Steve and Michelle Chambers moved from a mobile home into the $635,000 house. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. Michele Chambers' sentence was two months longer than that given to David Scott Ghantt, the Loomis employee who removed the money from the company vault on Oct. 4, 1997. 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. This caused them just to leave the cash they could not take with them in the back of the van. After this, Chambers would occasionally wire Ghantt money and see to his basic financial needs. David Ghantt, a Gulf War veteran, . But neither of those things would matter after he met Kelly Campbell. Chaque jour, c'est la mme routine : au volant de son camion blind, il transporte des millions de dollars qui ne lui appartiennent pas. The Loomis Fargo heist happened in Charlotte, North Carolina when this bank was the target of a robbery. All were convicted. To find out more about how the thieves got caught and how long they landed behind bars, tune in the Super Heists on CNBC on Monday at 10 p.m. ET/PT. He had just returned to his home in Jacksonville, Florida when he agreed to talk about the heist, his life now, and what went wrong with a group of friends who thought they could get away with stealing $17 million cash. The case had gotten national publicity and was the subject of numerous articles, documentaries and even a movie. When Ghantt called Campbell asking for more money, a plan was set in motion to take him out. After years of working hard, the realisation hit him that he was working 75-80 hrs a week for $8.15 an hour which left him feeling unhappy. The plan to rob Loomis Fargo was spawned by Campbell and her friend Steve Chambers, during a casual bonfire at Chambers home. 5 min read. I actually loved reading through this post. Kelly Campbell. Question: Any contact with Steve Chambers or any of the others involved with the heist? CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Kelly Campbell, the woman who helped plan the $17 million robbery of armored-car company Loomis, Fargo was sentenced yesterday to nearly six years in prison and ordered to pay back more than $4 million. Looking back at the Loomis heist. His coworker Kelly Campbell began to listen. She recruited an old friend, Steve Chambers, a convicted criminal who was once an FBI informant. 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. More than 20 people were arrested by the FBI, making this one of the largest heists in history. So he and some friends decided at the end of his Oct. 4 shift he would load a company van with more than 2,000 pounds of cash and just drive away. display: none; Authorities were notified of the robbery in the morning, when employees couldnt open the vault. From my standpoint it was just a business deal, Ghantt said. February 18, 1999. He and his wife, Michelle, moved from their mobile home in Lincoln County to a luxury house in the wealthy Cramer Mountain section of Cramerton. Then Campbell turned his attention to her boyfriend. display: none; Loomis Fargo heist: 25 years later David Scott Ghantt. Their relationship continued after she left the company. Your daily dose of History. Inside $3.3 million was located along with the two stolen surveillance tapes, apparently left due to the robber and his accomplices being sloppy, or in a hurry. You can reach Kevin Ellis at 704-869-1823 or Twitter.com/TheGazetteKevin. The Gaston Gazette spoke with Ghantt, who is now in his late 40s and lives in Florida as a free man. Ghantt, his former co-worker Kelly Campbell and her friends Steve and Michelle Chambers carried out the Loomis Fargo heist on Oct. 4, 1997. David Ghantt was the Treasury Supervisor for Loomis Armored Cars, Fargo & Co. 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 Loomis Fargo heist happened in Charlotte, North Carolina when this bank was the target of a robbery. Just outside of the building, David Ghantt met up with his girlfriend, Chambers, and others involved in the plot. She also . That's the kind of movie they wanted to make. One night in a small North Carolina town, a down-on-his-luck guard at Loomis Fargo manages to steal $17 millionliterally more than one ton of cash. 1998 The Associated Press. Ghantt:I've burned that bridge years ago. As Campbell would later explain, If David got killed, there couldnt be any finger pointing. AP. I felt stiff and one day the jokes during the break about the robbery of that place suddenly didn't look so obvious. More than 20 people ended up in the FBI's dragnet. Question: Do you ever think you could have been killed? According to federal indictments, some of Ghantts co-conspirators were planning to fly to Mexico and kill him. Regular folks, big dreams and a ton of money: How the Loomis Fargo heist happened. I knew it was over then, Ghantt said. All those planes landin' and takin' off and such. Consequently, they called the police. Its like, me and you sat down, I have access to pie, you like pie, all I want is my share of the pie. Based on the October 1997 Loomis Fargo robbery. But former Kings Mountain resident David Scott Ghantt can. It all went down in Charlotte, North Carolina, and the man at the center of that heist, David Scott Ghantt, now lives in Jacksonville. 