If we work together, we can all have plenty of pie.. High around 65F. Ghantt didnt know the full extent of what was happening back home -- how that lay low plan turned into a flurry of extravagant spending. The Chambers home is now gated, which means Channel 9 crews cant drive up to it like we used to. A woman by the name of Kelly Campbell had worked there in 1996, and she and Ghantt had become friends in that time. You can seize property. Campbell left her job in the summer of 1997, but she would later use Ghantt's feelings for her to her own advantage to get him to agree to carry out the multi-million-dollar heist. What purpose does that serve other than to denigrate that person into abject poverty?. It wasn't how much you stole that mattered most; it was that you had stolen in the first place. CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Kelly Campbell, the woman who helped plan the $17 million robbery of armored-car company Loomis, Fargo was sentenced yesterday to nearly six years in prison and ordered to. In total, 24 people were convicted and all but one of the accused pleaded guilty. Punishment needs to be fair and realistic. To visit friends.". The plan to rob Loomis Fargo was spawned by Campbell and her friend Steve Chambers, during a casual bonfire at Chambers' home. 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. He knew they were nervous outside waiting for him, but he also knew he wouldn't stop stealing until he had taken everything. Its like, me and you sat down, I have access to pie, you like pie, all I want is my share of the pie. 12) Loomis Fargo heist- The aftermath Ultimately, eight co-conspirators were indicted for the Loomis Fargo bank heist. In David's eyes, Johnson's big mistake was that he did it alone. Its attracted workers like Ghantt. They assumed that whoever was involved would keep the cash in a safe place, like a safe deposit box. Notifications from this discussion will be disabled. All of the co-defendants were arrested the next day, about six months after the heist. The government does not run debtors prisons, says U.S. Money. Next month, Payne will back in the Charlotte federal courthouse, this time to be sentenced from weapons and methamphetamine trafficking charges. Michelle Chambers paid off only $27,000. The principals here are David Ghantt, a driver for Loomis, Fargo and Co.; Kelly Campbell, the woman Ghantt had a crush on, and who convinced him to commit the crime; and Steve and Michele Chambers. In fact, he had recently finished a book about the FBI and felt it provided insight into the agency's investigative techniques, insight he thought could help the little gang succeed. What purpose does that serve other than to denigrate that person into abject poverty?. David got a kick out of her. Join thousands already receiving our daily newsletter. As a privately owned web site, we reserve the right to edit or He said at first, they were very proud of what they had been able to do. Tuesday marked 25 years since a group of buddies pulled off the third-largest money grab in U.S. history -- the Loomis Fargo heist. David would simply empty the vault and deliver the money to the others. 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. Thats pretty standard in restitution matters. "Don't double-cross us," the woman on the phone told David Ghantt. She had attitude. From my standpoint, it was just a business deal, Ghantt said. The FBI began to question past and current employees of Loomis Fargo. 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He realized his bosses would know he had worked that day and that he was missing, but maybe without a video they would think he'd been held at gunpoint and taken hostage, or even better, that he'd been killed. Now and again I run into blog posts that tends to make me want to get started on bloggin myself. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. He would then have the bulk of his share sent south of the border. The participants in the heist also spent lavishly on fancy jewelry, fancy cars and breast enhancement surgeries. That sounds like a lot of money until its compared to the $18,930,201.26 the group was ordered to pay. The hillbilly outfit did more that just drop a few breadcrumbs. true story that has captivated American audiences on the news and now on the big screen in the major motion picture, Masterminds. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. His eyes widened and he stopped breathing as he realized that something as mundane as a malfunctioning gate might ruin their entire plan. He allegedly hired a hitman to take Ghantt out, tying up the ultimate loose end. Chambers had broached the possibility of a robbery to Campbell earlier in the summer. The walk-in vault was a fortified gray room, more wide than long, with shelves, cabinets, desks, and multiple pushcarts stocked with shrink-wrapped cash. So he and some friends decided at the end of his Oct. 4 shift he would load a company van with more than 2,000 pounds of cash and just drive away. She was five-foot-seven, had dirty-blond hair, and had worked with him for about a year at Loomis Fargo, until she left for another job in 1996. I ride motorcycles and fish -- normal guy, Ghantt told Counts. Charlotte Observer"more than a crime story, and one that's worth reading." The FBI says Chambers hired a hitman to tie up the ultimate loose end -- Ghantt. And with Loomis, were looking at only one case. Some of that money is just gone. She had attitude. Michelle Chambers received a few more months than Ghantt, because she had violated several bond conditions. Expanded two-hour true crime story about the 1997 Loomis-Fargo armored car heist in North Carolina and the serio-comic fate of its bumbling underdog perpetra. Instead he became paranoid, especially after Steve Chambers put a contract out on his life. Winds light and variable. