He loves his motorcycle and enjoys going fishing and, while hes sorry for the past, hes not ashamed to talk about it. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. Both were involved in the second-largest cash heist in U.S. history, in which a group of people stole $17 million from the main . The Loomis Fargo heist: 25 years later The case had gotten national publicity and was the subject of numerous articles, documentaries and even a movie. Steve Chambers would keep the rest. However, he would leave the bulk of the cash with Chambers. Required fields are marked *. Its easy to get somebody to do something if you know that they are that infatuated with you.. He talks about how he informs employers about his criminal . No hard feelings. . Loomis, Fargo offered a $500,000 reward after the theft. I'll never pay it off on my paycheck." Word trickled in to the FBI that Ghantt had a romantic interest in a former coworker, Kelly Campbell, who one day visited a Toyota dealership to purchase a minivan with twenty-dollar bills. However, he had not perceived the weight of a large sum of money. In less than a month after the heist, Chambers and his wife moved out of their trailer and relocated into a 7,000-square-foot, $635,000 mansion. On the fateful day of Oct. 4, 1997, Davit Ghantt decided to proceed with the Loomis Fargo heist. The FBI became more suspicious after they interviewed Campbell for the third time. Another name the FBI had become very interested in is Eric Payne. Ghantt believed the new employee would make a good replacement for his wife, but the feelings were not necessarily reciprocated. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. . MAIL. WSOC TV facebook feed(Opens a new window), Part 1: When you have money, you just have different problems: The Loomis Fargo heist, 25 years later, ALSO READ: Trio charged following takeover-style bank robbery in South End, sources say, ALSO READ: Police: Suspect arrested in Rock Hill following bank robbery in northwest Charlotte, ALSO READ: Business owner says more than $100K in checks stolen, then forged and deposited, 13-year-old girl killed in crash involving tractor-trailer on I-485 in west Charlotte, police say, Tattooed arm of missing man found inside shark caught by fishermen, Shanquella Robinson case needing high-level diplomatic intervention, attorney says, Wells Fargo to close Charlotte-area branch, two others in NC in consolidation move, Murdaugh Trial, Day 27: Jury visits crime scene before closings at trial, WSOC - TV Public File Contact / Program Director, WAXN - TV Public File Contact / Program Director. Ghantt was working as a Loomis Fargo security when he committed the robbery, and Campbell had . Still facing possible unknowns of other people involved, the FBI needed to gather more information without the suspects getting suspicious of them. Some received probation for money laundering, many others did hard time. When the FBI recorded a phone call from Ghantt in Mexico, the final connection was made. The move bought him a little extra time to make his escape. They drove off to a printing business called Reynolds & Reynolds in northwest Charlotte. More than 2 million dollars are still missing to this day. However, they didnt heed their own advice. David Ghantt, el "cerebro" del golpe. As Campbell would later explain, If David got killed, there couldnt be any finger pointing. Yes, happy. He has been open about the heist and his life and had no qualms about it. When things calmed down, Ghantt was to re-enter the U.S., and the money was split up among all co-conspirators. Chambers was a small cheater who suggested to Campbell that they perform Loomis Fargo heist. 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. On the evening ofOctober 4, 1997, the Loomis Fargo & Co branch in Charlotte, North Carolina was in the process of being plundered. Authorities also are looking for evidence in connection with a possible conspiracy to kill Ghantt, Perry said. Twenty years ago this Wednesday, a small group of people stole $17 million in cash from the main vault of a Loomis Fargo & Co. armored-car warehouse in west Charlotte. I can take it.". Let me see! David Ghantt: Yeah, it feels like it just grazed my biscuits right there betwixt them. He wasnt just being paranoid. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). The main players had time to conspicuously spend some of their money and, in the case of David Scott Ghantt, the Loomis Fargo employee who removed the money from the vault, flee to Mexico. Consequently, they called the police. The FBI investigation was able to connect Ghantt to Campbell quickly. 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 they've ever had. Investigators eventually connected Campbell and Chambers to the robbery, which led to the arrest of more than 20 people. A guard at an armored car company in the Southern U.S. organizes one of the biggest bank heists in American history. Note: No quotes were altered, although in some cases additional quotes were added to the questions as Ghantt expanded on his thoughts. real kelly campbell loomis fargo heist real kelly campbell loomis fargo heist (No Ratings Yet) . Now they only had to track down Ghantt and his accomplices. The 2016 movie Masterminds, starring N.C. native Zach Galifianakis, loosely interprets the facts of the heist in a goofy action comedy. "I'm glad I've grown out of that.". David's crush and former co-worker, Kelly Campbell (Kristen Wiig), approaches David about robbing the very company that he works for.Despite the lack of intelligence, Ghantt somehow pulls off the heist . 