But being the vault supervisor at Loomis Fargo had one perk -- exposure to tons of cash. Internet Movie Firearms Database - Guns Its the small things like that. Movie Spoiler for the film - MASTERMINDS "Are you serious?" Ghantt says he believes in redemption, and that his mistake 25 years ago brought him all the things that are important in his life today. It was the second-largest. Sandra Floyd, Michele Chambers's mother, remembers the first time she saw the house. The pager entry was 1-4-3. The cash was covered with dog food. Agents noticed it two months later when it flowed to them through official channels, along with hundreds of similar reports involving other people. It, too, has changed hands several times. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. Trending News They swept the surrounding counties, locating Kelly Campbell and Eric Payne in their homes. Also the Author of The Book of Dave: A New Path After a $17 Million Misstep https://t.co/qBMUgcNZ4F They bought a huge diamond and paid with cash for it. Still, she wasn't happy. LRM: When you first heard the story he was there to get rid of you, what was your reaction? In the end, it is a good story. David Ghantt: Mostly, it concerned for Zach [Galifianakis] to have the right shirt and carrying the right pistol. macalester college basketball coaches. She is the diamond of my soul. David Ghantt discovers the true meaning of adventure far beyond his wildest dreams. LRM: If you had to relive that heist againwhat would you do differently? The 2016 comedy movie, Masterminds is based on the story of the Loomis Fargo Heist. Anonymous tips had the FBI monitoring Chambers calls. Web1) David Ghantt is underpaid and unhappy. The only bit of excitement is his crush Kelly Campbell, who lures him into the scheme of a lifetime. Although David was in on most of the planning, one discussion between Steve and Kelly was kept a secret. I thought he did a really good job. "I thought he was goofing around.". According to Butcher, Campbells last official payment came in June 2021 when the government appears to have seized a tax refund of $81.24. Kelly Campbell, 29, a former company employee, entered guilty pleas earlier to bank larceny, money laundering and conspiracy to commit murder charges. Three weeks after the theft, Steve and Michele moved from their Lincoln County mobile home to a $635,000 house in a gated Cramerton, N.C., neighborhood. Thats some of my work. It has a certain feel, a smell and weight to it. I loved it that she is part of my life now, because of all this. All of us will be looking forward to your story by watching the movie on Blu-ray or DVD. MASTERMINDS will be available on Blu-ray, DVD and digital download tomorrow. It was his goodbye. Thats probably not the best answer to be honest with you. "He said, 'Yeah, right,' and turned his head. Steve tried keys on a side door. Masterminds Thanksgiving and Christmas were difficult. The police almost immediately called theFBI, since 95% of the money handled at the facility was owned by banks. And though she had been made night shift supervisor at Allied Security, she still felt she would never make the money she needed. Available on iTunes, Hulu. Her husband gave her a brown teddy bear. Paying the money back has taken a lot longer, and time is running out for the U.S. government to collect. Ghantt, his former co-worker Kelly Campbell and her friends Steve and Michelle Chambers, carried out the Loomis Fargo heist on Oct. 4, 1997. "Think of how many women would have stood by. Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. At the Halloween party, though, Kelly gave in to Steve, and agreed it had to be done. Current price is $11.49, Original price is $14.99. Its like, me and you sat down, I have access to pie, you like pie, all I want is my share of the pie. Kelly says she underestimated the value of her life before the heist. I even helped them design the set, where he breaks into the vault. "We're not the type that questions everything people tell us," Floyd said. Please enter valid email address to continue. He had since served time in prison for the crime and told our sister station WSOC-TV Channel 9s Glenn Counts he learned a valuable lesson while behind bars. 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 defendants received sentences ranging from probation for several relatives to over 11 years in federal prison for Steve Chambers. Project #ShowUs. She was the group's only contact with David, and she was smoking marijuana "like other people smoke cigarettes," she said. WebPlot David Ghantt is a simple man that lives a very dull life. All of the defendants except for one pleaded guilty and accepted their sentences. David Ghantt discovers the true meaning of adventure far beyond his wildest dreams. Ghantt, who by then was long out of prison, served as a consultant. Hidden in it was a 3 1/2-carat diamond ring that cost $43,000. Web1) David Ghantt is underpaid and unhappy. He shut the empty vault and set its timer so the vault could not be opened for two or three days. Custom Content. David Ghantt: That is the like the number two question that everyone asks me. 