California man pleads guilty to sending fake ransom note in Nancy Guthrie case
A man from California, Derrick Callella, pleaded guilty to federal charges related to sending a fake ransom note demanding payment for the kidnapping of nancy Guthrie, who went missing over five months ago. Callella, 42, had allegedly texted family members shortly after Guthrie’s disappearance, which initially suggested she had been abducted, but authorities now believe the ransom notes were hoaxes. He had contacted Guthrie’s daughter and son-in-law, demanding bitcoin payments after the family publicly pleaded for her return. The case remains largely unresolved, and the FBI has steadfast the ransom notes were fabricated, indicating no direct interaction with actual kidnappers. Callella is scheduled for sentencing on September 10 and faces 10 years of probation. Nancy Guthrie, the mother of NBC’s Savannah Guthrie, is believed to be deceased due to her fragile health and dependence on medication. The inquiry continues, with authorities suspecting that the ransom notes were not genuine and that Guthrie’s disappearance may not have involved real kidnappers.
A California man pleaded guilty on Thursday to sending a fake ransom note to the family of Nancy Guthrie, who went missing just over five months ago.
Derrick Callella, 42, faces two felony charges related to transmitting a demand for ransom in interstate commerce and utilizing a telecommunications device with intent to abuse, threaten, or harass a person. He entered a guilty plea on both counts.
Recommended Stories
The defendant allegedly texted two members of the Guthrie family in February shortly after the 84-year-old woman disappeared. She is believed to have been abducted due to the existence of ransom notes, though authorities are starting to believe they’re fake.
“Did you get the bitcoin were waiting on our end for the transaction,” Callella allegedly texted to Guthrie’s oldest daughter, Annie, and her son-in-law, Tommaso Cioni.
The suspect sent the message after the Guthrie family released the first video message pleading with the alleged kidnappers and offering to pay for their relative’s release, according to investigators.
Callella is set to be sentenced on Sept. 10, after which he will start serving 10 years of probation for the crimes.
The case has resulted in very few substantive leads since Guthrie went missing at her Arizona home on Feb. 1.
The FBI believes none of the ransom notes sent to the anxious family were genuine, according to Reuters. If that’s true, the family likely wasn’t communicating with the actual kidnappers.
FBI FINDS NANCY GUTHRIE RANSOM NOTES WERE FAKE: REPORT
FBI Director Kash Patel declined to comment on the latest development in the missing persons case during an unrelated press conference on Wednesday. The bureau has been assisting Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos in the state-led investigation.
Guthrie, the mother of NBC News’s Today show co-host Savannah Guthrie, is speculated to be dead based on her fragile health and reliance on daily medication.
" Conservative News Daily does not always share or support the views and opinions expressed here; they are just those of the writer."
*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
