If you go from a mobile home to a mansion, that's going to attract attention. The defendants received sentences ranging from probation for several relatives to over 11 years in federal prison for Steve Chambers. The Legend of the Green Man: Raymond Robinson, The Incredible Dunkirk Evacuation- in rare pictures, Elizabethan Food and Drink- Brief History & Key Facts, 10 Famous Female Warriors Who Made Their Mark On History, 15 Intriguing Facts About The Middle Ages. This opportunity was forged by Chambers and supported by Campbell earlier in the summer. 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. Inside the truck, they found Ghantt's wedding ring. Kelly Campbell was another Loomis Fargo employee, and she and David Ghantt quickly established a relationship. Chambers essentially put a hit on Ghantt. 20 years ago, on the night of October 4, 1997, David Scott Ghantt loaded $17.3 million of cash from the bank vault in Charlotte, North Carolina he was employed to supervise into a van. David Ghantt is now 47 and living with his wife and daughter in Jacksonville, Florida. But there was just one thing the group hadnt been counting on: the massive weight of that amount of cash. He and co-worker Kelly Campbell, 27, had developed a close relationship and were spending time together outside of work. The FBI says Chambers hired a hit man to tie up the ultimate loose end -- Ghantt. 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. But things didnt quite work out that way. More than 2 million dollars are still missing to this day. The FBI believed that David Ghatt was in danger because Chambers wanted to kill him using a hitman named Michael McKinney. 3 million in cash from the Charlotte, North Carolina . 5 min read. I wanted to get as far away as I could. Prosecutors also resisted Culler's efforts to downplay Michele Chambers' role in the theft. Masterminds: Directed by Jared Hess. Ghantt took $50,000 for himself and fled to Cozumel, Mexico. Galifianakis can pull off broad comedy effortlessly, a skill which catapulted him to . Finally, despite a few hiccups, Ghantt successfully made his way to Mexico with $50,000 in hand. . To connect Chambers to them was more difficult. 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. In the coming years, a movie was made about the Loomis Fargo heist, called the Masterminds. David Ghantt took $50,000 for himself and fled to Cozumel, Mexico. 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 pair began to daydream about whether they could really pull off the heist. Ghantt, his former co-worker Kelly Campbell and her friends Steve and Michelle Chambers carried out the Loomis Fargo heist on Oct. 4, 1997. 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. The Loomis Fargo heist happened in Charlotte, North Carolina when this bank was the target of a robbery. He wasnt just being paranoid. It was Chambers' extravagant spending after the Loomis Fargo heist that led to the arrests. They swept the surrounding counties, locating Kelly Campbell and Eric Payne in their homes. Another surveillance videotape shows the man loading the bags into a company van. He had sent home early a newly hired employee and then proceeded with the loading of the funds. More than 20 people were arrested by the FBI, making this one of the largest heists in history. 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. Question: You went to Mexico. The plan was to maintain a low profile and wait for things to cool off, allowing Ghantt to return to the states and collect his cut. 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. Subsequently, he was to take out as much cash as he could and load it up in a van. Ghantt would then take a bulk of the cash, as much as could legally be carried across the border without questions, and flee to Mexico. Six other people also were arrested, including a couple who suddenly moved from a trailer to a $635,000 house. But last Oct. 4, when he still hadn't gotten home by 2:30 a.m., she called his parents in Hendersonville. He's a very likable person. That time in prison was actually good for me. Chambers promised to wire him money in Mexico until the investigation blew over and Ghantt could return to . David Ghantt: Oh, God! Kelly Campbell. Guided by federal sentencing rules, prosecutors had requested a sentence of nine years for Michele Chambers. That first day in prison was scary, Ghantt said. David Ghantt, a Gulf War veteran, . Question: You were a consultant? #inline-recirc-item--id-91a2c54e-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d ~ .item:nth-child(5) { 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. A woman by the name of Kelly Campbell had worked there in 1996, and she and Ghantt had become friends in that time. 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. This was all the evidence the authorities needed. Kelly Jane Campbell, a former Loomis . He said every year he files his taxes and the IRS takes all of his tax return. In fact, they got carried away and upgraded to a sudden lavish lifestyle. As they had so much money, Chambers wife thought it would be a great idea to deposit a chunk of it into a bank. 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. SPORTS. 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 . Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. 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. He has been open about what he did and how he believes it changed him for the better. 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. 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. $17.3 million . David Scott Ghantt speaks with Channel 9's Glenn Counts 25 years after the robbery. 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. And the company soon calculated how much was missing--$17 million. The next morning, Loomis Fargo employees were unable to open the vault. That's the kind of movie they wanted to make. I made a joke once that was the hardest Id ever worked for Wells Fargo -- yeah, its a lot of work, Ghantt said. In total, 24 people were convicted and all but one of the accused pleaded guilty. 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. 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. 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. } 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 CNBCs Super Heists, airing Monday at 10 p.m. Ghantt, a U.S. Army veteran, was living a relatively boring life working as the vault superintendent at a Loomis Fargo armored car warehouse just outside Charlotte, North Carolina making a relatively meager paycheck, when he crossed paths with Kelly Campbell. Kelly Campbell, 29, a former company employee, entered guilty pleas earlier to bank larceny, money laundering and conspiracy to commit murder charges. 