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 It was unclear whether anyone will get that money, authorities said. Florida House of Representatives He flew in an ultra-light plane. You can seize property. . Web1997 - David Scott Ghantt (Zach Galifianakis) thought being an armored car driver would be a dream come true. There was a book published in 2002 as well, by author Jeff Diamant called,Heist! Though Wydra is retired, 25 years ago, he was an agent with the FBI. ", "Even then . I stole $17 million, and Zach Galifianakis played me in a movie. Hed never really been in trouble, he wasnt a career criminal, said retired FBI agent John Wydra. It has a lot of things youll look for in a storya little romance, money, adventure and travel. It was one of the first things they voted on. david Kelly called David at Loomis; he told her he'd be ready for them with the cash at 6:30 or 7 p.m. Alone in the building, David was trying to finish loading cash from the vault into an unmarked white Ford Econoline van belonging to Loomis. Extra Snap Benefits Ct 2022, . Perry identified the other six people arrested as Steve and Michelle Chambers; Kelly Jane Campbell, a former Loomis employee; Michael L. McKinney; Thomas Nathan Grant; and Eric Haley Payne. Or does it sit in an offshore account, waiting for a prison sentence to end? If I hadnt done on what I did and how everything unfolded like it didI wouldnt have my daughter today. Zach Galifianakis played David Scott Ghantt, with other roles played by Owen Wilson, Jason Sudeikis, Leslie Jones, Kristen Wiig and Kate McKinnon. Kelly told the FBI she had done drugs with David but denied knowing about the theft. Spunk. Inside the Mazda, Steve told Scott Grant to get out and help David. Sunny. Steve had already paid McKinney $50,000 for the use of his ID. It all seemed unfair. First Republic Bank seized by regulators, then sold to JPMorgan Chase, Reward offered as manhunt for Texas shooting suspect reaches "dead end", Louisiana's health care deserts put women, babies at risk, doctors say, Second convoy of U.S. citizens fleeing Khartoum arrives at Port Sudan, ISIS chief killed by Turkey's intelligence agency, Erdogan says, How a tall Texan became an unlikely Australian rules football star, General Mills issues Gold Medal flour recall over salmonella concerns, Investors sue Adidas over Kanye West Yeezy deal, Shaquil Barrett's 2-year-old daughter dies in drowning accident. ', "He asked me if I'd mind holding some money for him. His wife, they said, got breast implants and used cash to purchase a 1998 BMW Z3 sports car. In the two days after the robbery, agents interviewed more than 100 people, most connected with David. There had been no signs. The initials on the money wrapper belonged to a Loomis employee who hadn't worked there since before the heist. Here's how. Too many questions remained: Where was the cash? He says the Loomis case shows how the criminal justice system and the courts treat lower-income people differently. See how other students and parents are navigating high school, college, and the college admissions process. About 5:45 a.m., he got into his pickup and began the 45-minute drive to work in Charlotte. Surveillance tapes and photographs showed a man who the FBI believes is Ghantt taking bags of money and putting them onto a cart in the vault at Loomis, Fargo's offices in Charlotte. Hes a family man with a wife and daughter. The College Entrance Examination BoardTM does not endorse, nor is it affiliated in any way with the owner or any content of this site. Tell us on what was actually real from that movie. 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 didn't even know Steve's name. Kelly said she had reason to believe Steve might be able to pull off a heist. How did they get away with stealing more than $17 million? Eric watched. Then FBI agent Wydra watched Steve's wife, Michele, deposit about $8,000 at a Gaston County, N.C., bank. In addition to his phone calls with Ghantt, Chambers began extravagantly spending the money, even though the co-conspirators had agreed to lay low for a year or two. He placed stacks of currency on a cart and wheeled it to the van about 15 feet away, inside the building. Average Snowfall In New Jersey, Mostly with Zach. Across the border in Mexico, Ghantt was also living it up. So we were able to figure out with all the denominations, it would require about 20 safe deposit boxes to store it all., WSOC TV facebook feed(Opens a new window), Part 2: Channel 9 speaks with the man at the center of Loomis Fargo heist 25 years ago, ALSO READ: 14-year-old boy robbed at gunpoint while waiting for bus in east Charlotte, mom says, ALSO READ: Leader of $3M check theft, bank fraud scheme in Charlotte area sentenced to prison, ALSO READ: Man released from jail, accused of robbing banks while wearing electronic monitor, police say, ALSO READ: Suspect from south Charlotte bank robbery found, CMPD says, NCSHP arrest driver accused of nearly hitting 2 students at bus stop in Statesville, CMS delays opening of new school meant to ease overcrowding, Mooresville orders removal of memorial at park after teens death, Chick-fil-A announces app data breach, tells customers how to protect personal information, Charlotte woman celebrates $1 million scratch-off prize, WSOC - TV Public File Contact / Program Director, WAXN - TV Public File Contact / Program Director. SAT is a registered trademark of the College Entrance Examination BoardTM. