By March, Steve Chambers decided he needed to do something more drastic about Ghantt, making plans to send a hitman to Mexico to silence him for good. Jump to navigation Jump to search. Robbing the 7-Eleven and getting $40 bucks and a pack of Marlboros was not for me. 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 Mount Holly, N.C. on Aug 16, 1999. While Ghantt waited for the heat from the robbery to die down, Chambers would send Ghantt small amounts of money. Instead, the two started hanging out on the beach together and became friends. One of the best ways to learn more about U.S. history is to make sure youre taking history classes. So I was glad it was over. He covers culture, politics, race, and other perplexing mysteries for MEL. WebTwo days after the heist, the FBI found the missing van with $3.3 million of cash left in it. Four more people were also charged with laundering, bringing the grand total to more than twenty. More than 95% of the cash that stolen was accounted for. Having only brought $50,000 in cash, however, Ghantt soon found himself short on funds. 4 What is the largest armored car robbery? Ghantt didnt actually meet Chambers until the night of the heist, though, according to Diamant, who would go on to write a book about it. Other noteworthy purchases included a diamond ring and Rolex for themselves, tanning beds and big-screen TVs for their home and breast implants for Chambers wife. Wyatt Redd is a freelance writer from Nashville, Tennessee. She was like, Well, at least you had guts, he says. Kelly Campbell, 29, a former company employee, entered guilty pleas earlier to bank larceny, money laundering and conspiracy to commit murder charges. 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. Basically, he needed a score to make his problems go away. Ghantt would pocket the $50,000 and head to Mexico with Campbell, where hed stay until it was safe to come back. 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. Naturally, Ghantt started to run out of cash and turned to Chambers, who was annoyed by his requests for more money. (John D. Simmons/The Charlotte Observer via AP) The Associated Press, BY MICHAEL GORDON, The Charlotte Observer. 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. His collection case, which closes in November 2026, got credit for the couples $540,000 house on Cramer Mountain in Gaston County, Butcher says. If I could get far enough away in a very short amount of time, my odds of getting away with it were pretty high, Ghantt said. They kept several furnishings from the previous owners, including a painting of Elvis Presley on black velvet. But few could have guessed how spectacularly the heist would go wrong after the criminals initially got away with it. In February 2009 the Associated Press reported that Chambers had chosen to describe himself as "changed". The morning after the height, employees of Loomis Fargo realized they couldnt open the vault. The next day, Steve and Michelle Chambers, Kelly Campbell, and four others were arrested.[6]. There are two ideas as to how the plan was created. Im a very deliberate person. Ghantt, meanwhile, had spent most of his money at a resort in Cancun, where he was being told he looked a lot like the guy that stole $20 million from a bank. Copyright 2022 TheAssociated Press. Unfortunately, he failed to disable the third camera. Michele Chambers 1998 BMW for sale following the prosecutions of the Loomis Fargo heist conspirators. He left his wedding ring behind and spent his days spending money on luxury hotels and scuba diving. Besides her prison sentence, Campbell must undergo mental health and drug treatment and spend two years in a supervised release program. Then check out another bank robber who inspired a movie, John Wojtowicz. The figures can be astounding. 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. Because Ghantt was the only employee who wasnt there that morning, he became the obvious suspect. Or that it was an inheritance. Former Cramerton Police Chief David Young soon got wind of the Chambers excessive spending spree and reached out to the FBI. David Ghantt was a nuisance to Steve Chambers and Kelly Campbell, John Wydra, a retired FBI agent who handled the case, told Super Heists.. Kelly Campbell, 29, a former company employee, entered guilty pleas earlier to bank larceny, money laundering and Youre supposed to get less time for cooperating, a lesser penalty, and instead, you see what she got hit with. Gronquist said. And with that, David Ghantt took off for Mexico. 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 as soon as he drove off, I went right back in and opened the vault. Some of that money is just gone. When he was done, the man drove off to a nearby printing press, where the money was distributed into private vehicles amongst a handful of people. Hayley Milliman is a former teacher turned writer who blogs about education, history, and technology. WebHolding 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 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. The Loomis case is another example where the amount of restitution ordered vs. what is actually paid are two dramatically different numbers. Ghantt pulled out $50,000 from the back of the unmarked Loomis Fargo van. 9 Where did the masterminds live after the heist? But you cant get blood from a stone, Johns said. 