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LOS ANGELES () — A Torrance man has been charged with allegedly demanding Bitcoin from members of the Guthrie family in the wake of the disappearance of their mother Nancy, according to a federal complaint.
Nancy Guthrie is believed to have been abducted from her Arizona home early Sunday. No suspect or person of interest has been identified in the case, according to authorities.
READ MORE: ‘We believe Nancy is still out there’: Latest on search for Savannah Guthrie’s missing mother
The man allegedly used an app to create a fake phone number to text the family, according to a federal complaint.
According to the federal complaint, Derrick Callella allegedly sent a text message to both the daughter and son-in-law of Nancy on Wednesday that said, “Did you get the bitcoin were [sic] waiting on our end for the transaction.”
The text messages were sent two days after a local Tucson media outlet received a ransom demand that listed a Bitcoin wallet address to receive the payment, according to the complaint.
They were also sent shortly after Nancy’s children published a video online asking their mother’s kidnappers to contact them, the complaint also noted.
Callella allegedly used an application to create a fake phone number to text the family, and the account was tracked to an email associated with him, according to the complaint.
He allegedly admitted to sending the text messages after being read his Miranda rights, according to the complaint.
“When he said that he sent text messages he was trying to see if the family would respond,” the complaint stated.
Callella is not linked to the Bitcoin ransom demand, according to the complaint, which charges him transmitting a demand for ransom and intending to abuse, threaten or harass using a telecommunication device.
FBI Special Agent in Charge Heith Janke issued a warning on Thursday following Callella’s arrest.
“To those imposters who are trying to take advantage and profit from this situation, we will investigate and ensure you are held accountable for your actions,” Janke said.
Janke said any action taken on a ransom is ultimately decided by the family.
Savannah Guthrie, the co-anchor of NBC News’ TODAY show, directly addressed the reports of a ransom letter in a video message with her siblings on Wednesday, saying, “As a family, we are doing everything that we can. We are ready to talk. However, we live in a world where voices and images are easily manipulated. We need to know without a doubt that she is alive and that you have her. We want to hear from you and we are ready to listen. Please reach out to us.”
News contributed to this report.
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