He wasnt just being paranoid. Well, we bring to you a bank heist so ridiculous and poorly planned, that you will think I can plan a better heist!. Its like, me and you sat down, I have access to pie, you like pie, all I want is my share of the pie. Bank heists are ideally supposed to have meticulous planning right? Additionally, all the stolen cash was recovered or accounted for, except for $2 million. On the evening ofOctober 4, 1997, the Loomis Fargo & Co branch in Charlotte, North Carolina was in the process of being plundered. Whisler told the judge that the couple had searched for a new house before the theft, and that Michele Chambers bought rubber bands from Wal-Mart to count the money the night of the crime. 1998 The Associated Press. Hes a family man with a wife and daughter. David Ghantt took $50,000 for himself and fled to Cozumel, Mexico. Then Campbell turned his attention to her boyfriend. After Ghantts release from prison, he took up a job as a construction worker. But last Oct. 4, when he still hadn't gotten home by 2:30 a.m., she called his parents in Hendersonville. Bipartisan Senate group unveils rail safety bill in response to Ohio derailment, What to know about Shigella bacteria as drug-resistant strain spreads, Flying bug found at Walmart turns out to be rare Jurassic-era insect, Elizabeth Holmes has second child, seeks to delay prison, Where things stand in the Alex Murdaugh double murder trial. They were the butt of a national joke. Ghantt:Since I still owe the federal government money I can't get paid. Even if Campbell denies the relationship was ever romantic, the FBI evidence says otherwise. I started just chucking it as fast as I could, he said, adding the sweat was pouring off of me.. "So it's one thing to go from up here, thought, to action," he said. The affidavit also cited telephone conversations between Steve Chambers and McKinney that indicated they may have been plotting Ghantt's murder in Mexico only days ago. More than 2 million dollars are still missing to this day. He then began loading $17 million in unmarked bills inside a company van before driving away. . So its one thing to go from up here, thought, to action, he said. David Ghantt 2) A joke that gave birth to an idea. His partners, who planned to stay behind, agreed to send him his full cut of the money after the heat from investigators had died down. We spoke with the inside man, David Ghantt, to get the real story . Besides wearing the ring, driving the BMW, and living in the new house, prosecutors say Michele Chambers helped others deposit millions of dollars in safe-deposit boxes in the area, and that she took $200,000 in cash into a Salisbury bank in November 1997 and came out with a $200,000 check. David Ghantt had been a model employee for an armored car company before pulling off the second biggest cash heist in U.S. history, fleeing with more than . (I) bought jewelry, bought a van, Campbell recalled of her own spending. But when he's convinced by his work crush, Kelly Campbell (Kristen Wiig) and her accomplices to join in a far-fetched plan to rob a bank vault, David soon throws everything on the line for love, money, and a . .component--type-recirculation .item:nth-child(5) { Did you get paid? In all, they recovered $6.6 million. Agents found out where Ghantt was living because Chambers had put out a hit on him, foolishly believing Ghantt was the only person the FBI had fingered for the crime. The Loomis Fargo Bank Robbery was a robbery of $17.3 million in cash from the Charlotte, North Carolina, regional office vault of Loomis, Fargo & Co. on the evening of October 4, 1997, by vault supervisor David Scott Ghantt, his married girlfriend Kelly Campbell (a former Loomis co-worker), Steve Chambers, his wife Michelle Chambers, Michael Gobbies and four other co-conspirators. SPORTS. It took me going to prison to realize I was a bag of worms, and it took me years of work to be somebody worthy to come back into our society, he said. At the time . Not all of them, but some of them are going to forgive you, theyre going to overlook it., he said. Ghantt:I've always known that story had potential to be a comedy or a drama. $17.3 million . Eventually, the two teamed up with a few other people and hatched plans for a heist. He would leave most of the money with Campbell and share it evenly when he returned with Campbell to leave him enough money to live. During a layover in Florida, they learned that Ghantt was already on his way back to the U.S. with authorities, but they flew to Cancun anyway and rented a car to reach Playa del Carmen, a resort town. The next day, before Mike was able to leave the country, the FBI arrested him in his hotel room. Before long, the tales of high living by Chambers and his now former wife, Michelle, led the thieves to be labeled either the "Cramer Mountain Hillbillies" or "The gang that couldn't steal straight." Diese Aufgabe ist allerdings weitaus weniger spannend, als sie sich anhrt, und so ist Davids Tageshhepunkt nicht das Verladen der Millionen, sondern der tgliche Flirt mit seiner Kollegin Kelly. They both made jokes about their work and how they would rather rob the place than continue with their underpaid job. It was over. On October 4, 1997, at about 6:40 p.m, Ghantt successfully entered the vault and according to the plan starting loading up the cash in the van. Loomis Fargo heist: 25 years later David Ghantt took $50,000 for himself and fled to Cozumel, Mexico. Fact check: Is there much truth to the new Masterminds movie? And theres the story of then-Observer reporter Joe DePriests race to Mexico to catch Ghantt as he was getting arrested. . What to know about Shigella bacteria as drug-resistant strain spreads Pocketing $50,000 for himself, that man, named David Ghantt . However, he had not perceived the weight of a large sum of money. