Nancy Guthrie case: Derrick Callella, man who sent bogus ransom, appears in court

Nancy Guthrie case: Suspect who sent fake ransom appears in court

A Hawthorne man facing federal charges of allegedly sending a bogus ransom demand to the relatives of Nancy Guthrie appeared in court Friday. 

LOS ANGELES - A Los Angeles man facing federal charges of allegedly sending a bogus ransom demand to the relatives of Nancy Guthrie appeared in court Friday. 

What we know:

Derrick Callella, 42, is accused of sending text messages to Guthrie's daughter and son-in-law that read, "Did you get the bitcoin were (sic) waiting on our end for the transaction." 

According to the criminal complaint, the messages were traced to Callella's home, and he allegedly admitted to sending them. He also allegedly called a member of Guthrie's family shortly after sending the 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 made his initial court appearance Friday afternoon in Santa Ana. A judge ordered Callella not to have any contact with the victims or witnesses in the case. He was scheduled to be arraigned Thursday in federal court in Tucson. He was released on $20,000 bond.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Nandor Kiss said the defendant had an outstanding warrant for failure to appear in court and when he was arrested he had an application to disguise his identity.

The warrant was issued in 2006 and stems from a 2007 conviction in a misdemeanor case.

Who is Derrick Callella? 

Dig deeper:

Callella is one of 13 Los Angeles County employees 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 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.

Derrick Callella

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: 13 LA County employees charged with stealing over $430,000 in unemployment benefits

He was charged in that case with grand theft and presenting false claims. 

What's next:

He is due back in Los Angeles Superior Court on March 5, when a date will be set for a hearing to determine if there is enough evidence for him to stand trial.

The backstory:

Nancy Guthrie, 84, the mother of "Today" show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, disappeared from her Tucson, Arizona home on Saturday. Police believe she is the victim of an apparent kidnapping.

The FBI and the Pima County Sheriff's Department are still asking anyone with tips to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI. The FBI continues to offer a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the recovery of Nancy Guthrie and/or the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in her disappearance.

Nancy Guthrie: Search now enters day 6

Feb. 6 marks the sixth day in the search for Nancy Guthrie, the mother of NBC "Today" show host Savannah Guthrie. The family continues to plead for her safe return home. 

Guthrie's family posted another video on social media Thursday night, after the first of two deadlines in a reported ransom note passed. The second deadline is said to be on Feb. 9.