A California man who authorities say sent an “imposter ransom demand” to Nancy Guthrie’s family members pleaded guilty to charges on Thursday.
Derrick Callella, 42, pleaded guilty on July 2 to two counts of harassment using a telecommunications device, the United States Attorney’s Office District of Arizona said in a news release.
Callella faces a maximum penalty of two years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both, and one year of supervised release. He’s scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 10.
Investigators say after Nancy Guthrie’s family members released an emotional video asking the kidnappers to contact them, they each received a text message from a phone number with a California area code reading: “Did you get the bitcoin [we’re] waiting on our end for the transaction”.
Officials say they discovered that the phone number was associated with a VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) application, eventually linking Callella to the number.
When questioned, investigators say Callella admitted to sending the messages, and said that he pulled the family’s information from a website, and had been following the case.
Retired police Lt. Randy Sutton joins LiveNOW’s Andy Mac to discuss.
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This is just heartless and evil what these scammers are doing to this family.
The family got him to send the fake note because they killed her, the ransom note is to make it look like she was kidnapped. When in actuality she murdered.
So if their resources are so amazing, why can’t they track the clown sending the recent ransom notes ?
The amount of sleezebags that come out of the woodwork to try and take advantage of ppl during the most agonizing times of their lives never ceases to amaze me!
It’s all a big fat lie!!!!!!!
I agree with Randy Sutton.
There is no lower creature on earth than this scum ball. I hope he gets a very long prison sentence.
Somethings not right at all this whole th>ng is crooked
Wow make sure you protect yourself and lock doors
The whole nation wants to know what happened to poor Nancy. I would hope if I went missing people would not give up searching for me. My love and prayers to the family.
Never known such a fuss and so much coverage over an 85 year old granny.
So which ones were fake?
Fake note, because no one was kidnapped. Nancy was Murdered by her Family. It’s obvious and this proves that there was no Kidnapping
If he didn’t get time , the embarrassment and anger of the public… he would wish he did time.
Wait..2 years for this????…something doesn’t make sense to the courtroom system
Sounds like the sheriff’s pride is more important than solving a kidnapping. I’m sure the Gutherie family’s PISSED over his handling of their mom’s case; I know I would!
I hope he gets the book thrown at him when he’s sentenced. What kind of mentality does it take to do something that was guaranteed to end up causing immeasurable harm to Nancy, her family and friends?
If you take responsibility for the kidnapping, and try to get money for the kidnapping, you should be charged with kidnapping.