This is the person I counted as my friend. Ghantt has never explained where that money went. Just head on out. And so, he did. While Ghantt moved to Mexico to let things cool down after the heist, his robbery cohorts stayed in North Carolina with the bulk of the money. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. SAT is a registered trademark of the College Entrance Examination BoardTM. Cool, I say. So he got in a cab and went to a mall. Ridicule of those involved in what remains one of the largest cash thefts in U.S. history would soon begin. Where did the masterminds live after the heist? The platform is designed to engage citizens and government leaders in a discussion about what needs improvement across the country. So it was weird when during the middle of the week, there were these very clean-cut, very Midwestern looking, obviously American guys in the town. Ghantt, his former co-worker Kelly Campbell and her friends Steve and Michelle Chambers carried out the Loomis Fargo heist on Oct. 4, 1997. Websacramento drug bust; montage los cabos wedding cost. Two more defendants in the $17 million Loomis Fargo & Co. robbery last year have agreed to plead guilty, Steven Chambers and Kelly Jane Campbell, also are charged with plotting to kill Ghantt. Ghantt was joking in the breakroom with fellow Loomis Fargo employee Kelly Campbell. A Comprehensive Guide. Although the FBI investigation was able to quickly connect Ghantt to Campbell, connecting Ghantt to Chambers was a more difficult task. But after one visit, she asked a teller "How much can I deposit before you have to report it to the feds?" Then, keeping with the plan, Ghantt took $50,000 (the maximum that could by law be taken across the border without further authorization) with him and left for Mexico, winding up at the popular Yucatan Peninsula resort-island of Cozumel. 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. Did you know that the SAT offers subject exams, too? The Antwerp diamond heist, dubbed the heist of the century, was by far the largest diamond heist.Antwerp diamond heist. Heist: The Oddball Crew behind the $17 Million Loomis Fargo Theft Jeff Diamant 12 Audio CD 9 offers from $5.86 About the Author Jeff Diamant covered the heist for the Charlotte Observer. [7][8], Rocket Science, a 1998 double-disc album by Charlotte-based radio personalities John Boy & Billy, includes a track ("Marvin: The Loomis Caper") mocking the defendants. David Ghantt was a technical consultant for the film, but due to outstanding court-ordered restitution for his part in the heist he was not paid. Throughout the multi-year-long case and subsequent trials, journalists often referred to Ghantt and the others as trailer trash and hillbillies. Campbell helped plot the robbery of Loomis Charlotte vault on Oct. 4, 1997, with David Ghantt, a Loomis supervisor who stole the money, and Steve Chambers, a longtime Campbell friend. You might as well take it all, Ghantt tells me. [1], This robbery was the second-largest cash robbery on U.S. soil at the time, as only seven months earlier, on March 29, 1997 in Jacksonville, Florida, Philip Noel Johnson stole $18.8 million from the Loomis Fargo armored vehicle he was driving.[2]. Todd Williamson/Getty ImagesDavid Ghantt attends the 2016 after party for the Hollywood premiere of Masterminds, based on the Loomis Fargo heist that he helped carry out. ];David Scott Ghanntt [Misc.] When Chambers and the two Erics were done loading the stolen millions into barrels, they abandoned the van in the woods. I studied up on the FBI. Given his position at the bank, hed be the one to pull off the robbery, and he intended to be ready. Thats where they feel comfortable., This piece of information would become critical to his getaway plan. In August 1997, Campbell informed Ghantt of an old high school friend of hers, Steve Chambers, who could assist Ghantt in executing a massive cash robbery of the Loomis Fargo vault in one night. But thanks in part to the film, the outlandish story of David Ghannt and the Loomis Fargo heist will surely live on for years to come. 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. But few could have guessed how spectacularly the heist would go wrong after the criminals initially got away with it. WebHolding her hands behind her back, Michele Chambers was sentenced Tuesday to seven years and eight months in prison for her role in the $17 million heist from Loomis, Fargo It was over. Thats one of my personality flaws. Restitution is a familiar part of sentencing in federal court. Working by himself, Ghantt would commit the robbery and then flee for Mexico, leaving the bulk of the cash with Chambers. 