“Today” anchor Savannah Guthrie and her siblings spoke directly to anyone who might have taken their mother Wednesday in a video.

FBI arrests Nancy Guthrie ransom imposter in California

"Today" anchor Savannah Guthrie and her siblings spoke directly to anyone who might have taken their mother Wednesday in a video.

By Raechal Shewfelt

Raechal Shewfelt

Raechal Shewfelt is a writer at **. She has been working at EW since 2024. Her work has previously appeared on Yahoo and in American *Journalism Review* and *The Shreveport Times*.

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February 6, 2026 12:40 a.m. ET

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Nancy Guthrie has been missing since Feb. 1. Credit:

Savannah Guthrie/Instagram

- The FBI has arrested and charged California resident Derrick Callella with making threats to family members of*Today* show host Savannah Guthrie's missing mother.

- The complaint against Callella accuses him of having texted Nancy's other daughter, Annie, and her husband, seeking payment.

- The charges against Callella are unrelated to another ransom claim sent in letters to news organizations.

The FBI has arrested and charged a California man with making threats to the family members of Savannah Guthrie's family in the wake of their search for their elderly mother, Nancy.

Charges against Derrick Callella, 42, of Hawthorne, Calif., include transmitting a demand for ransom in interstate commerce and, without disclosing his identity, utilizing a telecommunications device with the intent to abuse, threaten, or harass a person, according to the state's U.S. Attorney's Office.

The arrest comes one day after Savannah, her sister Annie, and her brother Camron directly addressed anyone responsible for the disappearance of their 84-year-old mother, which occurred sometime between the night of Jan. 31 and the morning of Feb. 1.

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"We, too, have heard the reports about a ransom letter in the media," Savannah said in the clip. "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."

She continued, "We want to hear from you, and we are ready to listen. Please, reach out to us."**

The complaint against Callella, obtained by *,* accuses him of having texted two individuals, referred to as A.C. and T.C. and described as the daughter and son-in-law of N.G. — "shortly after the video was published." (Annie is married to Tommaso Cioni.)

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The messages read: "Did you get the bitcoin were [sic] waiting on our end for the transaction."

He also made a nine-second call to another family member.**

Authorities traced the number the text messages had been sent from to an IP address and found that it was associated with Callella's address, they said.

He later "admitted to sending the two text messages" and having "pulled family information from a cyber website," after "following along and watching TV. He "was trying to see if the family would respond."**

Savannah Guthrie and mother Nancy Guthrie.

Savannah Guthrie/Instagram

"The Department of Justice will protect victims and families at all costs, and grief profiteers will be held accountable," U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine said in a statement. "This case came together in under 24 hours because of the coordinated work of the FBI, local law enforcement and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California."

FBI agent Heith Janke warned, "Imposters who are trying to take advantage and profit from this situation — we will investigate and ensure you are held accountable for your actions."

Earlier Thursday, Janke also said officials are offering a $50,000 reward for "information leading to the recovery of Nancy Guthrie and or the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in her disappearance."

The complaint against Callella also noted that on Feb. 2, "KOLD, a CBS affiliate in Tucson, Arizona, received a ransom demand via their online tip portal. The demand listed a Bitcoin wallet address to receive the ransom payment." That note came from a different source, officials said Thursday.

Callella is previously known to law enforcement, having been arrested in October 2025 as part of an overtime theft perpetrated by LA County employees, according to a report by *Los Angeles* magazine.

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