A 42-year-old California man has pleaded guilty to two counts of harassment after sending fraudulent ransom messages to the family of Nancy Guthrie, an 84-year-old Arizona woman who has been missing for six months.
Derrick Anthony Callella appeared in a Tucson courtroom Thursday where he admitted to texting Guthrie’s family members two days after she was reported missing from her home. The messages, which asked about bitcoin payments, were sent despite Callella having no connection to the actual disappearance.
Callella’s texts read: “Did you get the bitcoin? We are waiting on the transaction.” Shortly after sending these texts, he placed a brief nine-second call to another family member before disconnecting.
The defendant told authorities he had been following the case through media reports and was aware that legitimate ransom notes had been sent to the family and local news organizations requesting bitcoin payments. He admitted his motivation was simply to see whether the family would respond to his messages.
Federal investigators traced Callella through digital evidence after he used a Voice over Internet Protocol service to obtain a new phone number for sending the texts. However, he made a critical error by registering the phone number to a Gmail account bearing his full name. Using this information along with his IP address, FBI agents located him at his California residence.
During Thursday’s proceedings, Magistrate Judge Jacqueline Rateau noted that Callella had tested positive for methamphetamine that morning. The defendant acknowledged using the substance four days prior to his court appearance.
As part of his sentencing arrangements, Rateau ordered Callella to report to a residential treatment facility while awaiting his sentencing hearing scheduled for September 10. Failure to report by day’s end would result in an arrest warrant being issued. The judge expressed hope that he would address his substance use issues.
Under the terms of his plea deal, Callella faces a sentence ranging from five years of probation to a maximum of two years in federal prison, plus potential fines up to $250,000 for the two harassment charges. Prosecutors agreed to drop a more serious charge of sending interstate communications demanding ransom.
The case stems from Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance on February 1, when family members reported her missing after she failed to attend church services. The 84-year-old woman, who requires lifesaving medications and has limited mobility, vanished under suspicious circumstances.
Investigation revealed that her home’s Ring doorbell camera was disconnected at 1:47 a.m. that day. Security footage captured a masked individual tampering with the device before the feed terminated. Her pacemaker’s phone app connection ceased at 2:28 a.m.
Evidence of foul play emerged when investigators discovered blood on Guthrie’s porch that matched her DNA profile. Personal items including her cellphone remained at the residence.
Multiple ransom notes have surfaced since her disappearance, with a local television station receiving one through an online tip portal that contained bitcoin payment instructions. Federal authorities continue investigating certain notes as potentially legitimate while others have been confirmed as hoaxes.
The FBI maintains an active investigation into Guthrie’s disappearance and has established a dedicated tip line. A $50,000 reward remains available for information that could lead to locating the missing woman.
Callella faces separate legal troubles in Los Angeles County, where authorities charged him with grand theft in October. Prosecutors allege he illegally obtained $9,984 in unemployment benefits between May 2020 and January 2022 while employed by the county, part of a larger scheme involving 13 former employees accused of collectively defrauding $430,000.
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