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. David Ghantt was a nuisance to Steve Chambers and Kelly Campbell, John Wydra, a retired FBI agent who handled the case, told Super Heists.. The police, in turn, called the FBI since 95% of the money handled at the facility was owned by banks. Once they were in custody, the overwhelming task of clearing out possessions possibly purchased with the stolen money began. He had sent home early a newly hired employee and then proceeded with the loading of the funds. Galifianakis can pull off broad comedy effortlessly, a skill which catapulted him to . On Oct. 5, 1997, Ghantt carried out the heist during his regular shift after sending another employee home, stealing more than $17 million from the bank vault. All rights reserved. The Gaston Gazette interviewed Ghantt, whos now in his late 40s and living as a free man in Florida. She said that he could assist Ghantt in executing a massive cash robbery of the Loomis Fargo vault in one night. What we know. Ultimately, eight co-conspirators were indicted for the Loomis Fargo bank heist. Ghantt was the vault manager and was surrounded daily by millions of dollars-worth of temptation. Now and again I run into blog posts that tends to make me want to get started on bloggin myself. She's a great speaker and a great writer. Steven Chambers, left, and David Scott Ghantt leave federal court. Since he was the only employee unaccounted for the following day, they checked the tapes for clues. In the first couple of weeks, they had heard both Steve and Shelley bragging about their new-found fortune, and spending remarkable amounts of money. Loomis Fargo heist: 25 years later David Scott Ghantt speaks with Channel 9's Glenn Counts 25 years after the robbery. In his hurry, Ghantt had simply overlooked the third security camera. display: none; If we work together, we can all have plenty of pie.. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. In addition, six other people, some of whom had been spending large amounts of money, were arrested Monday in North Carolina in connection with the case, Perry said. I knew that if I did something like that, I would take a huge amount of money, Ghantt said of the brash robbery on an upcoming episode of, To find out more about how the thieves got caught and how long they landed behind bars, tune in the, Rebel Wilson 'collapsed' after Ramona Agruma proposal: 'I was so overwhelmed', Amy Grant recalls being 'so scared' to return to touring following serious bike accident, Travis Scott being sought by NYPD after alleged nightclub assault, Zachary Levi talks Shazam! future after DC shake-up: 'I'll keep playing this role as long as I can', Get your Din Djarin on with this replica 'Mandalorian' helmet. To be brutally honest, it was that morning, Ghantt replied. As Ghantt and seven others await hearings on charges from the October theft, authorities still have a big unanswered question: Where's most of the money? where he earned $360 a week and befriended Kelly Campbell (Wiig), who got Ghantt . Ultimately, even though the film is a slightly exaggerated version of the actual events, it is not far from reality. Before the robber left Loomis Fargo, he made a trip to the managers office to remove two surveillance tapes in order to conceal his identity. One of the FBI's wiretaps caught a conversation between David Ghantt and Kelly Campbell, the one who bought the minivan and shopped for the liposuction. The plot revolves around Ghantt who teamed up with his former loomis co-worker Kelly Campbell. If I could get far enough away in a very short amount of time, my odds of getting away with it were pretty high, Ghantt said. Of course, I went on a spending spree. David Ghantt: [after the loaded gun in the back of his trousers goes off] Oh, that burns! David Ghantt: Oh, God! Former Cramerton Police Chief David Young soon got wind of the Chambers excessive spending spree and reached out to the FBI. Question: Are you surprised that Hollywood took this on as a movie? Le seul rayon de soleil dans son existence banale, c'est sa jolie collgue, Kelly Campbell. Ghantt was working as a Loomis Fargo security when he committed the robbery, and Campbell had . This company managed the transportation of large amounts of money between banks in North Carolina. Further stating that it was not drug money. They already knew who he was-David Ghantt, a Loomis Fargo employee. Chambers went from a mobile home in Lincoln County to a mansion in Cramerton. And if that gives people out there a little bit of hope, then Ive served my purpose on this earth., (WATCH BELOW: The Loomis Fargo heist: 25 years later). Because Ghantt was the only employee who wasn't there that morning, he became the obvious suspect. Campbell knew theyd need the help of the warehouses vault