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Former Los Angeles County employee charged with attempted fraud Savannah Guthrie’s The family continues to search today The anchor’s missing mother.
Los Angeles Magazine report Thursday, February 5, Derek CarreraHe was involved in an overtime theft last October and was hit with new federal charges after he allegedly contacted the family of his missing grandmother. Nancy Guthrie,84.
Carrera is one of 13 Los Angeles County employees accused of stealing $430,000 in unemployment benefits between 2020 and 2023.
“As government employees, we have an obligation to uphold the public trust,” Los Angeles County D.A. Nathan J. Hochman explain via press release October 2025.
He continued: “When public servants steal money from the government, that trust is broken. The scale of the fraud in these cases is staggering and involves seven different county agencies, including employees whose job it is to help the public determine whether they are eligible for public benefits. Most egregious, these individuals allegedly claimed unemployment during the coronavirus pandemic, when millions of Californians are legitimately in need of unemployment benefits. I thank the Los Angeles County Auditor and Auditor General Oscar Valdez for his cooperative spirit and commitment to holding government employees accountable. Today we are sending a warning to all government employees: If you steal taxpayer dollars, you will be prosecuted. “
According to court documents US Weekly On Thursday, Carrera was allegedly linked to a group described by the FBI.n “Impersonation” ransom scam After Nancy disappeared, he contacted her family.
According to a criminal complaint received us, Kalela initially sent a text message to Savannah’s sister Anne Guthrie and anne’s husband Tommaso Scioni.
The text read: “Have you received your Bitcoin? We are waiting for the transaction.”
Savannah Guthrie.
(Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for Haddad Media)Calera then allegedly called an unidentified family member of Nancy’s, a call that lasted nine seconds.
Authorities found Carrera Thursday morning, and he admitted making the ransom demand. He told the FBI that “he obtained family information from an Internet site and that he had been following and watching television.” He told authorities that he texted “to see if the family would respond.”
FBI Phoenix Special Agent in Charge, Heath Janke, Wrote a ransom note The Guthrie family received the news during a press conference on Thursday, February 5.
“I think we started looking at deadlines in the instructions,” Janke shared. “First, I think it’s 5pm today and then there’s the second deadline. So we’re continuing with the normal kidnapping cases and will be in contact now to try and discuss the matter. But those are the timeframes we’re looking at as we move forward.”
After Nancy Guthrie disappeared, Anne Guthrie and her husband Tommaso Cioni received a ransom text from imposter Derek Carrera. According to court documents obtained by Us Weekly on Thursday, February 5, both Anne and Sione received text messages from Carrera after the Guthrie family, including Anne, Camron and Savannah Guthrie.
Referring to the “fake ransom” arrest, Janke added, “We have arrested an individual in connection with the fake ransom demand and a complaint will be filed with the magistrate later today.”
He continued, “There is no evidence that this is related to Nancy’s case. This is someone trying to profit from this.”
Janke also warned that authorities would crack down on anyone who tries to take advantage of the Guthrie family’s situation.
“For those impostors who are trying to cash in on this situation, we will investigate and make sure you are held accountable for your actions,” he said. “This is an 84-year-old grandma who needs vital medication to maintain her health. You still have time to do the right thing before this becomes a much, much worse situation for you.”
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department confirmed Nancy’s disappearance on Sunday, February 1, and shared a missing persons report via X . Nancy is described as a “vulnerable adult” who was last seen on the evening of Saturday, January 31, at a “residence” in the Catalina Foothills area of Arizona. “It is unclear what she may have been wearing,” the report states.