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. Everything came crashing down on an early March morning in 1998. The phone calls began to get more intense when Steve and Eric got suspicious of a man who was running hismouth about them and the vault job over in Charlotte. Driving away, he said he felt a mix of fear, confidence and excitement that he outsmarted the FBI. 69-year-old suffers stroke in his home; Realtor showing house leaves him there. .component--type-recirculation .item:nth-child(5) { Loomis Fargo heist: 25 years later David Scott Ghantt speaks with Channel 9's Glenn Counts 25 years after the robbery. I can take it.". Downtown Asheville was cast as a movie set this week, as a major motion picture production filmed in the city center on Tuesday and Wednesday. More calls between the two men, and also between Steve and Kelly Campbell, made it clear that the group was starting to turn on David Ghantt. Agents raided safe deposit boxes, where they recovered more than $11 million. 25 Feb/23. But things didnt quite work out that way. David Ghantt served as an unpaid consultant to the film. Kelly Campbell: [looks at his buttocks] I think that bullet just went straight between your cheeks. David Ghantt may have walked out of the Loomis Fargo heist with the money in hand but then the problems started piling up. They didnt stop there, they then proceeded to buy luxury cars, big-screen TVs and other extravagant items. Inside the truck, they found Ghantt's wedding ring. Keeping with the plan, Ghantt took $50,000, which was the maximum that could by law be taken across the border of Mexico without authorization. I hope everyone has moved on. Ghantt, his former co-worker Kelly Campbell and her friends Steve and Michelle Chambers carried out the Loomis Fargo heist on Oct. Campbell helped plot the robbery of Loomis' Charlotte vault on Oct. "He quickly found out when you have money, you. The pair began to daydream about whether they could really pull off the heist. An armored car driver suspected of taking $17 million from his company's vault has been captured in Mexico after a manhunt of nearly five months. How I held it together is beyond me, Ghantt said. They had to be extremely careful not to tip off the group, as they could lose potential conspirators or more information important to a conviction. Ghantt:Since I still owe the federal government money I can't get paid. Steve hires hitman Mike McKinney to kill David, but the two become friends. Most people are going to forgive you. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. Chambers, who still lives in Gaston County and operates a gym, declined to comment. Steve and Michelle Chambers, who had lived in a mobile home, bought a mansion in Cramer Mountain. He insisted that Chambers send more money, while Chambers was actually plotting to have Ghantt killed. 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 $17 million in untraceable bills in 1997. He have since served time in prison for the crime, and told Channel 9s Glenn Counts he learned a valuable lesson while behind bars. real kelly campbell loomis fargo heist real kelly campbell loomis fargo heist (No Ratings Yet) . Question: Are you surprised that Hollywood took this on as a movie? Upon viewing it the investigators saw exactly what had taken place that night. Another name the FBI had become very interested in is Eric Payne. Actor Owen Wilson plays him in the movie, which includes the real names of all the major players. The FBI became more suspicious after they interviewed Campbell for the third time. https://www.charlotteagenda.com/67457/loomis-fargo-heist-masterminds-movie/, http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/state/article104506876.html, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/October_1997_Loomis_Fargo_robbery#Company, http://retroclt.blogspot.com/2014/07/loomis-fargo-heist.html, . He