A former LA County worker has been charged with making an attempt to rip-off Savannah Guthrie’s household as they proceed their seek for the Right now anchor’s lacking mom.
Los Angeles Journal reported on Thursday, February 5, that Derrick Callellawas beforehand concerned in an time beyond regulation theft case final October earlier than having new federal fees leveled in opposition to him after he allegedly reached out to the household of lacking grandmother Nancy Guthrie84.
Callella was considered one of 13 LA County staff charged with stealing $430,000 in unemployment advantages between 2020 and 2023.
“As authorities staff, we have now an obligation to uphold the general public’s belief,” Los Angeles County District Legal professional Nathan J. Hochman mentioned through a press launch in October 2025.
He continued: “When a civil servant steals from the federal government, that belief is damaged. The dimensions of fraud in these circumstances is surprising, spanning seven totally different County companies, together with staff whose very job was to assist the general public decide whether or not they had been eligible for public advantages. Most egregiously, these people allegedly claimed to be unemployed in the course of the COVID pandemic when thousands and thousands of Californians had been legitimately in want of unemployment advantages. I thank Los Angeles County Auditor-Controller Oscar Valdez for his partnership and dedication to holding authorities staff accountable. Right now, we’re placing all authorities staff on discover: For those who steal from taxpayers, you’ll be prosecuted.”
Based on court docket paperwork seen by Us Weekly on Thursday, Callella was allegedly linked to what the FBI described as an “imposter” ransom rip-off after he contacted Nancy’s household following her disappearance.
Per a legal grievance obtained by Us, Callella initially despatched a textual content message to Savannah’s sister Annie Guthrie and Annie’s husband Tommaso Cioni.
The textual content learn, “Did you get the bitcoin had been (sic) ready on our finish for the transaction.”
Savannah Guthrie.
(Photograph by Paul Morigi/Getty Photographs for Haddad Media)Callella then allegedly made a cellphone name to an unidentified member of the family of Nancy, which lasted 9 seconds.
Authorities tracked Callella down on Thursday morning, he admitted to sending the ransom calls for. He informed the FBI “that he pulled household data from a cyber web site, and that he had been following alongside and watching TV.” He informed authorities his textual content messages had been an try to “see if the household would reply.”
FBI Phoenix Particular Agent in Cost, Heath Janke, addressed the ransom word acquired by the Guthrie household through a press convention held on Thursday, February 5.
“I believe we begin to have a look at what the deadlines had been within the word,” Janke shared. “First, I believe (it) was 5 p.m. as we speak, after which it had a second deadline after that. So we’re persevering with in a standard kidnapping case, there could be contact by now attempting to debate that. However these are the time frames we’re as we transfer ahead.”
Annie Guthrie and husband Tommaso Cioni had been those who acquired imposter Derrick Callella’s ransom textual content messages after Nancy Guthrie went lacking. Based on court docket paperwork obtained by Us Weekly on Thursday, February 5, Annie and Cioni each acquired textual content messages from Callella after the Guthrie household — which incorporates Annie, Camron and Savannah Guthrie (…)
Addressing the “imposter ransom” arrest, Janke added, “Now we have made one arrest associated to an imposter ransom demand, and a grievance can be offered to a Justice of the Peace choose later as we speak.”
He continued, “There’s no proof to attach this to Nancy’s case. It was somebody that was attempting to revenue off it.”
Janke additionally warned that authorities would come down laborious on anybody attempting to take advantage of the Guthries’ scenario for revenue.
“To these imposters who’re attempting to take benefit and revenue from this case, we’ll examine and guarantee you might be held accountable on your actions,” he mentioned. “That is an 84-year-old grandma that wants very important treatment for her nicely being. You continue to have the time to do the appropriate factor earlier than this turns into a worse, a lot worse state of affairs for you.”
The Pima County Sheriff’s Division confirmed the information of Nancy’s disappearance on Sunday, February 1, sharing a lacking particular person report through X. Nancy was described as a “weak grownup” who was final seen “at her residence” inside Arizona’s Catalina Foothills space on the night of Saturday, January 31. The report famous that it’s “unknown what clothes she could also be sporting.”