And to me, if it pisses them off, Im all for it.. When he landed in Cancun, his first stop was Walmart. Ghantt and one other employee were the last to leave. Speaking of his co-defendants, Ghantt says hes not currently in contact with any of them. There used to be a consulate in Cancun. David Ghantt was a nuisance to Steve Chambers and Kelly Campbell, John Wydra, a retired FBI agent who handled the case, told Super Heists.. 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) Not Ghantt. See all of the stories here. Except the person he offered $150,000 to mule $2.5 million down to Ghantt in Mexico turned him down and instead went to the FBI. Besides her prison sentence, Campbell must undergo mental health and drug treatment and spend two years in a supervised release program. David Ghantt had been a model employee for an armored car company before pulling off Ghantt called Chambers asking for more money, and was promptly arrested near Comuzel, which was a good thing for Ghantt, who had been targeted by a hitman hired by Chambers. Theres some things I want to do., Ghantt planned on traveling from Mexico to the Cayman Islands, bypassing customs along the way. Twenty-one people were charged and convicted in the robbery, one of the biggest heists in U.S. history. Youre better at planning bank heists than David Ghantt. I told them, Take it, box it up, and youll be able to ship it to me in Mexico. Back in the 1990s, you couldve probably boxed up a hot pink elephant and shipped it to Mexico; no one wouldve ever noticed. 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. It wasnt a big hit, but Ghantt, who was played by Galifianakis, gives it a rave review. Copyright 2022 TheAssociated Press. FBI security footage of David Ghantt in the midst of the Loomis Fargo heist. I didnt even know about it and overlooked it, he said. 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. They received sentences and probation ranging from several years to 11 years and three months in federal prison for Steve Chambers, who was also fined more than $3,500,000. 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. It was nearly the perfect crime, but while Ghantt fled to Mexico to lay low, his partners lavish spendingand their own alleged plans for murderwould ultimately be the groups demise. 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. There are multiples of thousands of these things coming every year. 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. They planned to kill a man named David Ghantt, the guy who had made their extravagant new lifestyle a reality. The barrels were Steves idea, Ghantt says. About 20 ago, Campbell sent him a letter of apology, but he never responded. Called Masterminds, the 2016 film stars Zach Galifianakis, Kristen Wiig and Owen Wilson. WebNo products in the cart. They also bought a BMW Z3 with cash and made several large purchases, including a $600 cigar store Indian. Ghantt, in order to conserve this money, curtailed his spending. When he walked onto the plane, he was wearing big, tall cowboy boots, where hed stuffed a majority of the smuggled cash. Then he and Campbell drove 90 miles to Columbia, South Carolina, where Ghantt planned to purchase a ticket to Mexico so he could be out of the country before news of the robbery broke the next morning. Some days, the robbery seems like a memory from a different life, a choice made by a different man. And drastic it was. I was expecting her to kick me out of the house., Years later, after they married and had a child together, they watched a movie based on the whole ordeal. The FBI investigation was aided by the gang's extravagant spending. new mexico state police vin inspection; does white vinegar lower blood pressure; prudential tcfd report In 97 me and my wife were just barely scraping by, Ghantt recalled in Mondays episode. But because he still owes millions to the IRS, he couldnt be paid. Records show the government has garnished his Social Security checks. 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. More than 95% of the cash that stolen was accounted for. David Ghantt struck up a relationship with fellow Loomis Fargo employee Kelly Campbell, and they continued to maintain contact even after Campbell left the company. Time passed, and Campbell eventually quit her job at Loomis Fargo. They found Ghantts truck, and in it were his keys, some personal items and his wedding ring. Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. If so,check out some of these books on our AP History Exam reading list. According to an Observer article, signs point to Campbells involvement stemming from the desire to experience what it was like to be rich. I said, Listen, You all need to get your shit together, or Im just going to walk over here to the government building and tell them who the fuck I am. That lit a little fire under her ass, for a bit.. If you want to go ahead and go, I got it. On July 10, Jon Daly joined the cast of the film to play an FBI agent. There was also no dramatic showdown between Chambers and Ghantt as the movie suggests. In 2017, for example, Paul Burks of Lexington was ordered to pay $244 million to the victims of his worldwide Ponzi scheme, Zeek Rewards. Charlotte Magazine even ran a feature story about the Loomis Fargo heist with the title, White Trash Crime. The headlines, however, never bothered Ghantt. This is where it starts to unravel, Ghantt tells me with a wry laugh. Ghantt's spending in Mexico was extravagant at first. Then check out another bank robber who inspired a movie, John Wojtowicz. After his release, Ghantt took a job as a construction worker and was eventually brought on as a consultant for the 2016 movie Masterminds, based on the Loomis Fargo Heist. Throughout the multi-year-long case and subsequent trials, journalists often referred to Ghantt and the others as trailer trash and hillbillies. But it didnt really hit me until later., On March 2nd, when the FBI agents walked up to Ghantt in Playa del Carmen and told him he was under arrest, Ghantt was relieved. real kelly campbell loomis fargo heist. The FBI quickly connected Ghantt to Campbell, who was a former Loomis Fargo employee. Dont worry, its not drug money.. 