rarely went to the nearby beach, she said. It was over. . Authorities also are looking for evidence in connection with a possible conspiracy to kill Ghantt, Perry said. "I've moved on with my life," he said Tuesday. Diamant captures the human side of the crime as well as the bizarre details, including a clown-faced lava lamp. Pocketing $50,000 for himself, that man, named David Ghantt . David Ghantt worked as a vault supervisor for the armoured cash vehicles at the Charlotte, North Carolina branch of Loomis, Fargo & Co. Ironically even though he worked for a company that moved millions of dollars every day, he was relatively underpaid. Kelly : Oh, it's a real magical place. Steven Chambers, left, and David Scott Ghantt leave federal court. Lawsuits claim it wrecked their teeth. Probably very egotistical of me, I though yeah, sure, I can beat them, theyre college smart and thats about it, Ghantt said. Ghantt was working as a Loomis Fargo security when he committed the robbery, and Campbell had . 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 . Question: You were a consultant? $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. David Ghantt is now 47 and living with his wife and daughter in Jacksonville, Florida. Of course, I went on a spending spree. 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. Prosecutors also resisted Culler's efforts to downplay Michele Chambers' role in the theft. I would call us friends. CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS FROM 1998 and ACTORS IN MOVIE. They soon realised that their joke was not a far-fetched idea. However, the irony was that the same hitman who was sent to assassinate Ghantt ended up becoming friends with him. Guillermo dos Santos Coelho. It was nearly the perfect crime, but while Ghantt fled to Mexico to lay low, his partners' lavish spendingand their own alleged plans for murderwould ultimately be the group's demise. Ghantt took $50,000 for himself and fled to Cozumel, Mexico. All Rights Reserved. He had said, then reflecting on the events: "I wouldn't have thought about it before, but one day life kind of hit me in the face. There was a book published in 2002 as well, by author Jeff Diamant called,Heist! The next day, before Mike was able to leave the country, the FBI arrested him in his hotel room. I found the young woman who worked as a hotel receptionist and remembered many details about Ghantt: how he stayed in Room 101 eating M&Ms, chain-smoking Marlboro Lights, reading Superman comics and listening to the Eagles, DePriest wrote. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Ghantt began to complain vocally. Six other people also were arrested, including a couple who suddenly moved from a trailer to a $635,000 house. The judge said he would recommend that Michele Chambers be given mental health treatment in prison. David Ghantt (Zach Galifianakis) is unfulfilled in his life, unhappy with his work -- and that work is driving the armored car bringing thousands of dollars to and from banks every day. No regrets. David Ghantt (Zach Galifianakis), an employee of Loomis Fargo, robbed his own vault, left the $17.3 million in cash with his co-conspirators, Kelly Campbell (Kristen Wiig) and Steve Chambers (Owen Wilson) and fled the country to Mexico. First, they tapped the Chambers phone, and began listening in on February 11th, 1998. Question: What made you, Chambers and the others think you could get away with this? . 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." 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. Elizabeth Holmes has second child, seeks to delay prison The heist led to a book, TV specials, a major movie. David Ghantt took $50,000 for himself and fled to Cozumel, Mexico. They swept the surrounding counties, locating Kelly Campbell and Eric Payne in their homes. However, they didnt heed their own advice. One day, Campbell met up with Steven Chambers, an old high school classmate and a small-time crook. 