Note: No quotes were altered, although in some cases additional quotes were added to the questions as Ghantt expanded on his thoughts. The plot revolves around Ghantt who teamed up with his former loomis co-worker Kelly Campbell. In fact, they got carried away and upgraded to a sudden lavish lifestyle. Later, DePriest would learn through Diamants reporting for his book that Ghantt was terrified of being followed in Mexico, always looking over his shoulder and sitting near the exit in restaurants. Ghantt, who by then was long out of prison, served as a consultant. Im married, I got one girl, shes 15 going on 30. Pocketing $50,000 for himself, that man, named David Ghantt . Bank heists are ideally supposed to have meticulous planning right? After Ghantts release from prison, he took up a job as a construction worker. "So it's one thing to go from up here, thought, to action," he said. ", GREENSBORO Jurors found TikTok star Jessica Middlebrook, known as towtruckjess on social media, not guilty of involuntary manslaughter Thu. David Ghantt received a sentence of over seven years. It still had almost $3.3 million in cash left in the back of the van. 5 min read. David Ghantt helps steal $17 million from Loomis Fargo mostly due to his love for Kelly Campbell, but the leader of the operation, Steve Chambers, wants to get rid of David for being a liability. The FBI continues to search for a missing $2 million from the theft. David Ghantt, along with girlfriend Kelly Campbell, robbed $17.3 million from Loomis Fargo in 1997. David Ghantt was the Treasury Supervisor for Loomis Armored Cars, Fargo & Co. 1998 The Associated Press. 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. In his hurry, Ghantt had simply overlooked the third security camera. Ghantt took $50,000 for himself and fled to Cozumel, Mexico. Question: What made you, Chambers and the others think you could get away with this? Even with several vehicles, they underestimated how much space they would need and they had to leave $3 million behind. Campbellwho was married herselfrepresented something new and exciting. ``I wish she'd gotten less. David sneaks in and rescues Kelly. View contact info: Address, Phone, Email & Photos. Once the heat from the robbery died down, Ghantt would return back to the United States and the cash would be evenly split among all of the co-conspirators. Yes, happy. Ghantt, his former co-worker Kelly Campbell and her friends Steve and Michelle Chambers carried out the Loomis Fargo heist on Oct. 4, 1997. . They located Steve and Shelley Chambers in their newly-purchased home at the top of a hill. #7 Loomis Fargo, Charlotte, North Carolina, 1997 . The Loomis Fargo heist happened in Charlotte, North Carolina when this bank was the target of a robbery. The judge said he would recommend that Michele Chambers be given mental health treatment in prison. The FBI believed that David Ghatt was in danger because Chambers wanted to kill him using a hitman named Michael McKinney. : The $17 Million Loomis Fargo Theft. So its one thing to go from up here, thought, to action, he said. This had led the FBI to begin monitoring Chambers' and his wife's activities. Steve hires hitman Mike McKinney to kill David, but the two become friends. I appreciate your kind words! 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. Not many people can say they stole $17 million from their employer and had Zach Galifianakis play them in a movie. . 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. Its like, me and you sat down, I have access to pie, you like pie, all I want is my share of the pie. David Ghantt was sentenced to seven years in prison and Steven Chambers was sentenced to 11. No attempted murder charges had been filed. I knew I was going to be the prime suspect. Guided by federal sentencing rules, prosecutors had requested a sentence of nine years for Michele Chambers. Your daily dose of History. They soon realised that their joke was not a far-fetched idea. Ultimately, even though the film is a slightly exaggerated version of the actual events, it is not far from reality. 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. He has been open about the heist and his life and had no qualms about it. Gaston County residents remember how that worked out. 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. Question: Should people go see this movie? Galifianakis can pull off broad comedy effortlessly, a skill which catapulted him to . He said every year he files his taxes and the IRS takes all of his tax return. Masterminds.2016.MULTi.1080p.BluRay.x264-CINeHD. 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. where he earned $360 a week and befriended Kelly Campbell (Wiig), who got Ghantt . Chambers promised to wire him money in Mexico until the investigation blew over and Ghantt could return to . Driving away, he said he felt a mix of fear, confidence and excitement that he outsmarted the FBI. The case had gotten national publicity and was the subject of numerous articles, documentaries and even a movie. He is an uncomplicated man stuck in a monotonous life. Starring Zach Galifianakis as David Ghantt, Kristen Wiig as Kelly Campbell, Owen Wilson as Steve Chambers, Kate McKinnon as Jandice Gartrell (David fiance at the start of the movie), Jason Sudeikis as Michael McKinney (the hitman hired to kill David), and Leslie Jones as an FBI agent. That movie, Masterminds was filmed in 2014. Crimes, guns, suspensions and dropouts soar in NC public schools after the pandemic. Kelly Campbell, 29, a former company employee, entered guilty pleas earlier to bank larceny, money laundering and conspiracy to commit murder charges. 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. Michele Chambers declined to make a statement at the hearing. display: block; ``None of these defendants , in this court's opinion, are capable of making substantial restitution, no matter what they do, or no matter what they try,' Mullen said. . Since Ghantt was the supervisor, he sent his co-worker home first. 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 . Ghantt:It baffles me to this day. Once they were in custody, the overwhelming task of clearing out possessions possibly purchased with the stolen money began. The eight accomplices were also apprehended. Ghantt was charged in connection with the robbery reported Oct. 5 at Loomis, Fargo & Co. On the evening ofOctober 4, 1997, the Loomis Fargo & Co branch in Charlotte, North Carolina was in the process of being plundered. It's based on the true story of David Ghantt (Galifianikas), a vault supervisor at the Charlotte Loomis Fargo depository in Uptown Charlotte that was involved in the second largest cash robbery in history, making off with $17.4 million ($25 million today). The picture, which is directed by Jared Hess and written by Chris Bowman, Hubbel Palmer, and Emily Spivey, stars Zach Galifianakis, Owen Wilson, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones, and The corporation handled armored transportation, ATM maintenance and other cash handling services, and had millions of currency stashed in the vault of the North Carolina branch. He and co-worker Kelly Campbell, 27, had developed a close relationship and were spending time together outside of work. ``There are many people with those factors who don't resort to crime,' he said. AP. So they went to Mexico and arrested Ghantt in order to protect him. 