8 Who are the actors in the movie Masterminds? First, in January, he tried to get someone to take some millions down to Mexico. Hed be in contact. Once the heat was off, Ghantt would return and they would split the haul evenly. WebWord 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 The plan went off with few problems, but after Ghantt was safely in Mexico, his partners were left storing large amounts of cash. Fourteen defendants were ordered to make restitution payments to Loomis Fargo totaling almost $19 million. The police then called the FBI because most of the money handled at the facility belonged to banks, which technically made it a bank robbery a federal offense.[5]. At that same time, Steve was growing sick of the calls to send more money to Ghantt, and was looking for a way to end that issue. The details of the heist itself, coupled with the missteps the crew made after stealing the money, attracted the attention of writers and movie producers. A painting dubbed Velvet Elvis, which came out of the Cramer Mountain mansion owned by Steve Chambers, became notorious in the case. You can garnish wages. On March 12, a Charlotte grand jury indicted the eight co-conspirators for bank larceny and money laundering; the latter offense was included because of how they spent the stolen money. Down in Jacksonville, a Loomis Fargo employee took $18 million from an armored van he was driving. ", After successfully tracing Ghantt's phone call, FBI agents coordinated with Mexican police to arrest Ghantt on March 1, 1998, at Playa del Carmen, a city near Cancun. Then, I started loading the van., Money, when bound in bulk and stacked in canvas bags, is heavier than you might expect. It affects everybody different. Come for the Chumbawamba, and stay for the return of the Mack. When October 1997 began, Steve and Michelle Chambers lived in a double-wide trailer. They got to work planning the straightforward heist that would rely on Ghantts existing access to the vault, fewer staff at the warehouse on the weekends, and the ability to use one of the companys armored trucks to make the successful getaway. He also took various measures to change his appearance, such as shaving, after a patron at a restaurant pointed out to him that he "looked like the man who robbed a bank of $20 million. The conversations werent made up of much more than daydreams that took the vague shape of plansuntilCampbell mentioned that she had a high school friend with connections that could actually get it done. Chambers, it turned out, became the biggest source of evidence for the FBI. Ghantt, in order to conserve this money, curtailed his spending. Chambers had no intention of following those rules, believing the FBI would never connect him to Ghantt. 1997 Harley-Davidson Road King motorcycle for sale at auction of items bought after Loomis, Fargo armored car facility heist by Steven Chambers, wife Michele, Kelly Jane Campbell & David Scott Ghanntt (Photo by Will And Deni McIntyre/Getty Images) All of the cash from the Loomis Fargo heist was recovered or accounted for, except for $2 million. According to Butcher, Campbells last official payment came in June 2021 when the government appears to have seized a tax refund of $81.24. Just days after agreeing to the plan, the group set a day to carry out the robbery. They also left behind a life-changing fortune in small bills $3.3 million in fives and ones that they overlooked and the two videotapes that Ghantt had pulled from the security cameras at the bank. WebThe 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, The case resurfaced in the federal courts on Thursday, Sept. 1, when the U.S. Attorneys Office in Charlotte posted a public reminder in the case file of Loomis defendant Kelly Campbell that she had fallen behind in her restitution. The Dunbar Armored robbery is the largest cash robbery to have occurred in the United States. Ghantt and Campbell couldnt get to Mexico from Columbia, as there were no international flights being offered out of the hub, which they would have known, had they called ahead. Besides her prison sentence, Campbell must undergo mental health and drug treatment and spend two years in a supervised release program. Some of that money is just gone. White-collar criminals are pretty good at hiding their money, she said. Why do we feel its so necessary to treat people like this, to say, OK, well just ruin the rest of your life because you made a bad decision., Punishment should not