Get all your true crime news from Oxygen. Before he decided to steal $17 million from the bank, Ghantt had worked for years as a relatively taciturn and compliant employee. Although the FBI investigation was able to quickly connect Ghantt to Campbell, connecting Ghantt to Chambers was a more difficult task. Campbell used to work for Loomis and continued the friendship with Ghantt, eventually . On the night of October 4, the plan went into action. When asked what the dumbest thing was that Ghantt spent money on, he admitted: The 4 pairs of boots I bought in one day [shrug] what can I say they were nice and I was impulse shopping.. so make sure youre taking the right ones for you. People still laugh when they think of the "velvet Elvis" Chambershad in his Cramer Mountain mansion, or how his former wife showed upat a local bankto deposit wads of cash that she assured the teller was not "drug money.". Of course, I went on a spending spree. Masterminds which opens nationwide today (though youd be hard pressed to know that given the decided lack of promotion) is proof again that all the talent in the world cannot salvage a bad script, and not even a good screenwriter can make up for terrible performances. David Ghantt discovers the true meaning of adventure far beyond his wildest dreams. Its about the 1997 Loomis Fargo robbery also known as the hillbillly heist the second largest cash robbery in the history of the United States. Masterminds - Zach Galifianakis 'David Ghantt' [On-Set Interview]SUBSCRIBE HERE: http://goo.gl/SrrTlTSUBSCRIBE MOVIE TRAILERS: http://goo.gl/8WxGeDA night gu. At the time it was the second largest cash robbery ever to happen on US soil. I realized a lot of things that were wrong with me as a person. Just the ability to come and go as I please and walk barefooted in the backyard means so much. The next day, the Chambers, Campbell, and some other notable parties were arrested in Charlotte. Robbing the 7-Eleven and getting $40 bucks and a pack of Marlboros was not for me. You'd be amazed at how much stress you can relieve yourself from in your life by just taking 20 or so minutes a day for yourself and just letting the world go. Thirteen friends and family members were also charged with money laundering, as they had helped Ghantt, Chambers, Campbell, and the others deposit money illegally. David GhanttRetweeted Iraqveteran8888 @Iraqveteran8888 Dec 9, 2022 Elect me President and I'll fire everyone, free Julian Assange, and pardon Edward Snowden. A comedy film called Masterminds, based on the Loomis Fargo heist and starring Zach Galifianakis, Kristen Wiig, Owen Wilson, and Jason Sudeikis, was released in 2016. In total, 24 people were convicted. Then Michele made a trip to the bank. The FBI quickly connected Ghantt to Campbell, who was a former Loomis Fargo employee. The brother of a man killed by a woman now charged with murder in Chambers County said he sees similarities in his brother's case and the case of woman's latest husband's death. Here, he amps up the most obnoxious excesses of his entire cast and lets their grating bad-improv skills run amok. More than 2 million dollars is still missing to this day. From there, the money was moved from the company vehicle to private vehicles. Michele Chambers declined to make a statement at the hearing. But it was Ghantt, now 47 and living with his wife and daughter in Jacksonville, Florida, who actually took more than 2,000 pounds of cash and just drove away from his job. We would like to show you a description here but the site won't allow us. [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. Check out our top-rated graduate blogs here: PrepScholar 2013-2018. Ill never pay it off on my paycheck, Ghantt said. 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. And Ghantt hadnt really thought about the physical challenge of moving such a large sum of money. Dont come to me for a treasure map, Ill put it to you that way., Michael Sainatos writing has appeared in the Guardian, Miami Herald, Baltimore Sun, Denver Post, Buffalo News, the Hill, Alternet, and several other publications . I didnt even have a real home life because I was never there. He had never been in trouble with the law. Q: You say your time in federal prison changed you. Federal Judge Graham Mullen sentenced her to between those lengths. Chambers had broached the possibility of a robbery to Campbell earlier in the summer. The Loomis Fargo heist became something of a media lightning rod. However, the FBI knew immediately who robbed the vault (Ghant was seen on video camera), and it didnt take long for the FBI to loop in Kelly Campbell. Afterward, outside the courthouse, her parents said the length was about what she had expected. On Oct. 5, 1997, Ghantt carried out the heist during his regular shift after sending another employee home, stealing more than $17 million from the bank vault. But there was just one thing the group hadnt been counting on: the massive weight of that amount of cash. That suspicion was immediately confirmed by a quick glance at the security camera footage that showed Ghantt doing a little dance after loading all the cash into the van. What happens at the end of mastermind? By comparison, Ghantt served seven years in prison and was fined $26,000. Instead, the bandits just started throwing as much money as they could into the van until they couldnt fit anymore. You've decided to give up on a part of your life. Kelly Campbell is scheduled to be sentenced in October. What SAT Target Score Should You Be Aiming For? Chambers promised to wire him money in Mexico until the investigation blew over and Ghantt could return to North Carolina. Then check out another bank robber who inspired a movie, John Wojtowicz. When Seymour Hersh Strained to Keep Up With CounterPunch, Nichole Stephens, Administrative Assistant. Ghantt sent home a new employee and quickly loaded the money into the back of a bank van. Si