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TMZ founder Harvey Levin was prepared to pay a ransom note writer who claimed to know who kidnapped Nancy Guthrie — but the FBI “ghosted” him, he revealed in a stunning new interview.
Levin said the same person has been emailing the outlet on and off in the months since Guthrie’s mysterious Jan. 31 abduction — saying he’s willing to hand over information that could lead investigators directly to the suspects, for a price.
“A month ago, I called the FBI and I said, ‘Look, I just have this sense this guy might be real,’” Levin said during a Saturday interview with CBS producer Anna Schecter, explaining that the sender has repeatedly demanded one bitcoin (about $60,000) in exchange for the information and has used the same IP address in all communications with TMZ.
“And I said, ‘What if we do a documentary, and we put that money in the bitcoin address and follow the path and where it goes?’ And we’d obviously not do anything without you, but just because we have this sense it’s real, what if we do this?” he continued.
According to Levin, federal agents promised to get back to him quickly – but then went radio silent.
“I had made six calls and I felt they were ghosting us,” Levin said.
The agency eventually reached back out – but with a surprising request.
“I did get a call back this week and they asked us to stand down, to not do the documentary.
“I was told that they feel like they’re making progress in terms of identifying this person, and they think they can do that,” Levin claimed.
The response, Levin said, raised even more questions about whether authorities believe the potential informant is credible.
“If you’re asking me, how do I make sense of all of it? I’m having trouble,” he said.
“On the one hand, if they think this guy is just a jerk trying to scam money, why are they spending all this time…trying to figure out who this guy is?” Levin wondered aloud during a separate interview with CNN host Michael Smerconish.
“On the other hand, if he’s legit, why didn’t they pay the one Bitcoin he’s asking, which is around $60,000 to lead them to the kidnappers – and possibly Nancy Guthrie?” he added.
Levin then reiterated the chilling “evidence” the author claims he can deliver “on a silver platter” in exchange for the bitcoin, as outlined in the latest note sent to TMZ this week.
“He specifically says he has a ‘short video of the main guy with Nancy on the day that was probably her last,’” Levin told Smerconish.
“He goes on to say he had the phone with that video in a safe location. The phone is turned off.
“In return for the bitcoin, he will lead them to the phone, give them the password that will then let them look at the video, as well as the addresses of the two people he says are the kidnappers,” Levin said.
The blackmailer also claimed there were two kidnappers behind Guthrie’s abduction from her Arizona home.
Earlier this week, TMZ reported that it responded to the note by telling the sender to pass along a screen-grab of Guthrie to verify the disturbing claim. The outlet also alerted the FBI.
The FBI and the Pima County Sheriff’s Office — which is leading the investigation — both declined to comment when reached by the Post.
Guthrie — mother of “Today” host Savannah Guthrie — remains missing with no known suspects nearly five months after she vanished.
A barrage of disturbing ransom notes has circulated since the disappearance.
A pair of notes, reportedly from the same IP address, were sent to Guthrie’s family and news outlets days after she was abducted from her Tucson home on Feb. 1.
The first reportedly claimed that the missing grandmother was safe, while the second claimed Guthrie – who had a heart condition – had died and been buried in nature, and offered a rambling “apology” for the accidental death.
Savannah tearfully responded on air last week after new details on the ransom notes were revealed.
“I don’t have any comment on this story and I’m not involved in our coverage, but I can’t pretend I’m not here,” she said in an emotional statement from behind the desk of the NBC program.
“We are in agony and we cannot be at peace. No matter how much I try to come out here everyday and smile and find that joy — and I will, I promise I will — this is the moment to tell you we need your help, we’re begging for your help and I’m not going to miss that opportunity.”
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