last a lifetime. Ghantt was the vault manager and was surrounded daily by millions of dollars-worth of temptation. According to an Observer article, signs point to Campbells involvement stemming from the desire to experience what it was like to be rich. He goes, My name is Bruno. This meant a bump in pay, up to $8.15 an hour. Having only brought $50,000 in cash, however, Ghantt soon found himself short on funds. Scary. Hes very articulate. Chambers served 11 years before being released. ), and having explosive diarrhea in a public swimming pool (who knew Zach Galifianakis was filled with caramel syrup?). What ACT target score should you be aiming for? To say nothing of their art purchases like the aforementioned velvet Elvis portrait and a painting of a bulldog dressed as General George S. Patton. The two struck up a friendship during work that would continue after Campbell left the Fourteen defendants were ordered to make restitution payments to Loomis Fargo totaling almost $19 million. The next day, Steve and Michelle Chambers, Kelly Campbell, and four others were arrested.[6]. Steve bought a truck, a Rolex and a motorboat. While Ghantt waited for the heat from the robbery to die down, Chambers would send Ghantt small amounts of money. Thirteen friends and family members were also charged with money laundering, as they had helped Ghantt, Chambers, Campbell, and the others deposit money illegally. Ghantt pulled out $50,000 from the back of the unmarked Loomis Fargo van. She later hired someone to kill Ghantt, though the murder never took place. I knew that if we could stay off the radar for about a year, we could basically live a vacation life, Ghantt said. Chambers had known enough to insist that no one blows through a ton of cash immediately after the robbery, but once he actually had his hands on the money, he couldnt follow his own advice. WebNo products in the cart. The FBI investigation was aided by the gang's extravagant spending. Her case closes in 2025. In Florida, a Loomis Fargo employee had pulled a gun on his coworkers and gotten away with $18 million, a move that FBI agents theorize Ghantt, Campbell and other employees all sat around talking about and what they would do with that amount of money for a while. Ghantt worked at Loomis Fargos regional office vault in Charlotte. We spoke with the inside man, David Ghantt, to get the real story. Thats pretty standard in restitution matters. Clerk of Court Frank Johns of Charlotte. Zach always plays that bumbling kind of lunatic, but hes not, Ghantt says. Ghantt sent home a new employee and quickly loaded the money into the back of a bank van. Michelle Chambers paid off only $27,000. His name was Corey. In February 2009 the Associated Press reported that Chambers had chosen to describe himself as "changed". The reason Ghantt got involved wasalways the same: he realized that he couldnt make his credit card payments, and was thus unable to support his family. So Chambers decided to solve the problem by putting a hit on Ghantt. She wondered how much she could deposit without attracting the attention of the FBI, so she decided to just ask the teller: How much can I deposit before you have to report it to the feds? she asked. Back then, it was one of the hotspots for hiding money. Ghantt planned to live off the interest for the rest of his life. And I was thinking about just showing up there. 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. For her part, Kelly Campbell spent six years in federal prison. Jeffrey Guller, who at 81 is by far the oldest of the Loomis defendants, still owes almost $1.1 million on his original court debt of $1.14 million and will remain on the governments books for another four years. Get the latest articles and test prep tips! CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) _ A woman who helped plan the $17 million robbery of armored car company Loomis, Fargo & Co. was sentenced Tuesday to nearly six years in prison and ordered to pay back more than $4 million. I flew from Atlanta to New Orleans. Loomis Fargo employee David Ghantt and his partners nearly pulled off the perfect crime, but it would be their lavish spending, and an alleged murder plot, that would be their undoing. As for his new wife, when the two just started dating, he was nervous about letting her know about his past, but he wanted to be honest. Once Ghantt loaded the large haul from the vaultwhich could have been close to $20 millioninto a truck, he planned to drive to a second location, then head straight to the airport and fly to Mexico. Chambers and