A California man appeared in federal court in Tucson after being charged with transmitting a demand for ransom, according to an announcement from U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine.
Derrick Callella, 42, of Hawthorne, California, faces charges for sending a ransom demand through interstate commerce. Authorities allege that Callella used telecommunications devices without revealing his identity and intended to abuse, threaten, or harass another person.
The criminal complaint states that on February 4, 2026, Callella sent two text messages demanding ransom to the family of a missing person. He is also accused of making a brief phone call lasting nine seconds to one of the family members.
Investigators determined that Callella was impersonating someone else in order to exploit the situation involving the missing person.
In a statement from officials: “The U.S. Attorney’s Office and FBI will continue to hold this defendant accountable and any other individuals who seek to interfere with federal investigations or profit from the victim family’s grief.”
Authorities emphasized that a criminal complaint is only an accusation and does not imply guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Further information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona can be found at http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
