A California man, Derrick Callella, has pleaded guilty to sending a fake ransom demand connected to the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of TODAY co-anchor Savannah Guthrie.
Callella entered a guilty plea on Thursday in federal court to two felony charges. They include sending a ransom demand across state lines and using a telecommunications device to threaten or harass, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).
According to the DOJ, Callella also acknowledged that his actions were intended to harass the family by requesting details regarding Nancy’s missing investigation.
He is scheduled to be sentenced on September 10 and must serve five years of probation under the plea agreement.
Who is Derrick Callella?
Derrick Callella is a 42-year-old resident of Torrance, California. Federal investigators say he sent a fraudulent Bitcoin ransom demand to Nancy Guthrie’s family while authorities searched for the missing 84-year-old.
According to investigators, Callella allegedly used an application that generated a fake phone number to send text messages demanding cryptocurrency. Authorities traced the account to an email address linked to him. This led to his arrest and subsequent guilty plea.
This story is being updated.