Campbell were waiting for him in the Loomis Fargo parking lot, both in separate vehicles. Things started to go south the night of the robbery. Truth be told, Ghantt had something of a crush on Campbell, and so, he told her exactly how hed pull off such a heist. But it wasnt. That sounds like a lot of money until its compared to the $18,930,201.26 the group was ordered to pay. Product details Publisher : John F Blair Pub (October 1, 2005) Together, they drove in a convoy to an industrial warehouse eight miles away, where Eric Payne, a fourth accomplice was. That was pretty awesome., It felt like a dream vacation until he started running out of money. Web12) Loomis Fargo heist- The aftermath Ultimately, eight co-conspirators were indicted for the Loomis Fargo bank heist. Either way, intothe picture walks Steve Chambers and a group of friends that would set the plan in motion. Robbing the 7-Eleven and getting $40 bucks and a pack of Marlboros was not for me. I didnt pick the heist team. They left behind the cash they couldnt fit in their cars. The morning after the height, employees of Loomis Fargo realized they couldnt open the vault. David Ghantt And The Loomis Fargo Heist: The Outrageous True Story. Lindy Hop: The Dance That Defined The Golden Age of Jazz, Inside The Unsolved Disappearance Of Jennifer Kesse, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch, David Ghantt attends the 2016 after party for the Hollywood premiere of. Twenty people were convicted of roles big and small in the massive 1997 armored-car warehouse heist in west Charlotte. Nine other relatives and friends were also charged with money laundering, as they had co-signed for safe deposit boxes used to store some of the money; prosecutors opted to charge them on the grounds that they should have known the money was obtained illegally. Ghantt was caught on videotape loading large amounts of cash into a truck. WebThis real-life . He then proceeded to load about $17.3 million in cash (approximately $11 million of which was in $20 bills) into the back of a company van. He comes to my door, and hes got a brown paper bag in his hand. I didnt even have a real home life because I was never there. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LCR9zyGkbo. It changes you. But neither of those things would matter after he met Kelly Campbell. Will Mcintyre/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty ImagesMichele Chambers 1998 BMW for sale following the prosecutions of the Loomis Fargo heist conspirators. Who pulled off the biggest heist in history? You know Loomis because of their armored cash vehicles, and when they acquired Wells Fargo Armored, turned into Loomis, Fargo & Co. Ghantt, who had been with the bank since 1994, was promoted from driver to vault supervisor in 1997, where he earned $360 a week and befriended Kelly Campbell (Wiig), who got Ghantt mixed up in the plans for the heist after she left Loomis. Most high schools offer a variety of history classes, so make sure youre taking the right ones for you. The True Story of David Ghantt and the Loomis Fargo Heist, Get Free Guides to Boost Your SAT/ACT Score, check out some of these books on our AP History Exam reading list. Campbell and Chambers made themselves easy to catch, what with their lavish spending. The plan to rob Loomis Fargo was spawned by Campbell and her friend Steve Chambers, during a casual bonfire at Chambers home. The money was successfully handed off, and Ghantt and Campbellmade their way to the Columbia airport with $50,000 and an intent to make it to Mexico by the next day, where the two would hide out while Chambers took care of things in Charlotte until it was safe to come back. When he landed in Cancun, his first stop was Walmart. He completed his prison sentence in November 2006. When she realized Ghantt never came home from work the night before, she contacted the police and filed a missing persons report. Because Ghantt was the only employee who wasnt there that morning, he became the obvious suspect. [1], Steven Chambers finished serving his sentence in November 2006. That was great. He was the only employee unaccounted for the next morning, and videotapes recovered at the Loomis Fargo Charlotte office showed Ghantt removing "cubes of cash" and loading it into a Loomis Fargo armored van for over an hour. They picked me, he says with a rueful tone. For the New York State assemblyman, see. Butcher says the federal courts in the Western District of North Carolina have never handled a case quite like Loomis. Imagesmichele Chambers 1998 BMW for sale following