Derrick Callella, the California man accused of penning a fake ransom note amid the search for Nancy Guthrie, entered a guilty plea Thursday.
According to an update from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona, 42-year-old Callella of Hawthorne, Calif. pleaded guilty to two counts of harassment using a telecommunication device. While the attorney’s office noted that Callella’s sentencing had been scheduled for Sept. 10, local outlet KOLD reported that Judge John C. Hinderaker will hand down a sentence of 10 years probation. It’s said Callella was planning to attend a residential addiction treatment facility before his sentencing date.
The attorney’s office confirmed that Callella admitted in his plea to calling and sending text messages to Guthrie’s family members on Feb. 4. In those messages, he asked about a bitcoin transfer.
“Callella acknowledged that he knew an earlier ransom demand had been made,” the statement noted. “Callella also admitted that his actions were meant to harass the family by seeking information about the investigation into the missing person’s disappearance.”
The attorney’s office clarified that a conviction for harassment using a telecommunication device “carries a maximum penalty of two years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, or both, and one year of supervised release.”
The update comes days after questions arose about the validity of ransom notes tied to the Guthrie case. Namely, Reuters reported Tuesday that three kidnapping-related messages sent to the media about the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie were deemed fake by federal investigators.
The outlet shared that an FBI official told them: “None of the ransom notes are believed to be genuine.”
However, on Wednesday, the FBI pushed back on this assessment, noting in a public statement: “The FBI and its task force partners have received several ransom notes over the course of this investigation. Some have been deemed to be extortion attempts without legitimacy. Other ransom demands may potentially be legitimate and are still being investigated as such. This case continues to be investigated as a kidnapping for ransom case. The FBI has and will continue to offer all assistance possible in the investigation – however local authorities remain the lead.”
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos expressed a similar statement on X, writing, “Throughout this investigation, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department has received information regarding potential ransom notes related to the kidnapping of Nancy Guthrie. Every tip and lead is taken seriously and is forwarded directly to our detectives, who continue to work in coordination with the FBI.”
Nanos noted that any questions regarding the ransom notes should be directed to the FBI.
“We appreciate the public’s continued cooperation and the information provided throughout this investigation,” he added. “Anyone with information that may assist investigators is encouraged to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit an anonymous tip to 88-CRIME.”
The Guthrie matriarch was last seen on the evening of Jan. 31, when family dropped her off at her Tucson home following a dinner and a game night. However, by late-midday on Feb. 1, the elder Guthrie was reported missing after she didn’t show up at a friend’s place to watch a virtual church service. Pima County investigators later shared that they believed Guthrie was taken against her will.
Guthrie’s security camera, which had been disabled, later revealed images of a man in a ski mask, jacket, gloves and a backpack outside her property. FBI Phoenix later described the suspect “as a male, approximately 5’9” – 5’10” tall, with an average build.”
Savannah, along with her siblings, have made several public pleas for their mother’s safe return.
No one has been arrested or named a suspect in connection with Guthrie’s disappearance, despite multiple searches, analyzed DNA, alleged ransom notes and more.
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