A Hawthorne man faces federal charges for allegedly sending an “impostor ransom demand” through text messages to relatives of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, the mother of NBC “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie, who went missing on Saturday, Jan. 31, court documents show.

Authorities accuse Derrick Callella, 42, of sending two texts to a daughter and son-in-law of Nancy Guthrie asking, “Did you get the bitcoin were (sic) waiting on our end for the transaction,” on Wednesday, according to a criminal complaint filed Thursday, Feb. 5.

Federal authorities learned the phone number was connected to a computer, got the IP address from where the messages were sent, and determined they were associated with Callella’s home, the complaint says.

Callella allegedly admitted to sending the two text messages and told agents that he pulled family information from a website and that he had been following the case and watching television, the complaint says.

He said he “was trying to see if the family would respond,” the document says. Three minutes after sending the messages, Callella allegedly called a family member.

Callella’s messages were sent after Guthrie’s family had published a video asking her kidnappers to contact them about their mother, the complaint says.

Callella, who was arrested in Hawthorne, has been charged with transmitting in interstate or foreign commerce any communication containing any demand or request for a ransom or reward for the release of any kidnapped person, and using a telecommunications device without disclosing his identity and with intent to abuse, threaten, or harass any specific person, court records show.

A spokesman for the U.S. attorney’s office said Thursday it is believed Callella will make his initial court appearance in downtown Los Angeles on Friday.

A man with the same name and age as Callella was charged last year by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office with stealing nearly $10,000 in unemployment benefits between April 1, 2020 and Jan. 10, 2022. The DA’s office said in court records that he worked in the Department of Health Services as an intermediate clerk

A spokesperson for the DA’s office said Thursday they were not contacted by federal officials, and in “an abundance of caution” would not say if he was the same person.

Federal authorities said the messages are not linked to a Monday, Feb. 2 ransom demand, which was sent to a television station’s online tip portal and listed a Bitcoin wallet to receive the payment. Arizona officials said Thursday during a press conference that they were investigating and taking that demand seriously.

Heith Janke, the FBI chief in Phoenix, said the note included a demand for money with a deadline set for Thursday evening and a second one for Monday, Feb. 9 if the first deadline wasn’t met.

Guthrie was last seen on Saturday, Jan. 31 after family members dropped her off at home in Tucson following a night of dinner and playing games, authorities said. About four hours later, just before 2 a.m. Sunday, the home’s doorbell camera was disconnected and software data recorded movement at the home minutes later, according to Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos.

At nearly 2:30 a.m., Guthrie’s pacemaker was disconnected from her home and blood found on the front porch was a match to her, Nanos said.

Officials said during the press conference they have no proof that Guthrie is still alive, but were holding out hope that she is.

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