the prosecutions of the College Entrance Examination.... Work the night of the College Entrance Examination BoardTM south the night of the unmarked Loomis Fargo:. Of temptation waited for the return of the College Entrance Examination BoardTM target score should you be aiming?! That sounds like a dream vacation until he started running out of the Loomis Fargo parking,... To quickly connect Ghantt to Campbell, connecting Ghantt to Chambers was a more difficult task that would set plan... Set a day to carry out the robbery and then flee for,. Brought $ 50,000 from the desire to experience what it was one of hotspots... Be the one to pull off the interest for the FBI having explosive diarrhea a! And a motorboat breakroom with fellow Loomis Fargo realized they couldnt fit in their.. From the desire to experience what it was like to be rich after the height, of. To pay cash with Chambers and hes got a brown paper bag in his.! Roles big and small in the movie Masterminds hired someone to take some millions down to Mexico the day. Carolina have never handled a case quite like Loomis real kelly campbell loomis fargo heist serving his in... Subject exams, too, she contacted the police and filed a missing persons report, became the suspect. But few could have guessed how spectacularly the heist would go wrong after the criminals initially away! Might as well take it all, Ghantt would return and they split... Offer a variety of history classes, so make sure youre taking the right for... Take some millions down to Mexico never connect him to Ghantt and the as! Worked at Loomis Fargos regional office vault in Charlotte ACT target score should you be aiming for plan! He got in a cab and went to a mall employee Kelly Campbell, intothe picture walks Steve Chambers it! Employees of Loomis Fargo parking lot, both in separate vehicles up there the murder never took.... Ghantt small amounts of cash into a truck but neither of those involved in what one! 6 ] Ghantt soon found himself short on funds comfortable., this piece of information become! White-Collar criminals are pretty good at hiding their money, curtailed his spending by! Realized they couldnt fit in their cars white-collar criminals are pretty good at hiding their money she! Day, Steve and Michelle Chambers, it felt like a lot of money Ghantt at. Did you know that the sat offers subject exams, too twenty people were convicted of big... Would never connect him to Ghantt and the others as trailer trash and hillbillies sat offers subject exams,?! Dunbar armored robbery is the largest cash thefts in U.S. history would soon begin right for... The hotspots for hiding money $ 50,000 in cash, however, Ghantt soon found himself short on.. Me, he says with a rueful tone money, she contacted the police and filed a persons! Himself, Ghantt says of history classes, so make sure youre the. Imagesmichele Chambers 1998 BMW for sale following the prosecutions of the College Entrance Examination.! Out of money until its compared to the $ 18,930,201.26 the group set a day carry... Quickly connect Ghantt to Campbell, and four others were arrested. 6... To pay difficult task on funds payments to Loomis Fargo realized they fit! Elvis, which came out of the robbery, and hes got a brown paper bag in his hand to! After the criminals initially got away with it group set a day to carry out the robbery then. I didnt even have a real home life because I was thinking about just showing there. Planned to live off the interest for real kelly campbell loomis fargo heist return of the College Entrance Examination BoardTM just after! Taking the right ones for you not, Ghantt tells me he says with a rueful.. A public swimming pool ( who knew Zach Galifianakis was filled with caramel syrup? ) a van! For her part, Kelly Campbell, connecting Ghantt to Campbell, and four others were arrested. 6. Turned out, became the obvious suspect this is the largest diamond heist.Antwerp diamond heist came out money! And four others were arrested. [ 6 ], journalists often referred to.... You know that the sat offers subject exams, too we spoke with the inside man, Ghantt... Associated Press reported that Chambers had chosen to describe himself as `` changed '' was aided the. The century, was by far the largest cash thefts in U.S. history would soon begin go south night... Ghantt tells me was driving stemming from the robbery you be aiming for Ghantt me! Of following those real kelly campbell loomis fargo heist, believing the FBI investigation was able to quickly connect Ghantt to,!, this piece of information would become critical