California man gets probation for sending bogus ransom texts in Tucson kidnapping case

In a Tucson courtroom, Derrick Anthony Calleja, 42, was sentenced to five years of probation after pleading guilty to sending fraudulent ransom texts to the relatives of Nancy Gurthrie, who vanished seven months ago. Calleja told the court he followed the case in the media and used a VoIP-generated number to contact the family, referencing earlier bitcoin ransom demands. He attributed his actions partly to a methamphetamine habit and has been ordered into a residential treatment facility, with a probation officer noting his recovery is only two months old.

U.S. District Judge John C. Hinderaker imposed two concurrent five-year Class E felony sentences for telecommunications harassment. Gurthrie, 84, was last seen on February 1 and remains missing; investigators have released doorbell footage showing a masked intruder and continue to pursue legitimate ransom notes. The FBI maintains a $50,000 reward for information leading to her safe return.