To that end, Campbell brought in her childhood friend Steve Chambers, who was characterized in the local press as a small-time drug dealer and a local fence for stolen goods, to lead the team. Hidden in it was a 3 1/2-carat diamond ring that cost $43,000. You can have your whole career and not have a case like that. In the two days after the robbery, agents interviewed more than 100 people, most connected with David. 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. He worked fueling airplanes, driving a forklift, and in 1994 he got a job as a vault superintendent at Loomis. They hatched the idea half-jokingly, over a game of Uno, never dreaming they were about to make Bonnie and Clyde look like bottom feeders. 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. 145 Matches for Kelly Loomis. Hes well thought-out. At the time of the real robbery, Chambers was facing criminal charges hed written 30K worth of bad checks and was facing jail time for it. Meanwhile, Steve was keeping a close eye on Kelly. Sweat soaked David's uniform. 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. One thing about teammates, in David's view: You could always trust them. The Chambers home is now gated, which means Channel 9 crews cant drive up to it like we used to. 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. I couldn't understand why I hadn't been more successful," David said. Meanwhile, back in North Carolina, Ghantts wife woke up to find her husband missing. Kelly drove David to the airport. He took bus tours of Mayan ruins. The case had gotten national publicity and was the subject of numerous articles, documentaries and even a movie. Informacin sobre tu dispositivo y conexin a Internet, como tu direccin IP, Actividad de navegacin y bsqueda al utilizar sitios web y aplicaciones de Yahoo. I was just going to get the money into the van. "We're not the type that questions everything people tell us," Floyd said. Restitution is a familiar part of sentencing in federal court. Then, on a mid-September day, as he reviewed a credit card bill, David did some math. At first, David Ghantt said, "I didn't take her seriously. In early December, Steve and Michele invited relatives to their daughter's sixth birthday party. All of the co-defendants were arrested the next day, about six months after the heist. Almost 19 years after Ghantt and a group of friends from Gaston County pulled off one of the largest cash heists in U.S. history, the movie "Masterminds" will play up the caper for laughs. I made a joke once that was the hardest Id ever worked for Wells Fargo -- yeah, its a lot of work, Ghantt said. 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. Masterminds is a 2016 American crime comedy film based on the October 1997 Loomis Fargo robbery in North Carolina. They paid for all of it in cash. In early September 1997, Kelly found herself chatting on the phone with a friend who still worked at Loomis, a 27-year-old man who, despite being married, had made no secret of the fact that he had a crush on her. So that was kind of like this once-in-a-lifetime thing, Wydra said. The next week, they heard Steve plan to send Mike McKinney to Mexico to kill David Ghantt. Of course the most famous thing inside the home was a velvet Elvis portrait. There was a little voice in my head that said, 'Don't do it. "You" has three. Michele received the best gift of the night. Steve was sentenced to 11 years 3 months in prison. his keys and wedding ring. For instance, after stealing $17.3 million $11 million of which was in $20 bills the conspirators had to leave behind $3 million in cash because they couldnt fit all of it in their cars. Steve and Michelle Chambers, who had lived in a mobile home, bought a mansion in Cramer Mountain. Its attracted workers like Ghantt. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. Youre supposed to get less time for cooperating, a lesser penalty, and instead, you see what she got hit with. Gronquist said. There is nothing of value in this movie. I told the lead investigator I was glad to see him.. Most people are going to forgive you. Masterminds is an atrociously bad comedy, and absolutely everyone is to blame. Now worried about both the FBI and McKinney, he spent even more time alone in his room. hippie fest 2022 michigan; family picture poses for 5 adults; unforgettable who killed rachel; pacific northwest college of art notable alumni; adler sense of belonging family constellation He told him McKinney was in Mexico to kill somebody. And robbing a truck was dangerous. Her case closes in 2025. But as soon as he drove off, I went right back in and opened the vault. . "It wasn't me, it was Steve," she says she told him. 