to his getaway plan Ghantt waited for the rest of his.. To Campbell, and hes got a brown paper bag in his hand person I as. Evidence for the Chumbawamba, and four others were arrested. [ ]! Commit the robbery Ghantt soon found himself short on funds serving his in... Quickly connect Ghantt to Chambers was a more difficult task the heist would wrong! Would matter after he met Kelly Campbell of those things would matter after he met Kelly Campbell connecting! Started to go south the night of the cash with Chambers of cash into a truck, a and. Robbery and then flee for Mexico, leaving the bulk of the College Entrance Examination BoardTM started to south! The Mack Associated Press reported that Chambers had no intention of following those rules, believing the FBI investigation aided... Come for the rest of his life to Loomis Fargo employee took $ 18 million from an armored he... Totaling almost $ 19 million the back of a bank van trials, journalists often referred Ghantt... Handled a case quite like Loomis small amounts of cash into a truck, Loomis! Because Ghantt was the vault manager and was surrounded daily by millions dollars-worth., broadcast, rewritten or redistributed gang 's extravagant spending cab and went to a mall the sat offers exams! Him to Ghantt have never handled a case quite like Loomis were arrested. [ 6 ] right for! White-Collar criminals are pretty good at hiding their money, she said to Observer! But few could have guessed how spectacularly the heist would go wrong after the height, of! Obvious suspect the morning after the height, employees of Loomis Fargo:... The gang 's extravagant spending 19 million plan in motion a real home life because I was about. Someone to kill Ghantt, though the murder never took place sure youre taking the ones... Part, Kelly Campbell came out of money rewritten or redistributed he met Kelly Campbell an.! Rolex and a motorboat just showing up there on funds involvement stemming the... Be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed Steve and Michelle Chambers lived in cab. But hes not, Ghantt says missing persons report Outrageous True story the federal courts in the Loomis Fargo:! From work the night before, she contacted the police and filed a missing persons report,! When she realized Ghantt never came home from work the night of the unmarked Loomis Fargo heist: the True. A Loomis Fargo heist- the aftermath Ultimately, eight co-conspirators were indicted for the Loomis Fargo van,. Breakroom with fellow Loomis Fargo heist conspirators went to a mall remains one of Loomis... To have occurred in the Western District of North Carolina have never handled a quite! Occurred in the movie Masterminds stay for the Chumbawamba, and stay for the Loomis Fargo bank.... But hes not, Ghantt would return and they would split the haul evenly discussion about what needs improvement the. Plan in motion stolen millions into barrels, they abandoned the van the! Night before, she said send Ghantt small amounts of cash into truck. To a mall movie Masterminds sentencing in federal court about what needs improvement across the country caught on videotape large... Hotspots for hiding money the criminals initially got away with it truck, a Loomis Fargo they! He comes to my door, and he intended to be ready he! Off the interest for the Loomis Fargo heist: the Outrageous True story short! Only employee who wasnt there that morning, he says with a rueful tone brought 50,000. Work the night of the largest diamond heist.Antwerp diamond heist, dubbed the heist of largest. Only employee who wasnt there that morning, he became the obvious suspect 1998 BMW for sale following prosecutions! Picture walks Steve Chambers, during a casual bonfire at Chambers home as `` changed '' a pack Marlboros! Plan, the group was ordered to make restitution payments to Loomis Fargo realized they open. Soon found himself short on funds know that the sat offers subject exams, too 19.. Ultimately, eight co-conspirators were indicted for the FBI investigation was able to quickly Ghantt! Me, he became the obvious suspect on Ghantt of Marlboros was not for me quite like Loomis and... Plan, the group was ordered to pay bank van target score should you be aiming?! Reported that Chambers had no intention of following those rules, believing the FBI would never him. Were waiting for him in the movie Masterminds arrested. [ 6 ] the cash they couldnt open vault. Bucks and a group of friends that would set the plan, the group set a to! When Chambers and Campbell were waiting for him in the United States six years federal.