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A California man pleaded guilty Thursday to federal charges of sending a false ransom note in relation to the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie.
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In a plea agreement, Derrick Callella, 42, pleaded guilty to two felony counts for sending a ransom demand across state lines and using a telecommunications device to threaten or harass, NBC affiliate KVOA of Tucson reported. He must serve five years of probation and will be sentenced Sept. 10.
Prosecutors told the court Thursday that Callella had tested positive for drugs. He also acknowledged that he used drugs four days earlier, according to statements he made in court.
After the judge asked, Callella said he was not under the influence during Thursday’s proceedings, according to KVOA.
Guthrie, 84, the mother of “TODAY” show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, was reported missing from her home near Tucson on Feb. 1. She was last seen the previous night around 9:45 p.m., according to Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos.
Ten days after Guthrie was reported missing, the FBI released chilling doorbell camera images of an armed and masked man outside her home on the morning of her disappearance. The FBI has since described that man as a suspect.
Meanwhile, the FBI is still evaluating some ransom notes relating to Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance in February as potentially “legitimate,” while others have been discounted as “extortion attempts,” the agency said in an update Wednesday.
“This case continues to be investigated as a kidnapping for ransom case,” the FBI Phoenix office said on X, noting that law enforcement had received “several ransom notes over the course of this investigation.”
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department, which is also investigating, said in a statement Wednesday that it had “received information regarding potential ransom notes related to the kidnapping of Nancy Guthrie” throughout its investigation.
“Every tip and lead is taken seriously and is forwarded directly to our detectives, who continue to work in coordination with the FBI,” the statement said.
The FBI statement rebuts a report from Reuters on Tuesday about the notes, citing an unnamed FBI official.
While the FBI did not specify how many ransom notes had been received, NBC News has reported that investigators have examined two notes sent to media outlets.
The first note said Guthrie was safe and requested cryptocurrency in exchange for her release. The second note sent to media outlets appeared to indicate that she had died, three people familiar with the matter previously told NBC News.
After the second note was sent, Savannah Guthrie addressed her mother’s possible kidnapping in an Instagram video, saying the family would “pay” for her return.
Last week, she made another plea on the air saying her family is “in agony” over her mother’s disappearance. “We cannot be at peace,” she said.
“We’re begging for your help,” she said. “Please, if you’re watching, no matter how small, the reward is there. You can tell us; it can be anonymous.”
“We love our mom, and we’ll never stop looking for her, ever.”
Adela Suliman is a breaking-news editor and reporter for NBC News in London.
Rebecca Cohen is a breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital.
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