{"id":2565030,"date":"2026-02-05T20:59:01","date_gmt":"2026-02-06T01:59:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/breaking-fbi-arrests-man-for-allegedly-targeting-nancy-guthries-family-with-demands-7\/"},"modified":"2026-02-05T21:04:35","modified_gmt":"2026-02-06T02:04:35","slug":"breaking-fbi-arrests-man-for-allegedly-targeting-nancy-guthries-family-with-demands-7","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/breaking-fbi-arrests-man-for-allegedly-targeting-nancy-guthries-family-with-demands-7\/","title":{"rendered":"Breaking: FBI Arrests Man for Allegedly Targeting Nancy Guthrie&#8217;s Family with Demands"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fbreaking-fbi-arrests-man-for-allegedly-targeting-nancy-guthries-family-with-demands-7%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2565030&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>An FBI arrest in California highlights an attempted online ransom linked to a missing 84-year-old woman, Nancy Guthrie. Derrick Callella,a 42-year-old from los Angeles,is charged wiht transmitting a ransom demand and engaging in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/breaking-fbi-arrests-man-for-allegedly-targeting-nancy-guthries-family-with-demands\/\" title=\"Breaking: ...s Man for ... Targeting ...&#039;s Family with Demands\">anonymous interstate communications<\/a> after allegedly texting Guthrie family members to request Bitcoin in exchange for Nancy Guthrie\u2019s return. Investigators say Callella used a VOIP app, and prosecutors traced his IP address to California with the help of an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/parler-worked-with-fbi-to-target-threats-prior-to-capitol-riot-company-says\/\" title=\"Parler Worked With FBI To Target Threats Prior To Capitol Riot, Company Says\">emergency disclosure request<\/a>. He admitted to sending two texts after Miranda warnings, claiming he sourced the family\u2019s information from a cyber site and had been following coverage on TV.<\/p>\n<p>Key details:<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; The ransom demand allegedly referenced a Bitcoin wallet and was reported to a TV station via an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/breaking-fbi-arrests-man-for-allegedly-targeting-nancy-guthries-family-with-demands-2\/\" title=\"Breaking: ...s Man for ... Targeting ...&#039;s Family with Demands\">online tip portal<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; The Guthrie family, including Savannah Guthrie, released a video appealing for contact with proof of life; shortly after, Guthrie\u2019s daughter and son-in-law reportedly received texts from Callella mentioning the Bitcoin transaction.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Callella faces two counts: transmitting a ransom demand related to a kidnapped person and engaging in anonymous interstate communications to harass or threaten.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; President Donald Trump said the federal government woudl devote whatever resources are necessary in the search for Nancy guthrie.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; The report includes references to social media posts and coverage by Fox News\u2019 Bill Melugin.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>The FBI arrested a Los Angeles man Thursday who allegedly sent texts to Nancy Guthrie&rsquo;s family seeking a bitcoin payment as a ransom to return the missing 84-year-old.<\/p>\n<p>Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin reported, &ldquo;Derrick Callella has been arrested by the FBI for allegedly sending texts to the Guthrie family to ask for bitcoin and see if they would respond. His text messages are *not* believed to be connected to the ransom demand.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Feds say he tried to use a VOIP [voice over internet protocol] app which they were able to quickly get around via an emergency disclosure request to their mobile carrier, then they found his IP address and linked it to his California address,&rdquo; Melugin added.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">BREAKING: A Los Angeles man named Derrick Callella has been arrested by the FBI for allegedly sending texts to the Guthrie family to ask for bitcoin and see if they would respond. His text messages are *not* believed to be connected to the ransom demand.<\/p>\n<p>How they caught him &amp;&hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/BrPjcgYHxt\">pic.twitter.com\/BrPjcgYHxt<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BillMelugin_\/status\/2019508387449561292?\">February 5, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\tif ( getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"stnvideo\").remove() \t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\tdocument.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\", function() { \t\t\t\t\tfunction loadScript(src) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst script=document.createElement(\"script\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.src=src; \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.async=true; \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.body.appendChild(script); \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\tfunction findPreviousParagraph(selector, x) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst targetElement=document.querySelector(selector); \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!targetElement) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Target element not found.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Get all <\/p>\n<p> elements in order as they appear in the document \t\t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphs=Array.from(document.querySelectorAll(\"p\"));  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the index of the last <\/p>\n<p> before the target element \t\t\t\t\t\tlet targetIndex=paragraphs.findIndex(p=> p.compareDocumentPosition(targetElement) & Node.DOCUMENT_POSITION_PRECEDING);  \t\t\t\t\t\tif (targetIndex===-1 || targetIndex <x) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Not enough paragraphs before the target element.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\treturn paragraphs[targetIndex - x]; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Set up IntersectionObserver \t\t\t\t\tfunction observeElement(element) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!element) return;  \t\t\t\t\t\tconst observer=new IntersectionObserver( \t\t\t\t\t\t\t(entries)=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tentries.forEach(entry=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tif (entry.isIntersecting) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log(\"Paragraph is now visible:\", entry.target.textContent.trim()); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tloadScript(\"https:\/\/embed.sendtonews.com\/player3\/embedcode.js?fk=s28Az7AY\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.disconnect(); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t}, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t{ threshold: 0.5 } \/\/ Adjust threshold as needed \t\t\t\t\t\t);  \t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.observe(element); \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the 1st paragraph before #stnvideo and observe it \t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphToObserve=findPreviousParagraph(\"#stnvideo\", 2); \t\t\t\t\tobserveElement(paragraphToObserve); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<p>The two<a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >-count criminal complaint posted<\/a> by Melugin said that KOLD-TV, a CBS affiliate in Tucson, Arizona, received the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/breaking-apparent-ransom-note-emerges-nancy-guthrie-disappearance\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ransom demand<\/a> via an online tip portal. Callella is charged with transmitting a ransom demand related to a kidnapped person and engaging in anonymous interstate communications intended to harass or threaten.