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. Loomis, Fargo offered a $500,000 reward after the theft. The plan to rob Loomis Fargo was spawned by Campbell and her friend Steve Chambers, during a casual bonfire at Chambers home. All but one took plea deals, including Ghantt, who was sentenced to seven years in prison. Driving away, he said he felt a mix of fear, confidence and excitement that he outsmarted the FBI. Some received probation for money laundering, many others did hard time. This story was originally published October 1, 2017, 6:44 PM. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. When did you conclude yeah Im actually going to do this? Counts asked. Note: No quotes were altered, although in some cases additional quotes were added to the questions as Ghantt expanded on his thoughts. where he earned $360 a week and befriended Kelly Campbell (Wiig), who got Ghantt . But as she didnt want to seem suspicious, she just asked the teller, how much could she deposit without attracting the attention of the feds. To be brutally honest, it was that morning, Ghantt replied. What to know about Shigella bacteria as drug-resistant strain spreads Steve had hired a bodyguard named Mike McKinney. 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. Pocketing $50,000 for himself, that man, named David Ghantt . Investigators eventually connected Campbell and Chambers to the robbery, which led to the arrest of more than 20 people. A connection between each suspect began to emerge slowly, and as the intensity of spending grew, suspicion did as well. Ghantt, who by then was long out of prison, served as a consultant. So I guess I have no regrets. All Rights Reserved. When Ghantt was found in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, five months after the heist, DePriest and photographer Kent Johnson raced to the airport, according to Observer records. 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. Answer It is based on the October 1997 Loomis Fargo Robbery in North Carolina, which was the subject of the 2016 American comedy film Masterminds. He walked out with $17.3 million in cash and a movie-ready story. When things calmed down, Ghantt was to re-enter the U.S., and the money was split up among all co-conspirators. 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. 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 towns booming construction industry attracts workers from around the country. A guard at an armored car company in the Southern U.S. organizes one of the biggest bank heists in American history. 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. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}, Nebraska cheerleader competes by herself at state competition, but crowd doesn't let her feel alone. While they had initially agreed to control their spending for a year or two, Chambers had no intention of following those rules. 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. This had led the FBI to begin monitoring Chambers' and his wife's activities. 0:44. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Campbell, a mother of two, was in the process of divorcing her husband. He left for the border, winding up at the popular Yucatan Peninsula resort island. That was the most painful truth to come to. 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. It was here that the money was moved from the armored car to private vehicles. THE THIEVES WHO COULDN'T COPE WITH $17 MILLION. 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. They knew Steve Chambers had worked as an informant in the past, and were nervous he would smell out an undercover. Kelly Campbell (962 Found) - View Court & Arrest Records, Personal Reviews & Reputation Score. David Ghantt : I've never even been to the airport but about twice in my life. Their relationship continued after she left the company. Diamant captures the human side of the crime as well as the bizarre details, including a clown-faced lava lamp. FINANCE. According to federal indictments, some of Ghantts co-conspirators were planning to fly to Mexico and kill him. LIFE. Le seul rayon de soleil dans son existence banale, c'est sa jolie collgue, Kelly Campbell. Ghantt fled to Mexico. All Rights Reserved. Bank heists are ideally supposed to have meticulous planning right? Authorities had the receipt and had known it was missing. David Ghantt received a sentence of over seven years. Authorities began to hone in on the group and put a wire tap on Campbell's phones. He loves his motorcycle and enjoys going fishing and, while hes sorry for the past, hes not ashamed to talk about it. Kelly : Oh, it's a real magical place. But his partners soon began to get greedy and were spending large amountswith Chambers and his wife, Michelle, even buying an exclusive mansion in cash. In this action comedy based on true events, David Ghantt (Zach Galifianakis) discovers the true meaning of adventure far beyond his wildest dreams. Since Ghantt was the supervisor, he sent his co-worker home first. 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. Even when Ghantt left, they continued to maintain contact. NEWS. . 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. David Ghantt was the Treasury Supervisor for Loomis Armored Cars, Fargo & Co. You have to remember that it's Hollywood and they'll take what was a minor event and they'll blow it up and make it as funny as they can.". "I've moved on with my life," he said Tuesday. David Ghantt : Oh, Rio, yeah, yeah. Day in and day out he drives an armored vehicle, transporting millions of other people's money with no escape in sight. The office in Charlotte would be the victim of Ghantt in the year of the opening. Trending News Chambers, who still lives in Gaston County and operates a gym, declined to comment. Did you get paid? Culler acknowledged that she had overheard her husband and co-defendant Kelly Campbell talk about the plan, ``but she thought it was fantasy world.'. I can take it.". To make a successful getaway, Ghantt had to lift nearly 2,800 pounds of currency. ", GREENSBORO Jurors found TikTok star Jessica Middlebrook, known as towtruckjess on social media, not guilty of involuntary manslaughter Thu. 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