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. In early November, Steve lured the real Mike McKinney, an ex-Marine, to North Carolina from his Illinois home. The participants in the heist also spent lavishly on fancy jewelry, fancy cars and breast enhancement surgeries. That first day in prison was scary, Ghantt said. A third tape he didn't know about kept recording. She will never get beyond the debt. OWLS director fired in wake of new board taking over, New rules will require flood history disclosure in real estate, North Carolina recreational spring flounder season canceled for 2023, Supreme Court seems ready to sink student loan forgiveness, Beach commission gets update on search for new sources of sand for beach nourishment. If a prank seemed dangerous, David backed out. Project #ShowUs. '. 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 had a lot of help pulling off the heist. Michele tells me you're in a financial bind. 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. Steve was sentenced to 11 years 3 months in prison. WebKelly lives (also in a mobile home) with an old friend named Steve Chambers (Owen Wilson) and his wife, Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Ellis). Seven Charged In $17M Heist - CBS News Working together, they got the gate open, then drove in a caravan to the Reynolds & Reynolds parking lot. There it was, "The Heist." Afterward, she and David would talk just occasionally on the phone. He says the Loomis case shows how the criminal justice system and the courts treat lower-income people differently. so make sure youre taking the right ones for you. The first weekday after the heist, Michele Chambers, co-conspirator Steve's wife, walked into a NationsBank branch with a briefcase containing $5,000. David quickly realized he was the intended victim. At first, David Ghantt said, "I didn't take her seriously. Kelly relayed his message to Steve. At the time it was the second largest cash robbery ever to happen on US soil. LRM Exclusive Interview: David Ghantt, Real Then one day I met Miss Kelly Campbell. Michele received the best gift of the night. He wouldn't give me the opportunity to say anything else. Then I realized I needed to be more conservative. Heres my last question for younot all of the stolen money was accounted forwhat do you think actually happened to the last few million dollars? He realized his life wouldn't improve unless he did something drastic. He is an uncomplicated man stuck in a monotonous life. "As soon as you start, you realize there's no going back," David recalled. Get the latest articles and test prep tips! Web29 David Ghantt Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images. On Feb. 27, agents listened in on a call from David to Kelly and learned David's location in Mexico. But neither of those things would matter after he met Kelly Campbell. In addition to their extravagant spending, Michelle Chambers made the mistake of loudly asking a bank teller how much cash she could deposit in her account without it being reported to the feds, and then said, its not drug money.. Its said the current owner now has it in storage in Phoenix, Arizona. But because David's relationship with his Loomis bosses had been rocky, he says, he doesn't feel sorry about what he did to the company. You know as well as I doits Hollywood. "I was trying to figure out a way to [leave my husband] and take care of my kids without having to depend on him or any other man," Kelly said. Hes a family man with a wife and daughter. He didn't want to abandon his parents. I've got a good woman.". Kelly had recently left a job driving an armored-car for Loomis, Fargo & Co. "He's the one who brought it up first," said Kelly, a year after her arrest. One of them went into a bank and asked, How much money can I deposit before you call the IRS? Five years he told how he explains his past like this: "People are very forgiving if you're open and honest right from the start. David told her he'd need help moving the money, getting a new ID and leaving the country. To be brutally honest, it was that morning, Ghantt replied. His assignment was to deliver the cash to David and keep him happy until they could find a way to kill him, McKinney said. PFF: Below Average Campbell is the top linebacker on the PFF big board but ranks just 39th overall. If they could just sit on the money until then, he said, they'd be fine. Enforcement of this policy is at the Campbell used part of her share of the money to buy aToyota Siennaminivanin two cash installments. He had a favorite restaurant, Zandunga, which had a mariachi band each night and a view of the Caribbean. I don't blame him.". I would like to think, in my heart-to-heart, he wasnt going [to kill me]. David said he realized then, for the first time, he might not see the millions he thought he had coming to him. David Ghantt normally came home between 6 and 8 p.m., and often he was late, his wife said. Ghantt believed the new employee would make a good