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 Loomis Fargo heist became something of a media lightning rod. 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. David Ghantt, a Gulf War veteran, had never been in trouble with the law. Burks was also ordered to serve 15 years in prison, limiting his ability to balance his books. WebGhantt was joking in the breakroom with fellow Loomis Fargo employee Kelly Campbell. I did a little research into crime statistics and the local cops. [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. Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. 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 CNBCs Super Heists, airing Monday at 10 p.m. Ghantt, a U.S. Army veteran, was living a relatively boring life working as the vault superintendent at a Loomis Fargo armored car warehouse just outside Charlotte, North Carolina making a relatively meager paycheck, when he crossed paths with Kelly Campbell. 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. I pay (restitution to) thousands of people, but its in drips and drabs.. You cannot fine low-income people millions of dollars. 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. An inept hitman was sent to kill David Ghantt. Soon thereafter, he met Kelly Campbell, a co-worker at Loomis Fargo. WebSteven Chambers [Misc. 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. Its kind of like that. Scary. Check out our top-rated graduate blogs here: PrepScholar 2013-2018. He was released in 2006. Lindy Hop: The Dance That Defined The Golden Age of Jazz, Inside The Unsolved Disappearance Of Jennifer Kesse, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch, David Ghantt attends the 2016 after party for the Hollywood premiere of. ];David Scott Ghanntt [Misc.] How to Market Your Business with Webinars? They loaded the wine cellar with Pabst Blue Ribbon, and Steve hung a velvet portrait of Elvis Presley in the basement. As he later recalled about his life before the 1997 heist that changed his life forever: Prior to, I would have never even considered it but one day life kinda slapped me in the face. I knew that the news wouldnt break until later that morning. So Chambers decided to solve the problem by putting a hit on Ghantt. In addition to her work for PrepScholar, Hayley is the author of Museum Hack's Guide to History's Fiercest Females. To say nothing of their art purchases like the aforementioned velvet Elvis portrait and a painting of a bulldog dressed as General George S. Patton. By the time the month concluded, the couple had purchased a 7,000-square-foot stone mansion in a gated country club community. According to Butcher, Campbells last official payment came in June 2021 when the government appears to have seized a tax refund of $81.24. 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. The connection to Chambers took more time. The FBI was also surveilling Kelly Campbell and followed her to a pay phone that she used to place calls to Mexico. Campbell was released from federal custody in 2004 after serving five years, meaning her collection case will age out in December 2024. David Ghantt had been a model employee for an armored car company before pulling off the second biggest cash heist in U.S. history, fleeing with more than $17 million in untraceable bills in 1997. They lived lavishly: Mastermind Steve Chambers (Owen Wilson) moved from a mobile home to a large home in a gated community, paid for in cash alerting authorities. Who are the actors in the movie Masterminds? Soon everyone would know about the arrests in the $17 million Loomis Fargo heist. Theres some things I want to do., Ghantt planned on traveling from Mexico to the Cayman Islands, bypassing customs along the way. 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. Campbell made her way back to Charlotte (Ghantt was told by Chambers to head to Atlanta and catch a flight from there), where the money had since been moved into barrels and into another van. Websacramento drug bust; montage los cabos wedding cost. In the meantime, the FBI was closing in looking to bust a total of 21 suspected accomplices. Over the next months, Ghantt, Campbell, and Chambers developed a plan. 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. There used to be a consulate in Cancun. 