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The demand listed a Bitcoin wallet address to receive the ransom payment,&rdquo; the complaint said.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;After Miranda warnings, Callella[[<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/FoxNews\/posts\/pfbid0ijvBeiomDMkmfPr1ZvS91hHYrPfECXhoB9hAfTxjoMGKDMfuNn4TFr1cZBmvPuV6l\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">age 42<\/a>]admitted to sending the two text messages. He admitted to using the VOIP account from which two <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/breaking-fbi-arrests-man-for-allegedly-targeting-nancy-guthries-family-with-demands-3\/\" title=\"Breaking: ...s Man for ... Targeting ...&#039;s Family with Demands\">actual text messages<\/a> came &hellip; Callella stated that he pulled the family information from a cyber website, and that he had been following along and watching TV.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The Guthrie family, including Nancy&rsquo;s daughter, NBC host <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/police-sources-detail-grim-findings-house-savannah-guthries-mother\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Savannah Guthrie<\/a>, released a heart-wrenching video Wednesday, asking for the kidnapper to reach out to them and to provide proof of life.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">From Savannah Guthrie&rsquo;s Instagram page <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/kLbjkhUCIG\">pic.twitter.com\/kLbjkhUCIG<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Steve Lookner (@lookner) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/lookner\/status\/2019220465563365580?\">February 5, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Shortly after the video was published, one of Guthrie&rsquo;s daughters and a son-in-law both separately received a text message allegedly from Callella saying, &ldquo;Did you get the bitcoin [we&rsquo;re] waiting on our end for the transaction.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>President Donald Trump <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/trump-gives-guthrie-family-everything-can-search-continues-deploying-resources\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">said<\/a> Wednesday that the federal government will commit whatever resources are necessary in the search for Nancy Guthrie.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey==typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts={ \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs=[ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i=0; i <inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! ( opts[inputs[i]]=document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"' + inputs[i] + '\"]' ).value ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .required-message' ).style.display='block'; \t\t\t\t\t\treturn; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction input[type=\"submit\"]' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).src=firefly_loading_gif_url; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='inline-block';  \t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( 'ma subbing' );  \t\t\t\t\tif( firefly_post_id ) opts['post_id']=firefly_post_id;  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Send the data using post with element id name and name2*\/ \t\t\t\t\tvar posting=jQuery.post( firefly_ajax_url, opts );  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Alerts the results *\/ \t\t\t\t\tposting.done( function( response ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif( response.success ) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( response.data ); \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-confirm' ).style.display='block';  \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdataLayer.push( { 'event': 'submit-correction' } ); \t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> \t     \t\t\t\t\t\t     \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><script>console.log(\"ad slot (BA1)\")<\/script> \t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8211; The FBI arrested Derrick Callella, a 42-year-old man from Los Angeles, on charges linked to text messages he allegedly sent to the Guthrie family asking for Bitcoin as a ransom for the missing Nancy Guthrie. Fox News\u2019 Bill Melugin said Callella\u2019s texts were to solicit Bitcoin and see if the family would respond, and they are not believed to be connected to the actual ransom demand.<br \/>\n&#8211; Investigators say Callella tried to use a VOIP app, but federal disclosure requests helped authorities obtain his IP address, tying it to his California address.<br \/>\n&#8211; A two-count criminal complaint alleges the ransom demand came to a Tucson, Arizona CBS affiliate via an online tip portal; Callella is charged with transmitting a ransom demand related to a kidnapped person and with using anonymous interstate communications to harass or threaten.<br \/>\n&#8211; After Miranda warnings, Callella allegedly admitted to sending the two texts, using the VOIP account, and obtaining the Guthrie family\u2019s information from a cyber site while following the case on TV.<br \/>\n&#8211; The Guthrie family, including Nancy Guthrie\u2019s daughter Savannah, released a video appealing for contact and proof of life. Soon after, one of Savannah Guthrie\u2019s daughters and a son-in-law reportedly received texts from Callella stating that the Bitcoin was \u201cwaiting on our end.\u201d<br \/>\n&#8211; President Donald Trump said the federal government will devote whatever resources are necessary in the search for Nancy Guthrie<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2565031,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Guthrie-bitcoin-demand-arrest.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[5175,70371,50403,50645,72867],"class_list":["post-2565030","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-arrest","tag-breaking-news-2","tag-crime-2","tag-fbi-2","tag-nancy-guthrie"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Guthrie-bitcoin-demand-arrest.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2565030","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2565030"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2565030\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2565040,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2565030\/revisions\/2565040"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2565031"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2565030"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2565030"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2565030"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}