replacement for his wife, but the feelings were not necessarily reciprocated. At the end of one session, they wound up kissing outside the pickup. David Ghantt: When I first met Zach and sat down to talk about it, he said, You realize Im going to be playing a dumber, clumsier version of you. David Ghantt (Zach Galifianakis) is slowly creeping by in life driving an armored truck.His life is at a stall and hes slowly dwindling down into the trash life that was destined for him. That October, the Chamberses' bank accounts ballooned. What Happened to Steve Chambers After Prison Fitness Center? At 6-1 and 220 pounds, Steve was stocky and imposing, a fast talker with a brown goatee. About the worst he had done as a teenager was stealing a construction company's Porta-Jon with a friend, tying it to the back of a pickup truck, and driving around for about fifteen minutes. Loomis officials--forced to break into their own vault because David had taken the keys with him--calculated that he had stolen $17,044,000, making the second biggest heist in U.S. history, following the $18.8 million theft of an armored car by another Loomis Fargo employee just six months earlier. He discovers that it's pretty boring stuff, and he often fantasizes about getting robbed. Masterminds (2016 A parrot tattoo on her right ankle. Ghantt and his compatriots, it turns out, had underestimated how bulky money is. On March 1, David Ghantt left his hotel to do some laundry. Mexican police, Interpol officers and an FBI agent were watching him. They had initially agreed to control their spending for a year or two, in the belief that the government would vigorously track the spending habits of any and all suspects for at least a year before relenting. Her husband, Steve Chambers, whom prosecutors have called the main defendant, began serving an 11-year sentence earlier this year. In 2017, for example, Paul Burks of Lexington was ordered to pay $244 million to the victims of his worldwide Ponzi scheme, Zeek Rewards. Every day he drives an armored car, transporting millions with no escape in sight. About the same time, Kelly and McKinney received phone calls from agents who told them to open their doors. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. david ghantt wife They decorated their 6,000-square-foot stucco house with antiques, paintings and statues, including a six-foot wooden Indian that Michele had bought for $600. In the following months, Steve persisted, even floating the notion of placing phony hand grenades on a Loomis truck to scare away the drivers, Kelly said. The same applies to trolling, the use of multiple aliases, or When I put that cash in the back of the car, by the time I got to the office the whole car smelled like that. When we worked together [for Loomis], we'd joke about it. I told them that this was the color regiment. Campbellwho was married herselfrepresented something new and exciting. display: block; He drove to the edge of the Loomis compound, which was surrounded by a chain-link fence. When they painted the cars, they were the wrong shake. I have to say, I thought I had a pretty good idea of who the Visionaries were in the first place. I cut out a lot of partying and stuff that wastes my spending. It didn't quite pan out that way. . He and his wife, Tammy, lived in a mobile home in Kings Mountain, N.C. Money was always tight. WebDavid Ghantt discovers the true meaning of adventure far beyond his wildest dreams. [Kelly] told me, 'Just think about it.' I also explained to Owen [Wilson] on what it was like to be in Federal prison. Over the next two weeks, David thought about it. Ghantt added, I really enjoyed the movie. The government does not run debtors prisons, says U.S. Loomis Fargo heist: 25 years later David Scott Ghantt, his former co-worker Kelly Campbell and her friends Steve and Michelle Chambers carried out the Loomis Fargo heist on Oct. 4, 1997. David complained it wasn't enough. Kelly was no criminal. He was also married. Accompanying her was Steve Chambers, who, though unemployed, had recently moved . . Over the next months, Ghantt, Campbell, and Chambers developed a plan. WebGhantt hadagreed to split the proceeds equally with Steve and Michele Chambersand Kelly Campbell after the others who were involved in the offensewere paid. I went in there to do a basic search. Five years he told how he explains his past like this: "People are very forgiving if you're open and honest right from the start. "I'll need help moving the money, getting a new ID, and leaving the country," he told her. The film's crackpot-innocent sensibility is encapsulated by a scene where Wiig's character Kelly Campbell, a former security company employee who was fired for incompetence, tries to convince an ex-coworker, Galfianakis' David Scott Ghantt, that she'll join him in Rio if he uses his keys to open a vault and steal cash from the company. WebMasterminds is a 2016 comedy starring Zach Galifianakis as David Scott Ghantt, an armored car guard who decides to pull off a heist of some bank money he is transporting. Not only was Ghantt the only unaccounted for employee the morning after the heist, there was also footage of Ghantt moving the cash into the back of the