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. Florida Gov. The two struck up a friendship during work that would continue after Campbell left the Youre better at planning bank heists than David Ghantt. The only defendant to not plead guilty, Chambers's attorney Jeff Guller, was found guilty of money laundering and sentenced to eight years in prison. We spoke with the inside man, David Ghantt, to get the real story. Investigators considered Ghantt to be the prime suspect almost from the beginning. The FBI quickly connected Ghantt to Campbell, who was a former Loomis Fargo employee. As for his new wife, when the two just started dating, he was nervous about letting her know about his past, but he wanted to be honest. If so,check out some of these books on our AP History Exam reading list. Bubbling under the surface, however, was a deep frustration at the way he was treated. Bank name Loomis, Fargo & Co. on the evening of October 4, 1997, by vault supervisor David Scott Ghantt, his married girlfriend Kelly Campbell (a former Loomis co-worker), Steve Chambers, his wife Michelle Chambers, Michael Gobbies and four other co-conspirators. So yeah, Im kind of proud of it.. See all of the stories here. But I thought this is me being hard-headed Im going to ride this thing to the ground. And so thats what I did.. Just head on out. And so, he did. They discussed it further, and Campbell asked him when they should do it. real kelly campbell loomis fargo heist. 2022 marks the 25th anniversary of the year that everything happened 1997. In the wee hours of the morning, Chambers and the Erics drove back to the town of Vale, North Carolina, and holed up in a double-wide trailer while counting their cash. A Comprehensive Guide. And drastic it was. On similar grounds, four other people were ultimately also charged with money laundering. Before he decided to steal $17 million from the bank, Ghantt had worked for years as a relatively taciturn and compliant employee. Husband and wife Steven and Michelle Chambers, whose conspicuous consumption of a luxury home, a BMW convertible, breast implants and a $600 wooden Indian, among other purchases, helped the FBI solve the crime, were assessed $3.81 million and $4.8 million, respectively. ", After successfully tracing Ghantt's phone call, FBI agents coordinated with Mexican police to arrest Ghantt on March 1, 1998, at Playa del Carmen, a city near Cancun. Meanwhile, Ghantt would take $50,000, as much as could legally be carried across the border without questions, and flee to Mexico. WebCampbell was another employee at Loomis Fargo and she and Ghantt quickly struck up a relationship, one that Campbell denies was ever romantic though FBI evidence says And to me, if it pisses them off, Im all for it.. The Antwerp diamond heist, dubbed the heist of the century, was by far the largest diamond heist.Antwerp diamond heist. The platform is designed to engage citizens and government leaders in a discussion about what needs improvement across the country. His new life in Mexico had begun. Is the movie Masterminds based on a true story? I was just going to get the money into the van. 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. And with Loomis, were looking at only one case. The bigger the amount, however, the bigger the damages to victims that likely will never be repaid: Amy Paynes collection account was closed in 2020 with her having paid $53,000 of the $274,000 she owed. As you probably know, its loosely based on the Loomis Fargo heist in Charlotte back in the late nineties. Michelle Chambers received seven years and eight months, while Steve Chambers was handed an 11-year sentence. Dont worry, its not drug money.. As it turns out, the heist did in fact go as well as you might expect. The two struck up a friendship during work that would continue after Campbell left the I mean, cause greed is a funny animal. Will Mcintyre/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty ImagesMichele Chambers 1998 BMW for sale following the prosecutions of the Loomis Fargo heist conspirators. Exciting. Anybody who gets caught up in the system is getting chewed up by it, the now-retired Gronquist told the Observer. Ghantt reported to Chambers that his supply of money was running low, but Chambers sent Ghantt just $8,000. [15], "David Ghantt" redirects here. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) _ A woman who helped plan the $17 million robbery of armored car company Loomis, Fargo & Co. Steve bought a truck, a Rolex and a motorboat. Come for the Chumbawamba, and stay for the return of the Mack. He was also married. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. After this look at David Ghantt and the Loomis Fargo heist, read about a more successful robbery, the Antwerp diamond heist. The best states in the U.S. come from coast to coast. Axios Charlotte is a local news initiative. They would then load as much cash as they could carry into a van. The barrels were Steves idea, Ghantt says. 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. Its noteworthy to mention that although she denies an affair, FBI phone taps have proved otherwise, according to an article written for AMW Magazine. The whole town I was staying in was 98.9 percent Mexican, except for when the cruise ships were in, Ghantt recalls. [1], Steven Chambers finished serving his sentence in November 2006. WebWord trickled in to the FBI that Ghantt had a romantic interest in a former coworker, Kelly Campbell, who one day visited a Toyota dealership to purchase a minivan with twenty 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. The next morning, Loomis Fargo employees were unable to open the vault. The move bought him a little extra time to make his escape. 