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. David was supposed to be showing him the ropes of the job, which included cash pickups and deliveries. Pink, Mr. Blue, Mr. Orange, Mr. Blonde. Guller was the attorney for Steven Chambers, who came up with the original idea for the Loomis theft. I made a joke once that was the hardest Id ever worked for Wells Fargo -- yeah, its a lot of work, Ghantt said. The plan was to exit through the building's electronic back gate, which consisted of horizontal metal plates that opened at the touch of a button. All of the primary players got fined millions of dollars --for example, Kelly Campbell was hit with more than $4 million, an amount that she will never come close to paying. This website uses cookies and some data tracking to improve your experience and serve adverts, We assume you're ok with this, you can opt-out if you wish. The unsolved mystery of the Van Meter Visitor a winged creature! The next day, before Mike was able to leave the country, the FBI arrested him in his hotel room. An additional tip reached the FBI when Michelle Chambers made a large deposit at a bank. In the grand scheme of things, the prison sentence for stealing $20 million wouldn't be much worse than for stealing just $500,000 maybe a few extra years behind bars. The actual crime itself required none of Hollywood's imagination. He had approached her inside the chain-link fence that surrounded the building and said with a flirty smile, "If you give me a cigarette, I'll be your friend. : The $17 Million Loomis Fargo Theft. Breakdown by congressional district, States' push to define sex decried as erasing trans people, North Carolina Supreme Court hears felony voting rights case, North Carolina House GOP modifies rules on veto overrides, N. 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Carolina House GOP again modifies rules on veto overrides, Murdoch says some Fox hosts 'endorsed' false election claims, Havelock officials warn public about alligator near Walmart, Cape Carteret buys new utility vehicle to aid in picking up litter, New taxi, shuttle business seeks license to operate in Morehead City, Report: Navy ships face growing maintenance delays, costs, Fisheries division to survey for-hire watermen, National Enquirer, ensnared in catch-and-kill is sold. Down in Jacksonville, a Loomis Fargo employee took $18 million from an armored van he was driving. Then, he proceeded to load 2,800 pounds of cash into a van. The phone calls began to get more intense when Steve and Eric got suspicious of a man who was running hismouth about them and the vault job over in Charlotte. Yet their lives seemed far easier and better than his. The reason David didn't know Steve's last name was so they couldn't identify each other to the police or FBI, should cops or G-men ever enter the picture. In addition, he also rented Mike his own apartment, paid him $400/weekly and bought him a gun. How he felt shorted by life. Jim Gronquist was Campbells defense attorney. There are multiples of thousands of these things coming every year. Eric Payne got out of prison in 2006 for his role in the heist and has since paid $11,357 on his $292,000 debt. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. The friend was Steve Chambers, and Kelly said he knew his way around the world of crime. He and his wife, Michele, moved from theirmobile homeinLincoln Countyto a luxury house in the wealthy Cramer Mountain section ofCramerton. The woman on the phone was Kelly Jane Campbell, and David had a mad crush on her. Uh-oh, it looks like your Internet Explorer is out of date. Unexplained Mysteries - owned by Aliens since 2011. David was thin six-foot-one, one hundred sixty-five pounds and heaving the stacks onto the cart, pushing the cart toward the vault door, and then emptying its contents into the van was exhausting. RELATED: When you have money, you just have different problems: The Loomis Fargo heist, 25 years later, How I held it together is beyond me, Ghantt said. In all, they recovered $6.6 million. La vie de David Ghantt n'a rien de compliqu. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. Temptation to do something that you think you normally wouldnt do can change a lot of minds when its that kind of cash, and thats what it was., (WATCH BELOW: VIDEO: The Loomis Fargo heist: 25 years later). One day, the two employees were in the break room and got to talking about the news of the day a massive bank heist that just occurred in Florida by someone at their company. And Kelly thought he was funny. Ghantt, his former co-worker Kelly Campbell and her friends Steve and Michelle Chambers, carried out the Loomis Fargo heist on Oct. 4, 1997. NASCAR. Still facing possible unknowns of other people involved, the FBI needed to gather more information without the suspects getting suspicious of them. Ghantts spending in Mexico was extravagant at first. He hired a hitman to take Ghantt out, tying up the ultimate loose end. Only a nickel on every dollar have been collected so far. You cannot fine low-income people millions of dollars. The case resurfaced in the federal courts on Thursday, Sept. 1, when the U.S. 