CA Man Pleads Guilty To Sending False Guthrie Ransom Note

A California man, Derrick Callella, pleaded guilty on Thursday (July 2) to sending a false ransom note related to the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the mother of "Today" show co-host Savannah Guthrie. Callella, 42, admitted to sending the note across state lines and using a telecommunications device to threaten or harass, according to KVOA.

Callella's plea agreement includes five years of probation, with sentencing scheduled for September 10. He faces up to two years in prison or a $250,000 fine. During the court proceedings, Callella admitted to using drugs four days prior but confirmed he was not under the influence during the hearing, NBC News reported.

Nancy Guthrie, 84, was reported missing from her home near Tucson, Arizona, on February 1. The FBI released images of an armed and masked man outside her home on the morning of her disappearance. The agency is still investigating some ransom notes as potentially legitimate while dismissing others as extortion attempts.

Callella, a resident of Hawthorne, California, had followed the case on TV and sent texts to Guthrie's family demanding a bitcoin transaction, according to The Guardian. The FBI continues to treat the case as a kidnapping for ransom and is evaluating all tips and leads.