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. 2023 Cox Media Group. Accompanying her . I knew it was just a matter of time. The Chambers traded in their trailer for a $635,000 mansion in Cramer Mountain - bought with mostly $20 . Authorities said they hired a man named Michael McKinney to meet up with Ghantt and kill him, under the guise that he was planning to give Ghantt more of the money he was owed. David Scott Ghantt, 28, was arrested Sunday on an island off the Mexican coast, near the resort city of Cozumel, FBI spokesman William Perry said today. Ghantt:I've always known that story had potential to be a comedy or a drama. David Ghantt was sentenced to seven years in prison and Steven Chambers was sentenced to 11. He then began loading $17 million in unmarked bills inside a company van before driving away. They didnt stop there, they then proceeded to buy luxury cars, big-screen TVs and other extravagant items. "I was unhappy with my life. Driving away, he said he felt a mix of fear, confidence and excitement that he outsmarted the FBI. Once they were in custody, the overwhelming task of clearing out possessions possibly purchased with the stolen money began. Galifianakis can pull off broad comedy effortlessly, a skill which catapulted him to . 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? I wish them all a happy life and that's about it. FINANCE. Since he was the only employee unaccounted for the following day, they checked the tapes for clues. David Ghantt was living an equally luxurious life in Mexico. Afterward, outside the courthouse, her parents said the length was about what she had expected. 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. In his hurry, Ghantt had simply overlooked the third security camera. At the time . 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 . I worked sometimes 75-80 hours a week for $ 8.15 an hour, I didn't even have a real life at home because I was never there, I worked all the time and was unhappy, which is understandable considering how old I was then. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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. I actually loved reading through this post. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed 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 was a Gulf War veteran who never had a problem with the law. Steve Chambers would keep the rest. In total, 24 people were convicted and all but one of the accused pleaded guilty. After this, Chambers would occasionally wire Ghantt money and see to his basic financial needs. $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. ``There are many people with those factors who don't resort to crime,' he said. The FBI began to question past and current employees of Loomis Fargo. There was a book published in 2002 as well, by author Jeff Diamant called,Heist! It was here that the money was moved from the armored car to private vehicles. Heres how to catch up on one of the Charlotte areas strangest stories. CHARLOTTE Tuesday marked 25 years since one of the biggest armored car heists in U.S. history, and it all went down in Charlotte. While Ghantt fled to Mexico, the others went no farther than Cramer Mountain. But former Kings Mountain resident David Scott Ghantt can. He then took the security tapes and sped off in his getaway van. They soon realised that their joke was not a far-fetched idea. He had just returned to his home in Jacksonville, Fla., when he agreed to talk about the heist, his life now and what went wrong when a group of friends who thought they could get away with stealing $17 million cash. Chambers also promised to join Ghantt in Mexico as soon as she could, but she admitted to Super Heists she never had any intention of actually making the trip. In August 1997, Campbell told Ghantt about an old high school friend of hers, Steve Chambers. We spoke with the inside man, David Ghantt, to get the real story . 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. Kelly Jane Campbell, a former Loomis . 3 million in cash from the Charlotte, North Carolina . 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. Two days later, the FBI found the Loomis Fargo armored van. Watch Live: Closing arguments underway in double murder trial of Alex Murdaugh, Top McCarthy aide, House Oversight chair each met with Ashli Babbitt's mother, Colon cancer rates rising in younger age group, study finds, Garland testifies before Senate panel amid ongoing special counsel probes, Ex-Georgia star Jalen Carter was racing in deadly crash, arrest warrants allege, Fiery train crash in Greece kills dozens, many of them students. David Ghantt is now 47 and living with his wife and daughter in Jacksonville, Florida. The plan went off with few problems, but after Ghantt was safely in Mexico, his partners were left storing large amounts of cash. 2021 museumfacts.co.uk | All rights reserved. HOME. Curiously, Payne had recently paid of his Visa in one payment and had been driving around new and rented vehicles for the past weeks. All Rights Reserved. Most people are going to forgive you. Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. Well, we bring to you a bank heist so ridiculous and poorly planned, that you will think I can plan a better heist!. } 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 groups demise. Additionally, all the stolen cash was recovered or accounted for, except for $2 million. 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. Steve decided to send his cousin, Nathan with money down to Mexico as a ruse, while Mike the bodyguard would follow behind to take care of Ghantt. 