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. Sun, sand and beaches are all part of why Jacksonville is a popular destination. CHARLOTTE If you didnt live in the Charlotte area 25 years ago, you might not believe it. Worlds Biggest Heists London Hatton Garden 200m Diamond Robbery, Easter 2015. Change). FILE - Kelly Campbell, one of the 21 people convicted for their involvement in the $17 million Loomis Fargo heist, awaits sentencing for her part in the theft at her mobile home near. Twenty people were convicted of roles big and small in the massive 1997 armored-car warehouse heist in west Charlotte. The affidavit described Chambers as a former FBI informant who had provided information on another Loomis armored car robbery that never materialized. We went on a mission to calculate exactly how much size-wise the money was, $11.3 million in $20 bills, and it weighed over 2,000 pounds, former FBI agent John Wydra said. Growing up, David's family went to Disney World, sent him to religious school, and shopped at places he couldn't afford as a self-supporting adult. But this time on the phone, Kelly wasn't joking. Ghantt, his former co-worker Kelly Campbell and her friends Steve and Michelle Chambers carried out the Loomis Fargo heist on Oct. 4, 1997. When Ghantt called Campbell asking for more money, a plan was set in motion to take him out. Since then, there have been numerous articles, books, documentaries and even a movie about this gang -- the gang that couldnt shoot straight. (John D. Simmons/The Charlotte Observer via AP). Booklist "Librariesshould consider purchasing this entertaining and lightly edited version, which reads like a fast-paced novel." Over the next two weeks, David thought about it. One number is working in Campbells favor. She will never get beyond the debt. That way, outsiders couldn't see money being loaded. >> PHOTOS: The Loomis Fargo heist, 25 years later. Some of the biggest numbers remaining on the Loomis collection board, as is the case with Campbell, belong to those who played the biggest role in the crime: - David Ghantt, the Loomis employee who loaded all that money 2,800 pounds in all into the back of a company van before escaping to Mexico, has paid just under $50,000 of the $3.81 million he was assessed. Outside of 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. CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) During one overnight shift, a bumbling conspiracy of thieves just west of Charlotte stole more than $17 million from Loomis Fargo. In one case, the restitution for a Loomis defendant may be a moving target. In the end, the FBI was able to capture the original gang in five months, snaring 21 individuals for their participation in the crime. 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. He put on his best pair of jeans, a button-down shirt, and his nicest cowboy boots. While David Ghantt trusted Steve Chambers enough to leave his cut behind, Chambers had other plans. And they could barely afford the minimum payments, given the power bills, phone bills, car insurance bills, and home payments they had to meet. And if that gives people out there a little bit of hope, then Ive served my purpose on this earth.. You can seize property. 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. Also charged with money laundering were innocent relatives and friends who had co-signed safe deposit boxes. Agents raided safe deposit boxes, where they recovered more than $11 million. As beads of sweat formed under his red hair, he loaded up another cart and repeated the process. The strange story of Mary Reeser Spontaneous Human Combustion. You should definitely start your own blog, I highly recommend it. Guller was the attorney for Steven Chambers, who came up with the original idea for the Loomis theft. White-collar criminals are pretty good at hiding their money, she said. In order to receive more evidence, the FBI decided to listen. To be brutally honest, it was that morning, Ghantt replied. However, Chambers had no intention of following those rules, believing the FBI would never connect him to Ghantt. Thats pretty standard in restitution matters. Campbell led Ghantt to think she loved him and they would flee to Mexico together, but she actually wanted to make a better life for herself in the U.S. With the plan in place, Ghantt sent a newly hired employee he had been assigned to train home early (reportedly, at 6 p.m.) and then proceeded to load a little more than $17.3 million in cash (approximately $11 million of which was in$20 bills) into the back of a company van. At that point, Kelly and David had known each other for two years. sole discretion of the site administrators and repeat offenders may One night in a small North Carolina town, a down-on-his-luck guard at Loomis Fargo manages to steal $17 millionliterally more than one ton of cash. You cannot fine low-income people millions of dollars. A parrot tattoo on her right ankle. 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. If we can sit on the money for a year, maybe two, it could work.". Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph.. Clear skies. "Just remind Steve," he said, "that I might be trouble my own self." of violence, racism, anti-Semitism, or That was the thing that sticks in my mind to this day.. The government does not run debtors prisons, says U.S. So the original gang was all totally shocked, Wydra said. Ms. Campbell worked at Loomis for 11 months, leaving in November 1996, according to court papers. How many people have walked the red carpet at a movie premiere in a case that was yours?. He ejected the two VCR tapes that he knew had recorded him stealing the money, took them, and prepared to leave. Each cart, holding about $2 million, was taking David seven or eight minutes to stack, push, and empty into the van, and there were about eight cartloads' worth in the vault. Later, they also arrested Nathans older brother. It all went down in Charlotte, North Carolina, and the man at the center of that heist, David Scott Ghantt, now lives in Jacksonville. Then one day, while reviewing his and Tammy's credit card bill, he did some quick math and realized that even if they met the minimum monthly payments, the bill would take thirty years to pay. It should have been easy, but for some reason the gate didn't open for him.