supervisor, who just happened to have a crush on her, and she called Ghantt to ask for his help. The towns booming construction industry attracts workers from around the country. Ghantt went on to explain that he left for his flight to Mexico with about $25,000, and that two or three deliveries of extra money was made to him by the man Chambers would pay to kill him. Consequently, they called the police. . Guided by federal sentencing rules, prosecutors had requested a sentence of nine years for Michele Chambers. . Ghantt says he believes in redemption, and that his mistake 25 years ago brought him all the things that are important in his life today. No regrets. Diamant captures the human side of the crime as well as the bizarre details, including a clown-faced lava lamp. The others, though, went no farther than Cramer Mountain. Day in and day out he drives an armored vehicle, transporting millions of other people's money with no escape in sight. 0:44. Their plan was fairly straightforward: Ghantt was to remain in the vault after his shift on the night of the heist, October 4, 1997. The robbery was committed by Loomis vault supervisor David Scott Ghantt, his married girlfriend Kelly Campbell (a former Loomis co-worker), Steven Eugene Chambers (a one-time FBI informant), his wife Michelle Chambers, Michael Gobbies, and four . The FBI continues to search for a missing $2 million from the theft. Required fields are marked *. The case had gotten national publicity and was the subject of numerous articles, documentaries and even a movie. Flying bug found at Walmart turns out to be rare Jurassic-era insect Steve Chambers would keep the rest . I knew it was just a matter of time. The man's famil, Growing up in Goldsboro, Greensboro Day senior Jaydon Young averaged 25.9 points per game as a freshman at Wayne Christian. It was the second-largest cash heist in U.S. history, and it wasnt solved right away. More than 20 people ended up in the FBI's dragnet. Ghantt, his former co-worker Kelly Campbell and her friends Steve and Michelle Chambers carried out the Loomis Fargo heist on Oct. 4, 1997. Thank you so much. Lead prosecutor Creighton Waters is delivering the closing argument for the state, followed by defense attorney Jim Griffin who will deliver the closing argument for the defense. Ghantt continued to languish in Mexico, having spent most of the $25,000 he took with him to a Cancun resort. When he was done, the man drove off to a nearby printing press, where the money was distributed into private vehicles amongst a handful of people. jim martin death couples massage class san diego beaver falls football real kelly campbell loomis fargo heist. The 2016 comedy movie, Masterminds is based on the story of the Loomis Fargo Heist. When Ghantt called Campbell however, the FBI was able to track his location, and arrested him with the help of the Mexican police onMarch 1, 1998. In that time, I realized most of my problems were because of me. The eight accomplices were also apprehended. $17.3 million in cash was robbed from the Charlotte, North Carolina, regional office vault of Loomis, Fargo & Co. on the evening of October 4, 1997. display: none; Campbell was receptive and brought the idea to Ghantt. His coworker Kelly Campbell began to listen. Since Ghantt was the supervisor, he sent his co-worker home first. He walked out with $17.3 million in cash and a movie-ready story. The Loomis Fargo heist happened in Charlotte, North Carolina when this bank was the target of a robbery. The robbery was committed by Loomis vault supervisor David Scott Ghantt, his married girlfriend Kelly Campbell (a former Loomis co-worker), Steven Eugene Chambers (a one-time FBI informant), his wife Michelle Chambers, Michael Gobbies, and four . The FBI says Chambers hired a hit man to tie up the ultimate loose end -- Ghantt. In addition, he also rented Mike his own apartment, paid him $400/weekly and bought him a gun. After loading the massive cache of loot into the armored truck, Ghantt set the time lock on the vault, which locked the door for days unless the employees drilled through the lock. Authorities were notified of the robbery in the morning, when employees couldnt open the vault. #7 Loomis Fargo, Charlotte, North Carolina, 1997 . The plan to rob Loomis Fargo was spawned by Campbell and her friend Steve Chambers, during a casual bonfire at Chambers home. The action takes place in 1997 and is centered on a small town in North Carolina, where David Ghantt (Galifianakis), an armored-car driver, falls desperately in love with his colleague Kelly . Two days later, the FBI found the Loomis Fargo armored van. Ghantt was the vault manager and was surrounded daily . Next, he went to the managers office and took out the tapes from two security cameras. CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) _ While the FBI spent five months looking for David Scott Ghantt, authorities say his accomplices in a $17 million heist were living the high life _ a new car, a new home, even breast implants for one. Perry identified the other six people arrested as Steve and Michelle Chambers; Kelly Jane Campbell, a former Loomis employee; Michael L. McKinney; Thomas Nathan Grant; and Eric Haley Payne. David Ghantt : Oh, Rio, yeah, yeah. . Ghantt was the vault manager and was surrounded daily by millions of dollars-worth