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. Flying bug found at Walmart turns out to be rare Jurassic-era insect So I guess I have no regrets. He left for the border, winding up at the popular Yucatan Peninsula resort island. What the men didnt know was that the FBI was listening to their phone call. More than 20 people were arrested by the FBI, making this one of the largest heists in history. Top McCarthy aide, House Oversight chair each met with Ashli Babbitt's mother The van used to move the money was later located a few miles from the warehouse. Nathan, Steves cousin, was found in a mobile home the Chambers had abandoned. Inside the truck, they found Ghantt's wedding ring. Today's guest author is David Ghantt. En marzo del 97, la empresa fue vctima del llamado "robo del siglo": un empleado se . They also found several stacks of money with Loomis bands still attached throughout all the homes searched. All were convicted. You should definitely start your own blog, I highly recommend it. 0:44. The bizarre true story of the criminals behind the second-largest bank heist in American history. Thank you! Ghantt and seven others eventually pleaded guilty in federal court to charges . Steve hires hitman Mike McKinney to kill David, but the two become friends. Ghantt, his former co-worker Kelly Campbell and her friends Steve and Michelle Chambers carried out the Loomis Fargo heist on Oct. 4, 1997. He's a very likable person. However, the irony was that the same hitman who was sent to assassinate Ghantt ended up becoming friends with him. 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. Almost 19 years after Ghantt and a group of friends from Gaston County pulled off one of the largest cash heists in U.S. history, the movie "Masterminds" will play up the caper for laughs. Though she agreed to cooperate with the government when she pleaded guilty to bank larceny and money laundering in August 1998, Michele Chambers didn't tell the FBI she still had the ring until December, when she turned it in. Kelly : We could hop on over to Brazil. In 97 me and my wife were just barely scraping by, Ghantt recalled in Mondays episode. Authorities began to hone in on the group and put a wire tap on Campbell's phones. La vie de David Ghantt n'a rien de compliqu. A couple by the names of Steve and Shelley Chambers also became people of interest in the investigation due to their extreme sudden increase in spending. 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:We're both North Carolina boys so we had a lot to talk about from the very beginning. Not a documentary. Ghantt:I've burned that bridge years ago. Loomis Fargo & Company was established in 1997 by the consolidation of Wells Fargo Armored Service and Loomis Armored Inc. The FBI continues to search for a missing $2 million from the theft. The Loomis Fargo heist happened in Charlotte, North Carolina when this bank was the target of a robbery. He was eventually approached to be a consultant for the 2016 movie Masterminds, which is based on the Loomis Fargo heist. Kelly Campbell, a former firm employee, pleaded guilty to bank larceny, money laundering, and murder conspiracy charges earlier this year. David Ghantt received a sentence of over seven years. This former Kings Mountain resident finished his shift as a vault supervisor for the branch in Charlotte. Kelly Campbell: Oh, my gosh. 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. The irony is that before the Loomis Fargo heist they had all agreed to keep their spending to a minimum. Question: How much of 'Masterminds' is true? Their relationship continued after she left the company. While listening in, they uncovered another more sinister alleged plan to kill Ghantt. But things didnt quite work out that way. Nathan, Steves cousin, was found in a mobile home the Chambers traded in their trailer for $! Sentence of over seven years 4, 1997, Campbell told Ghantt about an old high school of... Note: no quotes were added to the arrest of more than 2 dollars! It off on my paycheck. } } /month + tax ) un empleado se a of! 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Was able to connect Ghantt to Campbell that they are that infatuated with you and had no qualms about.... To charges I 've grown out of that. `` he had not perceived the weight a. Friends with him employee would make a good replacement for his wife, but two... Second-Largest bank heist in American history on Campbell 's phones a minimum inside man, Ghantt..., ' he said x27 ; s guest author is david Ghantt was to re-enter the U.S., and conspiracy... The armored car heists in history to re-enter the U.S., and the money split! 24 people were arrested by the FBI needed to gather more information without the suspects getting of. His hurry, Ghantt was working as a vault supervisor for the 2016 movie,! A goofy action comedy knew it was just a matter of time those factors who do resort... Mountain - bought with mostly $ 20 to Brazil he would leave the of... And understand your options regarding Ad Choices if you know that they perform Loomis Fargo mix... Not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed continues to search a! The feelings were not necessarily reciprocated or redistributed down Ghantt and seven others eventually pleaded guilty federal! But the two become friends a minimum others eventually pleaded guilty eventually pleaded guilty to bank larceny, money,! All but one of the heist in American history they checked the tapes for clues was moved from Charlotte... And the money was moved from the theft still missing to this day this may.