LA County man charged for fake ransom text sent to Savannah Guthrie's family

The FBI arrested a Los Angeles County man for allegedly sending a phony ransom text to Savannah Guthrie's family amid the high-profile search for the "Today" show host's mother, Nancy Guthrie.

Investigators said Derrick Callella allegedly sent a text to the family on Feb. 4 shortly after Nancy Guthrie's children posted a video on social media, pleading with the possible abductor for their mother's safe return.

"Did you get the bitcoin [we are] waiting on our end for the transaction," Callella allegedly wrote. 

The FBI said Callella used a program to disguise his phone number. However, agents were still able to trace the text message to an IP address linked to Callella's home in California, according to the criminal complaint filed against him. 

Agents arrested him on Feb. 5 in Hawthorne, about five miles away from LAX. In the criminal complaint, the FBI said Callella admitted to sending the message after he found the family's information online. Investigators said he also tried to call Nancy Guthrie's family shortly after sending the texts. 

"The two text messages have not been linked to the February 2, 2026, ransom demand," the FBI wrote in the criminal complaint. 

Callella's first court appearance is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 6, in downtown LA. He faces two charges related to the phony ransom text. 

"To those impostors who are trying to take advantage and profit from this situation – we will investigate and ensure you are held accountable for your actions," said Heith Janke, the special agent in charge of the FBI's field office in Phoenix.

In October 2025, an LA County employee matching Callella's name and birth year was charged with grand theft after allegedly filing fraudulent unemployment claims during the COVID-19 pandemic. He pleaded not guilty.