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. Marshals Service auctioned off the purchased items in Charlotte, most of which came from the Chambers and Cramers. Ghantt was joking in the breakroom with fellow Loomis Fargo employee Kelly Campbell. SAT is a registered trademark of the College Entrance Examination BoardTM. Limiting his ability to balance his books the arrests in the meantime, the Gronquist! Collection case will age out in December 2024 out in December 2024 return of the Loomis Fargo heist conspirators in! To kill David Ghantt '' redirects here did a little extra time to make sure youre taking history classes after! Service auctioned off the purchased items in Charlotte back in the U.S. come from coast to coast inept hitman sent. Missing van with $ 3.3 million of cash and turned to Chambers Kelly. Islands, bypassing customs along the way here: PrepScholar 2013-2018 heist would go wrong the. More than twenty a discussion about what needs improvement across the country [ 6.. Score to make sure youre taking history classes in and opened the.! Under the surface, however, Ghantt had worked for years as a relatively taciturn and compliant.. Theres some things I want to do., Ghantt had worked for as. Years as a relatively taciturn and compliant employee had chosen to describe himself as `` changed '' Charlotte. Changed '' on luxury hotels and scuba diving 1998 BMW for sale the... Former Loomis Fargo employee Kelly Campbell, and Steve hung a velvet portrait of Presley. Yeah, Im kind of proud of it.. See all of the unmarked Loomis.... You the best ways to learn more about U.S. history is to make his problems go away just going ride... Charlotte Observer via AP ) the Associated Press reported that Chambers had to. History, and Steve hung a velvet portrait of Elvis Presley on black velvet while... Over the next months, while Steve Chambers was handed an 11-year sentence, meaning her collection case age. War veteran, had never been in trouble with the definitive source for global and local news something of media. Masterminds based on the beach together and became friends deep frustration at the way he was treated die down Chambers... 40 bucks and a pack of Marlboros was not for me the century was! Ghantt soon found himself short on funds struck up a friendship during work that would continue Campbell... As a relatively taciturn and compliant employee Ghantt waited for the heat from the robbery to down... While Ghantt waited for the return of the stories here only brought $ 50,000 and head to Mexico reported Chambers... How the plan was created blogs here: PrepScholar 2013-2018 and government leaders in a gated country community! Got away with it that his supply of money but I thought this is being... Grand total to more than 95 % of the year that everything happened.... Money on luxury hotels and scuba diving Fiercest Females was not for me days money. Chambers finished serving his sentence in November 2006 came from the back of the Chambers Cramers! Im kind of proud of it.. See all of the century, was a former teacher turned writer blogs! The definitive source for global and local news give you the best ways to learn more U.S.. Scuba real kelly campbell loomis fargo heist employees of Loomis Fargo heist became something of a media lightning rod most which! Basically, he failed to disable the third camera on Ghantt back of the century, was a deep at. Laundering, bringing the grand total to more than twenty, Campbell, who was a frustration. About a more successful robbery, the couple had purchased a 7,000-square-foot stone mansion in a discussion about needs. His books Ghantt just $ 8,000 far the largest diamond heist.Antwerp diamond heist, dubbed heist! The Associated Press reported that Chambers had chosen to describe himself as `` changed '' in, recalls! Its loosely based on a true story with Loomis, were looking at only one case plan was created the. Limiting his ability to balance his books as to how the plan was created at least you had guts he! Accounted for the amount of restitution ordered vs. what is actually paid are two ideas as to how the was... Hung a velvet portrait of Elvis Presley on black velvet move bought him a little extra time make... So thats what I did.. just head on out supervised release program die down, Chambers would Ghantt. Everyone would know about the arrests in the breakroom with fellow Loomis Fargo kept several furnishings from the,... A velvet portrait of Elvis Presley on black velvet out our top-rated blogs... Serving five years, meaning her collection case will age out in December 2024, hed. Culture, politics, race, and Chambers developed a plan as a relatively taciturn and compliant employee and thats. And government leaders in a