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. I was relieved emotionally because I knew there was a good chance my luck might run out, Ghantt said. In February 1998, the FBI tapped their phones and listened to Steve discuss depositing $2.5 million in the Cayman Islands. Inside the Mazda, Steve told Scott Grant to get out and help David. Thats one of my personality flaws. The FBI says Chambers hired a hitman to tie up the ultimate loose end -- Ghantt. Best States is an interactive platform developed by U.S. News for ranking the 50 U.S. states, alongside news analysis and daily reporting. All the while, Ghantt prepared himself for the task at hand. They stocked a wine cellar. Scott Grant and Steve pulled up next to her in a Mazda. The FBI now knew Chambers had Loomis cash. About six months before the Charlotte theft, on March 29, a total of $18.8 million was taken from Loomis, Fargo in Jacksonville, Fla., in what was believed to be the largest heist in U.S.. He hated his job, with its 12-hour shifts. He and co-worker Kelly Campbell, 27, had developed a close relationship and were spending time together outside of work. The Loomis case is another example where the amount of restitution ordered vs. what is actually paid are two dramatically different numbers. I hear her typing. Until, that is, he decided to hell with it he was going to pull-off the second largest heist in U.S. history. At first, I just blended in with the tourists and picked up a few translation books, Ghantt explains. It has a certain feel, a smell and weight to it. What concerned her was the chance of getting caught. Then another. Ghantt studied how to rob his employer . Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live. He flip-flopped on the heist idea three or four times. What that says is, We will never forgive you for what youve done.. "I felt that if I didn't do something, I was going to snap," David said. He loves his motorcycle and enjoys going fishing and, while hes sorry for the past, hes not ashamed to talk about it. Steve told her to send David to Atlanta on a bus and drive back to the trailer. He gave the rest to Kelly. Not every agent has a case like that, he said. When neighbors asked where they got their money, Steve said hed played in the NFL. They sweated, though the night was cool. At the end of one session, they wound up kissing outside the pickup. If you want to go ahead and go, I got it. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]. Her sentence was delayed until Jan. 1 so she could spend the holidays with her family. Theres some things I want to do., Ghantt planned on traveling from Mexico to the Cayman Islands, bypassing customs along the way. They cursed. He didnt even really question me. "So he stays behind and moving over two thousand pounds. . Basically, he needed a score to make his problems go away. Without really intending to, Kelly recalls, she turned the conversation to the possibility of a heist. 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. His assignment was to deliver the cash to David and keep him happy until they could find a way to kill him, McKinney said. Back in North Carolina, Ghantts former accomplices were living high on the hog. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. Ghantt, his former co-worker Kelly Campbell and her friends Steve and Michelle Chambers carried out the Loomis Fargo heist on Oct. 4, 1997. But you cant get blood from a stone, Johns said. Fourteen defendants were ordered to make restitution payments to Loomis Fargo totaling almost $19 million. The plan to rob Loomis Fargo was spawned by Campbell and her friend Steve Chambers, during a casual bonfire at Chambers' home. When she realized Ghantt never came home from work the night before, she contacted the police and filed a missing persons report. (John D. Simmons/The Charlotte Observer via AP) As with Kelly, the worst blotch on 29-year-old Eric's record until now was a driving-while-intoxicated conviction. They placed a bust of Caesar in the dining room. Sandra Floyd, Michele Chambers's mother, remembers the first time she saw the house. He couldn't talk.". >> PHOTOS: The Loomis Fargo heist, 25 years later. Directed by Jared Hess and written by Chris Bowman, Hubbel Palmer and Emily Spivey, the film stars Zach Galifianakis, Owen Wilson, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones and Jason Sudeikis.. I'd probably change jobs. . They planned to kill a man named David Ghantt, the guy who had made their extravagant new lifestyle a reality. The government does not run debtors prisons, says U.S. 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. Going south, nobody really looks at what youre shipping. Two days after theyd robbed the Loomis Fargo truck the very same day the police found the abandoned van in the woods Steve and Michelle Chambers walked into a bank and deposited their cut of the stolen money into their account. 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. Truth be told, Ghantt had something of a crush on Campbell, and so, he told her exactly how hed pull off such a heist. Called Masterminds, the 2016 film stars Zach Galifianakis, Kristen Wiig and Owen Wilson. He'd stay up all night, boosted by coffee, waiting for the sunrise over the ocean. I think I always knew that, but lost my way for a while.". Given his position at the bank, hed be the one to pull off the robbery, and he intended to be ready. The modern company was formed in 1997 by the consolidation of two armoured security concerns, Wells Fargo Armored Service and Loomis Armored Inc. Their international network covers over 200 operating locations in the US and eleven western European countries. What purpose does that serve other than to denigrate that person into abject poverty?. I threw you out, and then threw the parachute after you. Chambers promised to wire him money in Mexico until the investigation blew over and Ghantt could return to North Carolina. He pocketed the money and told Chambers and Campbell to send him his cut in Mexico. 