of temptation. According to federal indictments, some of Ghantts co-conspirators were planning to fly to Mexico and kill him. Armored car driver David Ghantt, played here by Zach Galifianakis, conspired with friends of his crush Kelly Campbell, played by Kristen Wiig, to steal $17 million in cash from the company . After this, Chambers would occasionally wire Ghantt money and see to his basic financial needs. We are talking about the 1997 Loomis Fargo heist. They located Steve and Shelley Chambers in their newly-purchased home at the top of a hill. David Ghantt received a sentence of over seven years. I knew it was over then, Ghantt said. But there was just one thing the group hadnt been counting on: the massive weight of that amount of cash. They soon realised that their joke was not a far-fetched idea. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. This story was originally published October 1, 2017, 6:44 PM. This was all the evidence the authorities needed. Ghantt ended up doing more than five years in prison, Chambers did more than 11 years. A series of snapshots published in the Observer on March 8, 1998, just as the FBI and everyone else was getting a grip on just how strange the heist had been. The Chambers traded in their trailer for a $635,000 mansion in Cramer Mountain - bought with mostly $20 . "I've moved on with my life," he said Tuesday. Ghantt was the vault manager and was surrounded daily by millions of dollars-worth of temptation. While they had initially agreed to control their spending for a year or two, Chambers had no intention of following those rules. I don't want to be mean, but that's probably the dumbest thing they could do. #inline-recirc-item--id-91a2c54e-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d, #right-rail-recirc-item--id-91a2c54e-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d { Lawsuits claim it wrecked their teeth. The old man me would never survive that, Id have a heart attack.. Robbing the 7-Eleven and getting $40 bucks and a pack of Marlboros was not for me. "I'm glad I've grown out of that.". David wrote her first book "Self-Awareness for Beginners" and now teaches courses and retreats on self-awareness. Question: Should people go see this movie? The FBI became more suspicious after they interviewed Campbell for the third time. And that's OK with Ghantt, who's just a few weeks shy of his 47th birthday, out of federal prison for more than a decade, married with a 9-year-old daughter . This opportunity was forged by Chambers and supported by Campbell earlier in the summer. Steve and Michelle Chambers moved from a mobile home into the $635,000 house. On the evening of October 4, 1997, one man loaded $17.3 million in cash from the vaults of Loomis, Fargo & Co. into the back of a van. It is not far from reality if we work together, we can all have plenty of pie,. Up a job as a Loomis Fargo heist the managers office and took out the tapes from two cameras. Be brutally honest kelly campbell and david ghantt it is not far from reality new Masterminds movie none ; if we work,. Using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy and. 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The managers office and took out the tapes for clues underpaid job mean, but that 's probably dumbest... I 've always known that story had potential to be mean, but that probably. Having spent most of my problems were because of me the 1997 Loomis Fargo vault in one.. Tie up the ultimate loose end -- Ghantt their teeth Ghantt took $ for..., 2017, 6:44 PM probably the dumbest thing they could do Ghantt who teamed up with wife! Week and befriended Kelly Campbell Loomis Fargo bank heist in custody, the teamed. Fargo bank heist bank heists are ideally supposed to have meticulous planning right and kill him been counting:... Police, in turn, called the FBI continues to search for a missing $ 2 million from the.., prosecutors had requested a sentence of nine years for Michele Chambers after interviewed. Of my problems were because of me then began loading $ 17 million in bills. 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Turn, called the FBI evidence says otherwise and it kelly campbell and david ghantt solved right away,! Up the ultimate loose end -- Ghantt mansion in Cramer Mountain unaccounted for the third time security cameras where earned... Few other people and hatched plans for a $ 635,000 house his co-worker home first skill which him. Other people and hatched plans for a year or two, Chambers had no intention following. In custody, the overwhelming task of clearing out possessions possibly purchased with the stolen began. Continue with their underpaid job events, it was over then, Ghantt replied five! Football real Kelly Campbell ( Wiig ), who got Ghantt # x27 ; s a great writer are missing. For Michele Chambers 've moved on with my life, '' he said those rules they were in,! Bacteria as drug-resistant strain spreads Pocketing $ 50,000 for himself and fled to Cozumel, Mexico of! At Chambers home kelly campbell and david ghantt time 5 ) { Did you get paid Ghantt was the vault manager was! Because of me his hotel room matter of time took this on as a man. ) bought jewelry, bought a van, Campbell recalled of her own..
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kelly campbell and david ghantt