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. In total, 24 people were convicted and all but one of the accused pleaded guilty. Ghantt:I've always known that story had potential to be a comedy or a drama. Day 27 live updates: Murdaugh family weapons killed victims, SC prosecutor says in closing, Woman who caused death of Charlotte athlete takes plea deal + NC police depts. Zach Galifianakis stars as Ghantt, sporting an impressively pronounced bowl-cut and a perpetually pained smile. Based on the October 1997 Loomis Fargo robbery. Agents raided safe deposit boxes, where they recovered more than $11 million. 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 work construction. Culler acknowledged that she had overheard her husband and co-defendant Kelly Campbell talk about the plan, ``but she thought it was fantasy world.'. By Sue Anne Pressley. More than 20 people were arrested by the FBI, making this one of the largest heists in history. Steve began talking about wiring money to overseas accounts, and even purchasing a nightclub. Here you'll find all collections you've created before. A third surveillance tape was carelessly left behind, and the company was able to identify the man who robbed the vault as David Ghantt. Along with Ghantt and Campbell, there were eight others, including Campbell's former high school friend Steve Chambers and his wife, Michelle. Later, they also arrested Nathans older brother. When things calmed down, Ghantt was to re-enter the U.S., and the money was split up among all co-conspirators. It was committed by David Ghantt and the heist subsequently inspired the comedy movie Masterminds. The plan went off with few problems, but after Ghantt was safely in Mexico, his partners were left storing large amounts of 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. I knew it was just a matter of time. }, First published on March 2, 1998 / 2:20 PM. The next day, before Mike was able to leave the country, the FBI arrested him in his hotel room. Ghantt says he operates a bulldozer for a small company. 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 . David Ghantt: Yeah, it feels like it just grazed my biscuits right there betwixt them. . Eventually, the two teamed up with a few other people and hatched plans for a heist. He walked out with $17.3 million in cash and a movie-ready story. Authorities say Steve and Michele Chambers moved from a mobile home into a $635,000 house three weeks after the theft. To connect Chambers to them was more difficult. He has a regular life now, but 25 years ago, David Ghantt was the mastermind behind the 3rd largest bank robbery in U.S. history. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. 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 . 2023 www.gastongazette.com. One fact at a time! Ghantt:It started out as a mental exercise and somewhere between the mental exercise and the actual event, it became serious. They already knew who he was-David Ghantt, a Loomis Fargo employee. I hope everyone has moved on. (I) bought jewelry, bought a van, Campbell recalled of her own spending. .component--type-recirculation .item:nth-child(5) { Down in Jacksonville, a . 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. Needless to say that things didn't go as planned. Investigators eventually connected Campbell and Chambers to the robbery, which led to the arrest of more than 20 people. David Ghantt, Kelly Campbell, and their friends stole an astonishing $17.3 million. 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. She recruited an old friend, Steve Chambers, a convicted criminal who was once an FBI informant. organizes one of the biggest bank heists in American history. He was also married, but none of those things would matter after he met Kelly Campbell. 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. Further stating that it was not drug money. HOME. Thank you! David Ghantt took $50,000 for himself and fled to Cozumel, Mexico. No hard feelings. 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. The FBI heard about the plot and agents knew they could no longer wait. There, lessons of , "The Wall Street Journal just so happened to have a supportive op-ed ready to publish within hours of the meeting. That first day in prison was scary, Ghantt said. One day, David's girlfriend Campbell was talking to an old friend named Steve Chambers. I actually loved reading through this post. The Gaston Gazette interviewed Ghantt, whos now in his late 40s and living as a free man in Florida. Holding 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 & Co. She was also ordered to pay $4.8 million in restitution.It was the fourth-most severe sentence given in the case, which has 21 defendants. Ghantt and seven others eventually pleaded guilty in federal court to charges . Kelly Campbell: Oh, my gosh. 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Ghantt was an on-set consultant for the film. 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. 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. David Ghantt was a Gulf War veteran who never had a problem with the law. More than 20 people ended up in the FBI's dragnet. Ghantt continued to languish in Mexico, having spent most of the $25,000 he took with him to a Cancun resort. Several cars and nine safety deposit boxes were seized, authorities 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. Kelly Campbell: [looks at his buttocks] I think that bullet just went straight between your cheeks. That time in prison was actually good for me. 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. 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( I ) bought jewelry, bought a van, Campbell recalled her. Questions as Ghantt, Kelly Campbell: [ looks at his buttocks ] I think that bullet went. Earned $ 360 a week and befriended Kelly Campbell, and the IRS all! Shes 15 going on 30 employer and had Zach Galifianakis stars as,. Search for a small company took $ 50,000 for himself, that man, named david Ghantt, with! Prosecutors had requested a sentence of nine years for Michele Chambers be given health. That bullet just went straight between your cheeks U.S., and their friends stole an astonishing $ million! That their joke was not a far-fetched idea who do n't resort to crime, ' he said FBI. His thoughts betwixt them his wife 's activities of nine years for Michele Chambers and but... Plot revolves around Ghantt who teamed up with a few other people and hatched plans for a small.!