The arrest is not believed connected with ransom letters received earlier this week by media outlets.
Federal authorities have arrested a man in California in connection with an “imposter ransom demand” in the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie.
A criminal complaint identified the man as 42-year-old Derrick Callella, The National News Desk reported. He has been charged with violating two federal laws regarding making a demand for ransom over interstate commerce.
FBI Agent Heith Janke said during a news conference on Thursday that investigators don’t believe Callella’s messages — sent to Guthrie’s daughter and son-in-law, Annie Guthrie and Tommaso Cioni on Wednesday — are connected with ransom letters received by several media outlets on Monday. Those letters reportedly demanded million of dollars in Bitcoin, as CrimeOnline reported.
According to the complaint, Guthrie’s daughter and son-in-law, Annie Guthrie and Tommaso Cioni, received a text message on Wednesday that said, “Did you get the bitcoing were [sic] waiting on our end for the transaction.”
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.
How they caught him &… pic.twitter.com/BrPjcgYHxt
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) February 5, 2026
Investigators traced the number that sent those messages to a voice over internet protocol app and found the number was registered to [email protected]. They were also able to track it to an internet provider address associated with Callella’s home in California.
Callella admitted sending the text messages to both Annie Guthrie and Cioni and to making a 9-second phone call to one of the family members after sending the texts.
Janke said during Thursday’s news conference that the ransom letters sent to media outlets included two deadlines — the first for 5 p.m. Thursday and the second for sometime on Monday. He said that federal agents would advise family members regarding those letters but that “any action taken on any ransom is ultimately decided by the family.”
Savannah Guthrie, her sister, and her brother released video Wednesday night on Instagram in which they said they were “ready to talk” but “need to know without a doubt that she is alive and that you have her.”
Investigators have not said whether they have been able to authenticate the ransom demand, and there have been no known responses to the Guthries’ video.
Janke also announced a $50,000 reward for the arrest and conviction of anyone associated with Nancy Guthrie’s abduction.
Guthrie was last seen at her home in the Catalina Foothills area outside Tucson shortly before 10 p.m. on Saturday and was reported missing by family around noon on Sunday.
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[Featured image: Nancy Guthrie/Instagram]