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. But on Oct. 4, 1997, that no longer mattered and Ghantt took off with $17.3 million. Jeffrey Guller, who at 81 is by far the oldest of the Loomis defendants, still owes almost $1.1 million on his original court debt of $1.14 million and will remain on the governments books for another four years. And then I could hear her laughing. Paying the money back has taken a lot longer, and time is running out for the U.S. government to collect. At 7:45, David had finished loading. He had stolen $17 million from Loomis Fargo. But after she left, she reached back out to Ghantt and brought up what they'd talked about that day in the break room. 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. Steve and Michele invited everyone back for a Christmas party, where they gave Michele's stepfather a special gift--the pickup truck he'd always wanted. It was late in 1996. An officer rang the doorbell. He recalled that another agent, Phil King, said, "Hey, there was an article in the [Charlotte] Observer about beeper codes. With the help of Aldo, a Mexican waiter he had befriended, David found a beach apartment in Cancun. ', "He asked me if I'd mind holding some money for him. 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. Hed be in contact. Ghantt was the vault manager and was surrounded daily . "I'd been told all my life, money will not make you happy," Kelly said. "I" has one letter. Since then, there have been numerous articles, books, documentaries and even a movie about this gang -- the gang that couldnt shoot straight. As it turned out, Ghantt was zipping up his scuba suit in Mexico. and "I love money!" I did a little research into crime statistics and the local cops. And going to see the Mayan ruins. Tickle Me Kaczynski: How the Inventor of the Ultimate Elmo Toy Became a Unabomber Suspect, The Unexpectedly Sweet Story Behind Those Viral Semi-Truck Pregnancy Photos, I Wore Magnetic Underwear for a Week to See If It Would Give Me a Boner of Steel. "He showed me a lot of money," McKinney said. 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. Theres barely a laugh in the entire film, which looks like it was shot entirely in one take while the actors were still working out their characters. Why had he ever believed he'd get it? 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. Should David be killed after he gave them the money? Its kind of like that. Search Tools . Twenty-one people were charged and convicted in the robbery, one of the biggest heists in U.S. history. At 6-1 and 220 pounds, Steve was stocky and imposing, a fast talker with a brown goatee. He says the Loomis case shows how the criminal justice system and the courts treat lower-income people differently. The best states in the U.S. come from coast to coast. Two more defendants in the $17 million Loomis Fargo & Co. robbery last year have agreed to plead guilty, and a third person entered a formal plea in court. One number is working in Campbells favor. That sounds like a lot of money until its compared to the $18,930,201.26 the group was ordered to pay. Well she was a pretty happy-go-lucky person, he said. CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) _ A woman who helped plan the $17 million robbery of armored car company Loomis, Fargo & Co. was sentenced Tuesday to nearly six years in prison and ordered to pay back more than $4 million. She came from a blue-collar background, a high school dropout who had grown tired of working in a mill and gotten an equivalency diploma. While the agents initiated their investigation, the Chambers spent money as quickly as they could. About the same time, Kelly and McKinney received phone calls from agents who told them to open their doors. Three weeks later, the couple purchased, in cash, a $635,000 stone mansion. Federal prosecutors would ultimately charge 21 defendants in the case, including the Floyds, who were charged with (and pleaded guilty to) money laundering. Like David, Kelly was frustrated with her marriage. However, the fact that a man who formerly lived in a mobile home was lavishly spending money on a luxury home ($635,000 in cash), expensive cars, and a ring ($42,000 in cash) eventually made it easy to connect the dots. "It probably should bother me," he said. Website. If you want me to leave, Ill leave. Then, Ghantt went into another room. Or does it sit in an offshore account, waiting for a prison sentence to end? Soon, the couple would be paying for something else, too: a hitman. The figures can be astounding. Dustin is the founder and co-owner of Pajiba. . The last time he called me, he said, Hey Ghantt, I just saw a big Loomis Fargo truck. 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. System and the courts treat lower-income people differently he hated his job, with its 12-hour shifts talker a. 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