Loomis Fargo van. The FBI heard about the plot and agents knew they could no longer wait. 25th anniversary of the incredible Loomis Fargo bank heist He partied, met women, drank, skied and hung out at the beach. Ghantt didnt know the full extent of what was happening back home -- how that lay low plan turned into a flurry of extravagant spending. Kelly would only discover later that leading up to the heist, Steve had been writing bad checks, $17,000 worth, for which he would later be convicted. I even helped them design the set, where he breaks into the vault. All I needed was a change of pace.". They could talk about anything, even topics he couldn't discuss with his wife. Criminals dont usually get high-paying jobs after leaving prison. Collections. Records show the government has garnished his Social Security checks. Chambers wife, Michelle, bought a minivan in cash and began taking frequent trips to the bank to make deposits. VIDEO. ". They tried to break the van's bulletproof windows. When McKinney arrived in North Carolina, the plan had changed. This time, David told McKinney the truth. He is an uncomplicated man stuck in a monotonous life. He rewarded Robert with $3,000 and vowed never to meet McKinney alone. Steve told her to send David to Atlanta on a bus and drive back to the trailer. David Ghantt normally came home between 6 and 8 p.m., and often he was late, his wife said. The Internet was still new at the time. Ghantt reported to Chambers that his supply of money was running low, but Chambers sent Ghantt just $8,000. "A lot of people out there had it worse than me, but . Her husband, Steve Chambers, whom prosecutors have called the main defendant, began serving an 11-year sentence earlier this year. The case had gotten national publicity and was the subject of numerous articles, documentaries and even a movie. WebThe 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, VIDEO. The FBI began to question past and current employees of Loomis Fargo. Then another. . Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. An officer rang the doorbell. Steve told Scott to ignore the remaining stacks, which were mostly ones and fives. } Only a nickel on every dollar have been collected so far. On Oct. 5, the Loomis heist celebrates its 25th birthday. What did you have to do to survive? As with Kelly, the worst blotch on 29-year-old Eric's record until now was a driving-while-intoxicated conviction. David Ghantt: There are quite a few small facts and tidbits. AMA In October of 1997, I was a vault supervisor for armored truck company Loomis Fargo, when I made off with $17.3 million. In the game, David has to track down eight Visionaries, David Ghantt: In my way of thinking, you are part of the story and people will talk about you regardless. She had attitude. WOMAN GETS TIME IN LOOMIS HEIST - Greensboro News DUMB & - The Washington Post No Honor Among Thieves That was probably the first thing. They are Steve and Michelle Chambers; Kelly Jane Campbell, a former Loomis employee and Ghantts alleged love interest; Michael McKinney; Thomas Grant; his brother, Eric Grant; and Eric Payne. "Do you know how much there's gonna be?" 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. But this time on the phone, Kelly wasn't joking. . If so,check out some of these books on our AP History Exam reading list. "For the first year, they're all over you. At the time it was the second largest cash robbery ever to happen on US soil. He now has a wife, a construction job, and a child. In Campbells case, Gronquist says his client was buried in court-ordered debt despite the fact that she took responsibility for what she had done and cooperated with prosecutors and the FBI. Human nature is a flexible part of life, Gronquist said. Before David left for the airport, he had handed Scott an eight-inch key ring. He was an old friend from East Gaston High School, tough and sure of himself. His wife, Tammy, was as shocked as Loomis officials. Six were charged with aiding, abetting and counseling the commission of a bank larceny, being accessories after the fact and hindering Jim Gronquist, Campbells defense attorney during the Loomis case, says the financial penalties levied against his client and her co-defendants are grossly excessive and unjust, particularly since most of the stolen Loomis money was actually recovered. Money'll turn your head, I don't care who you are. But neither of those things would matter after he met Kelly Campbell. On March 29 of last year, in the largest armored car heist in U.S. history, $18.8 million was taken from Loomis, Fargo in Jacksonville, Fla. An employee, Philip Noel Johnson , was arrested Aug.30 in connection with that theft, All but $186,000 was recovered. The film stars Zach Galifianakis, Kristen Wiig, Owen Wilson, Kate McKinnon and Jason Sudeikis. Thirteen friends and family members were also charged with money laundering, as they had helped Ghantt, Chambers, Campbell, and the others deposit money illegally. That day, FBI agents also would arrest Scott Grant and Eric Payne, who had spent his share of the money on a motorcycle and breast implants for his wife and two sisters.
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