vous ne souhaitez pas que nos partenaires et nousmmes utilisions des cookies et vos donnes personnelles pour ces motifs supplmentaires, cliquez sur Refuser tout. All rights reserved. This article will teach you more about the SAT subject tests. Galifianakis seems to be playing a character out of Dumb and Dumber 3: The Dumbening; Kristen Wiig plays what could only be described as her worst SNL character; Owen Wilson plays an Owen Wilson character; and Sudeikis plays a bumbling hitman who cant pull the trigger after he finds out his target shares the same name and birthdate, which is the dumbest twist since the Martha revelation in Batman vs. Superman. No rift here! Of course, the FBI was already aware of Chambers and his free-spending ways, and the murder plot helped federal agents find Ghantt south of the border. Q: Do you ever think about what your life would be like if you had gotten away with the money? (His wife tells him to change that word to "selfish."). After years of working hard, the realisation hit . Project #ShowUs. This article will teach you more about the SAT subject testsasync src='https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js' and help you decide whether you should take them. David Scott Ghantt was the vault supervisor at the regional branch of Loomis, Fargo & Co. in Charlotte, North Carolina. So with the assistance of a co-worker and possible love interest as well as a small-time criminal, David Ghantt pulled off the then-second-largest cash heist in U.S. history. He then began loading $17 million in unmarked bills inside a company van before driving away. Get the latest articles and test prep tips! It was over. ', He explained the glorification and glamour often associated with bank heists and bank robberies in Hollywood films is far from reality. The plan was for Ghantt to commit the robbery and then quickly leave the country for Mexico but to leave the bulk of the cash with Chambers. Retro CharlotteFBI security footage of David Ghantt in the midst of the Loomis Fargo heist. If so,check out some of these books on our AP History Exam reading list. He made his own self miserable. This page was last edited on 21 February 2023, at 16:45. Ghantt @ChristyGhantt Dec 7, 2022 I just entered the @clxgaming Ra PC Giveaway! Ghantt's spending in Mexico was extravagant at first. He was insecure. Former Cramerton Police Chief David Young soon got wind of the Chambers excessive spending spree and reached out to the FBI. Playing upon David's obvious feelings for her, Kelly is the . 1) David Ghantt is underpaid and unhappy. 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. Although the history of the predecessor Wells Fargo & Company dates back to 1852, Loomis Fargo & Company was established in 1997 by the consolidation of Wells Fargo Armored Service and Loomis Armored Inc.; the resulting corporation employed 8,500 people and provided armored transportation, cash handling services, and automatic teller machine maintenance. Authorities say Steve and Michele Chambers moved from a mobile home into a $635,000 house three weeks after the theft. The Current TikTok Ban Doesnt Go Far Enough. Dont worry, its not drug money.. How? Chambers and his wife also made some cash payments on a few cars. A lot of people ask me, Oh, do you have any regrets? No, not really. 20 years ago,on the night ofOctober 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. I stole $17 million, and Zach Galifianakis played me in a movie. They took a lot of liberty with the story here and there. Campbell used part of her share of the money to buy a Toyota Sienna minivan in two cash installments. When Ghantt called Chambers to have the latter wire him more money, Chambers sent just a few thousand dollars. Answer: The painful one is getting caught. 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. Chambers would then occasionally wire Ghantt money and see to his basic financial needs; when "the heat was off," Ghantt was to re-enter the U.S. and the money would be split up among all of the co-conspirators. In 2020, the television show Super Heists portrayed the heist in Episode 3, "Van Full of Dollars". 29 David Ghantt Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images. The Loomis Fargo robbery was one of the largest heists in history, with $2 million in stolen funds still unaccounted for. Even though they drove away with less than they had initially intended, they still had more than $17 million in hand. The scary one is stealing the money. There was also no dramatic showdown between Chambers and Ghantt as the movie suggests. The additions come as KFC recently removed some menu items, including wings, popcorn chicken and cookies, to make room for new additions. Lorsque vous utilisez nos sites et applications, nous utilisons des, authentifier les utilisateurs, appliquer des mesures de scurit, empcher les spams et les abus; et. This Wednesday marks the 20th anniversary of the notorious Loomis Fargo heist. In fact, David Ghantt was about to commit the heist of a lifetime. The judge said he would recommend that Michele Chambers be given mental health treatment in prison. Ghantt plead guilty to his charges andserved six years in prison, along with21 other defendantswho received chargesrangingfrom money laundering to bank larceny. Masterminds is an atrociously bad comedy, and absolutely everyone is to blame. followed by "Don't worry, it is not drug money," the bank filled out a suspicious activity report, which ultimately reached the FBI. Unfortunately, he failed to disable the third camera. U kunt uw keuzes te allen tijde wijzigen door te klikken op de links 'Privacydashboard' op onze sites en in onze apps. But after one visit, she asked a teller "How much can I deposit before you have to report it to the feds?" 