The Brief Authorities say Derrick Callella of California sent an  imposter ransom demand  to Nancy Guthrie's family members. According to court documents, Callella sent text messages saying,  Did you get the bitcoin [we're] waiting on our end for the transaction . Callella pleaded guilty to charges on July 2. He will be sentenced in September.



A California man who authorities say sent an  imposter ransom demand  to Nancy Guthrie's family members pleaded guilty to charges on Thursday.

What we know:

Derrick Callella, 42, pleaded guilty on July 2 to two counts of harassment using a telecommunications device, the United States Attorney's Office District of Arizona said in a news release.

Derrick Callella

Callella faces a maximum penalty of two years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both, and one year of supervised release. He's scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 10.

Dig deeper:

Investigators say after Nancy Guthrie's family members released an emotional video asking the kidnappers to contact them, they each received a text message from a phone number with a California area code reading:  Did you get the bitcoin [we're] waiting on our end for the transaction .

Officials say they discovered that the phone number was associated with a VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) application, eventually linking Callella to the number.

When questioned, investigators say Callella admitted to sending the messages, and said that he pulled the family's information from a website, and had been following the case.


The backstory:

The Pima County Sheriff's Department says Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of NBC  Today  show host Savannah Guthrie, was dropped off at her home on the evening of Jan. 31. Guthrie was reported missing the following day by family members after she failed to show up at church.

Since her disappearance, PCSD and the FBI have released footage of Nancy's alleged abductor at her doorstep.

Image 1 of 4   Masked person seen at front door of Nancy Guthrie's home. (PCSD)

What you can do:

A reward of over $1 million is being offered by Nancy's family and the 

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