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. Ive never taken offense to anything like that, he tells me. Burks was also ordered to serve 15 years in prison, limiting his ability to balance his books. When October 1997 began, Steve and Michelle Chambers lived in a double-wide trailer. The next morning, Loomis Fargo employees were unable to open the vault. I told the lead investigator I was glad to see him.. You can read more at, Dilworth Coffee is coming to the Fifth Third Center. 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. The two struck up a friendship during work that would continue after Campbell left the company. Our new student and parent forum, at ExpertHub.PrepScholar.com, allow you to interact with your peers and the PrepScholar staff. In February 2009 the Associated Press reported that Chambers had chosen to describe himself as "changed". WebCampbell left her job in the summer of 1997, but she would later use Ghantts feelings for her to her own advantage to get him to agree to carry out the multi-million-dollar heist. Campbell, a former Loomis employee and one of the original masterminds of the caper, has paid off less than $21,000 of the $4,701,694.18 she was docked. We need to set up some way for me to get my money. She said, We got it all worked out. $17.3 million in cash was robbed from the Charlotte, North Carolina, regional office vault of Loomis, Fargo & Co. on the evening of October 4, 1997. But you cant get blood from a stone, Johns said. I just had to call you., Today, Ghantt cant look back on the whole ordeal without some degree of pride. Theres no management around. Ghantt, meanwhile, was losing his patience and starting to make threats. followed by "Don't worry, it is not drug money," the bank filled out a suspicious activity report, which ultimately reached the FBI. Twice a week over the next 12 months, we will take you back to the winter of sheep cloning and the summer of Con Air. Just head on out. And so, he did. 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. His name was Corey. As soon as Corey left, I pretended like I was leaving. Ghantt was missing and no one, not even his wife, knew where he was. Restitution is a familiar part of sentencing in federal court. Ghantt worked at Loomis Fargos regional office vault in Charlotte. Its kind of like that. In 2020, the television show Super Heists portrayed the heist in Episode 3, "Van Full of Dollars". Im a very deliberate person. 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. I knew that if we could stay off the radar for about a year, we could basically live a vacation life, Ghantt said. Twenty people were convicted of roles big and small in the massive 1997 armored-car warehouse heist in west Charlotte. There are two ideas as to how the plan was created. The film was produced by Brent Almond. If you want me to leave, Ill leave. Then, Ghantt went into another room. Who was the FBI agent in the movie Masterminds? Eventually, Ghantt called in from Mexico, seeking more money, and the FBI officially recognized Chambers as a co-conspirator. Chambers and two accomplices, making their way to Vale in order to put the barrels in his home, left behind the staggering $3.3 million that didnt fit and the two security tapes in the Loomis Fargo van that Ghantt had driven. I was looking at small sailboats and theyre not cheap, he tells me. He was also married. You see, theres a reason Loomis Fargo used armored cars to move large amounts of cash. While she made small deposits at first, she became more reckless, eventually making a deposit of thousands of dollars in cash, telling the teller not to worry: Its not drug money.. And youre like, Come on parachute. Also charged were several innocent relatives that the robbers had enlisted to help get safety deposit boxes in various banks. Hes going to start bringing you money. Alright. On October 6, they found the van with everything that Chambers had left behind, including Ghanttsgun and a clear picture of his face on video, which was identified by supervisors. Thirteen friends and family members were also charged with money laundering, as they had helped Ghantt, Chambers, Campbell, and the others deposit money illegally. Items included a velvet Elvis painting, 1998 BMW, 17-foot motorboat and Harley Davidson. 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. They loaded the wine cellar with Pabst Blue Ribbon, and Steve hung a velvet portrait of Elvis Presley in the basement. 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. 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. wydd radio pittsburgh; dumb military bases Ghantt sent home a new employee and quickly loaded the money into the back of a bank van. I was working all the time and unhappy I felt cornered and one day the joking in the break room about robbing the place suddenly didnt seem so far-fetched.. WebAydin Properties > Uncategorized > real kelly campbell loomis fargo heist. 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. 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