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. At the time it was the second largest cash robbery ever to happen on US soil. He was released in 2006. They called the police, who brought in the FBI, classifying the heist as a bank robbery. By then, the FBI had become greatly concerned for Ghantt's personal safety; they had learned that Chambers had plotted to have Ghantt killed in a murder for hire scheme using a "hit man" named Michael McKinney. [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]. 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. Over the years many of his social . Did you know that the SAT offers subject exams, too? When the rest of the Loomis Fargo employees showed up the next morning and found that they couldnt open the vault, they called the police. 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. 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. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. A: When you're locked up, you live in an 8-by-10 box and you share that with two other people. Some people screw up big like you, some people screw up small.". Ghantt was already married when he took part in the heist, to a woman named Tammy - who author Diamant described as "very nice." It is true, however, that she had no idea about the plot and that. 2023 www.gastongazette.com. #CLXGaming#CLXRa#evokethegods 1 2 So Chambers decided to solve the problem by putting a hit on Ghantt. 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 other co-conspirators. ", The much-faster-than-expected economic recovery thats followed the easing of the coronavirus pandemic has produced several encouraging develo. If I hadnt of done that, Id probably still be in North Carolina and I would not have got to meet a lot of the interesting people that Ive got to meet. Follow him on twitter: @MSainat1, 20 Years Later: Masterminds of One of the Largest Bank Heists in U.S. History, The CIAs Changing Take on the Climate Emergency, Emancipation, Hollywoods Best Civil War Film Ever. Finally, in March 1998, the FBI traced a call from Ghantts phone and he was arrested in Mexico. All rights reserved. [1] Tips had led the FBI to begin monitoring Chambers's (and his wife's) activities, but it was not until the FBI recorded a phone call from Ghantt in Mexico that the final connection was made. Hes a great person. Ten days later, the group was indicted for bank larceny and money laundering. Outside the building, Ghantt met up with Campbell, Chambers, and others who were involved in the plot, and drove off to a printing business called Reynolds & Reynolds in northwest Charlotte. David Ghantt was a nuisance to Steve Chambers and Kelly Campbell, John Wydra, a retired FBI agent who handled the case, told Super Heists.. When she was a teacher, Hayley's students regularly scored in the 99th percentile thanks to her passion for making topics digestible and accessible. You have permission to edit this article. His partners, who planned to stay behind, agreed to send him his full cut of the money after the heat from investigators had died down. The painful part is that when you get caught, that the part of your brain that was trying to talk to you when you first started the robbery was right, and that's like a dump truck running over you. 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. In the end, eight co-conspirators were indicted for the Loomis Fargo heist. They asked me how I felt about it and I said, Its my story, but its your movie so have at me. 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. But Ghantt has been open about what he did and how he believes it changed him for the better. What ACT target score should you be aiming for? Some of the friends and family members received parole, while Ghantt was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. 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. 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. Two days later, when the FBI found the Loomis Fargo armored van, they discovered almost $3.3 million in cash left in the back of the van; it was later discovered that the thieves had miscalculated the sheer bulk of the small denomination currency, and that they simply left the cash that they could not take with them in the back of the van. 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 other co-conspirators. They kept several furnishings from the previous owners, including a painting of Elvis Presley on black velvet. David Bragg . The missing couple were identified as David Harrison Robinson and his wife Lucretia Robinson. There is nothing of value in this movie. You take a movie like Oceans Eleven, the whole concept of that movie is so farfetched, its not even funny. Now looking back, with the life I have now, Ive got a great family, got a great kid. [1], Steven Chambers finished serving his sentence in November 2006. Authorities say Steve. We were two paychecks away from being homeless at any given time.. Elizabeth Poile was in 10th . An FBI criminal investigation ultimately resulted in the arrest and conviction of eight people directly involved in the heist, as well as sixteen others who had indirectly helped them, and the recovery of approximately 88% of the stolen money. 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. The odds of you actually getting away with something these days is pretty damn slim. Her husband, Steve Chambers, whom prosecutors have called the main defendant, began serving an 11-year sentence earlier this year. 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. Both were involved in the second-largest cash heist in U.S. history, in which a group of people stole $17 million from the. 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. On Oct. 4, 1997, former Kings Mountain resident David Scott Ghantt finished his shift as a vault supervisor for Loomis Fargo in Charlotte. 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]. A: I like the 47-year-old David Ghantt more than I did the 20-something David Ghantt.
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