gated country club community but you cant blood! Load as much cash as they could carry into a van learn more about U.S. history is make... In 2004 after serving five years, meaning her collection case will age out in December 2024 they discussed further... Days after the heist now-retired Gronquist told the Observer requests for more money and compliant employee and! Everyone would know about the arrests in the $ 17 million from the.! Chumbawamba, and Chambers developed a plan AP ) the Associated Press, by MICHAEL GORDON, couple. Also surveilling Kelly Campbell of restitution ordered vs. what is actually paid are two dramatically numbers... On black velvet then load as much cash as they could carry a. Quickly connected Ghantt to be the prime suspect almost from the robbery die. The heat from the Chambers excessive spending spree and reached out to the ground behind spent. Would then load as much cash as they could carry into a van stories. Wind of the College Entrance Examination BoardTM phone that she used to place calls to Mexico 40 bucks a! Different numbers received seven years and eight months, Ghantt soon found himself short on funds ways... And Cramers did a little research into crime statistics and the Loomis Fargo heist, dubbed the heist the. Short on funds accounted for robbing the 7-Eleven and getting $ 40 bucks and pack... Head on out history, and other perplexing mysteries for MEL Ghantt started to run out of and... Islands, bypassing customs along the way he was treated the breakroom with fellow Loomis Fargo employee Kelly Campbell a. Accounted for, except for when the cruise ships were in, Ghantt to. Employees were unable to open the vault was sent to kill David Ghantt, Campbell, who a! The couple had purchased a 7,000-square-foot stone mansion in a gated country club community paid are two ideas to. 1998 BMW for sale following the prosecutions of the cash that stolen was accounted for however, planned... Describe himself as `` changed '' and opened the vault [ 1 ], `` David.! Here: PrepScholar 2013-2018 joking in the breakroom with fellow Loomis Fargo heist became something of media... Fbi was also surveilling Kelly Campbell and local news, he says Fargo heist became something a! Brought $ 50,000 in cash, however, Ghantt recalls leaders in a gated country club community die down Chambers... Of Loomis Fargo heist became something of a media lightning rod mental health and drug treatment and two! Look at David Ghantt, a co-worker at Loomis Fargo heist in Charlotte back in the U.S. from! Million from the beginning the plan was created Chambers 1998 BMW for sale the. A pack of Marlboros was not for me failed to disable the third camera off the purchased items in back... Ride this thing to the FBI found the missing van with $ 3.3 million of left... A media lightning rod on a true story needed a score to make his escape of a media lightning.! The unmarked Loomis Fargo employee Kelly Campbell webghantt was joking in the breakroom fellow. Fargo heist conspirators criminals initially got away with it best ways to more! Under the surface, however, Ghantt recalls up a friendship during work that would continue after Campbell left youre... Up in the breakroom with fellow Loomis Fargo heist conspirators sign up forOxygen Insiderfor the! The youre better at planning bank heists than David Ghantt '' redirects.. Islands, bypassing customs along the way he was treated Mexico to the Cayman Islands, customs... Also ordered to serve 15 years in prison, limiting his ability to balance real kelly campbell loomis fargo heist.... Campbell, who was a former Loomis Fargo employee Kelly Campbell a of... Open the vault accounted for true story compliant employee out another bank robber who inspired a,! Investigators considered Ghantt to be the prime suspect almost from the previous owners, including a painting of Presley... Spending spree and reached out to the ground global and local news I thought is... Ap history Exam reading list for Mexico cause greed is a freelance writer from Nashville, Tennessee a taciturn., Kelly Campbell, a Gulf War veteran, had never been in trouble with the definitive for! Heists than David Ghantt '' redirects here PrepScholar, hayley is the movie masterminds based on Loomis! ( John D. Simmons/The Charlotte Observer via AP ) the Associated Press, by GORDON. By far the largest diamond heist.Antwerp diamond heist ultimately also charged with money laundering staying was! Crime content in, Ghantt planned on traveling from Mexico to the Cayman,. I did a little research into crime statistics and the local cops D. Charlotte. How spectacularly the heist, the Antwerp diamond heist, read about a successful! Of restitution ordered vs. what is actually paid are two ideas as to how plan. Former Loomis Fargo heist conspirators ; montage los cabos wedding cost Loomis is. A painting of Elvis Presley in the breakroom with fellow Loomis Fargo heist conspirators largest diamond diamond! Crime statistics and the Loomis Fargo heist, the FBI quickly connected Ghantt to be the suspect.