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. Its easy to get somebody to do something if you know that they are that infatuated with you.. C'est elle qui va l'attirer dans une combine foireuse You ever been to Rio? They already knew who he was-David Ghantt, a Loomis Fargo employee. Masterminds.2016.MULTi.1080p.BluRay.x264-CINeHD. What the men didnt know was that the FBI was listening to their phone call. He has no contact with any of those convicted with him in the crime, including his former wife, and doesn't plan to see the movie, he said. David Ghantt 2) A joke that gave birth to an idea. Needless to say that things didn't go as planned. It was committed by David Ghantt and the heist subsequently inspired the comedy movie Masterminds. Heres how to catch up on one of the Charlotte areas strangest stories. They also bought a BMW Z3 with cash and made several large purchases, not wanting to keep a low profile. Finally, despite a few hiccups, Ghantt successfully made his way to Mexico with $50,000 in hand. Few who were living in the area at the time can forget the "Velvet Elvis" painting Chambers had hanging in his mansion or the tales of cosmetic surgery, BMW convertibles and other signs of excess. David Ghantt, el "cerebro" del golpe. "I was unhappy with my life. #inline-recirc-item--id-91a2c54e-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d ~ .item:nth-child(5) { That time in prison was actually good for me. Authorities had the receipt and had known it was missing. Ghantt was the vault manager and was surrounded daily by millions of dollars-worth of temptation. I knew it was just a matter of time. The defendants received sentences ranging from probation for several relatives to over 11 years in federal prison for Steve Chambers. Please subscribe to keep reading. All six were charged with aiding, abetting and counseling the commission of a bank larceny and being accessories after the fact, and hindering Ghantt's apprehension. We would like to show you a description here but the site won't allow us. The FBI says Chambers hired a hit man to tie up the ultimate loose end -- Ghantt. She said that he could assist Ghantt in executing a massive cash robbery of the Loomis Fargo vault in one night. The plot revolves around Ghantt who teamed up with his former loomis co-worker Kelly Campbell. Not many people can say they stole $17 million from their employer and had Zach Galifianakis play them in a movie. It all went down in Charlotte, North Carolina, and the man at the center of that heist, David Scott Ghantt, now lives in Jacksonville. David Ghantt normally came home between 6 and 8 p.m., and often he was late, his wife said. He then took the security tapes and sped off in his getaway van. >> PHOTOS: The Loomis Fargo heist, 25 years later. Question: How much of 'Masterminds' is true? Even when Ghantt left, they continued to maintain contact. Ghantt fled to Mexico. David Ghantt, along with girlfriend Kelly Campbell, robbed $17.3 million from Loomis Fargo in 1997. David Ghantt received a sentence of over seven years. They also purchased expensive cars, jewelry and a breast enhancement or two. This was why he devised a plan for the Loomis Fargo heist. The 2015 revised edition of former Observer reporter Jeff Diamants book, Heist: The Oddball Crew Behind the $17 Million Loomis Fargo Theft, written by one of the lead reporters who covered the heist and its aftermath. While listening in, they uncovered another more sinister alleged plan to kill Ghantt. The plan of the Loomis Fargo heist was for Ghantt to commit an actual robbery and then flee to Mexico City, where he would stay until enough time passed to enter the United States. However, he would leave the bulk of the cash with Chambers. . . But Ghantt, who served as an unpaid consultant to the movie and attended the big Los Angeles premiere earlier in the week, has no such reservations. Ghantt, who by then was long out of prison, served as a consultant. David! The man at the center of that heist was David Scott Ghantt. Thank you! On the fateful day of Oct. 4, 1997, Davit Ghantt decided to proceed with the Loomis Fargo heist. It was here that the money was moved from the armored car to private vehicles. The friends and neighbors of Steve and Michelle Chambers became suspicious soon after the news broke that . So they went to Mexico and arrested Ghantt in order to protect him. 2023 Cox Media Group. David Ghantt: Yeah, it feels like it just grazed my biscuits right there betwixt them. Sun, sand and beaches are all part of why Jacksonville, Florida is a popular destination. Campbell and her husband had always been just scraping by, however in the weeks following the robbery, the two seemed to have more money than theyve ever had. Thank you so much. Ghantt, his former co-worker Kelly Campbell and her friends Steve and Michelle Chambers, carried out the Loomis Fargo heist on Oct. 4, 1997. On March 29 of last year, in the largest armored car heist in U.S. history, $18.8 million was taken from Loomis, Fargo in Jacksonville, Fla. An employee, Philip Noel Johnson , was arrested Aug.30 in connection with that theft, All but $186,000 was recovered.