Fraudulent ransom case leads to inpatient treatment before sentencing

A federal judge ordered Derrick Callella, who pleaded guilty to sending spoofed ransom texts to the Guthrie family amid Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance, to enter inpatient substance-use treatment before his Sept. 10 sentencing. Callella admitted using a spoofed VOIP number to contact Guthrie’s daughter and son-in-law and even placed a brief call; he faces up to two years in prison per count and fines up to $250,000 per count, with amended release conditions requiring treatment and the possibility of temporary custody if he fails to comply, as investigators continue to examine related ransom notes in the ongoing case.