBI urging the public to report any credible information while avoiding speculation that could hinder progress.
This incident highlights vulnerabilities in high-profile cases: how genuine tragedies attract fraudsters, how digital trails can lead to quick arrests in secondary crimes, and how a family’s anguish becomes public fodder. For the Guthries, the focus remains singular—Nancy’s safe return. The imposter’s capture offers no comfort in that quest, but it removes one layer of torment from their desperate wait. As Tucson and the nation watch, every hour without resolution intensifies the hope that the real answers—and Nancy—will soon come home.
