When asked what the dumbest thing was that Ghantt spent money on, he admitted: The 4 pairs of boots I bought in one day [shrug] what can I say they were nice and I was impulse shopping.. Chambers had broached the possibility of a robbery to Campbell earlier in the summer. 'Sister Wives': Everything We Know About David Woolley's Late Wife You can't get barbecue slaw in this hedonistic state (Florida), and there's nowhere to get real ice cream here like Tony's. Chambers and his wife Michele moved out of a trailer and into a luxury mansion in a nice neighborhood. David Ghantt was portrayed by Zackary Hatfield. It's been 20 years since the Loomis Fargo heist. - Charlotte Observer Authorities say Steve and Michele Chambers moved from a mobile home into a $635,000 house three weeks after the theft. But there was just one thing the group hadnt been counting on: the massive weight of that amount of cash. (I) bought jewelry, bought a van, Campbell recalled of her own spending. David Scott Ghantt was the vault supervisor at the regional branch of Loomis, Fargo & Co. in Charlotte, North Carolina. There was also no dramatic showdown between Chambers and Ghantt as the movie suggests. The FBI knew they needed to make their move. David Ghantt on stealing 17 million dollars from Loomis Fargo (Crime Wyatt Redd is a freelance writer from Nashville, Tennessee. That suspicion was immediately confirmed by a quick glance at the security camera footage that showed Ghantt doing a little dance after loading all the cash into the van. Of course, the FBI was already aware of Chambers and his free-spending ways, and the murder plot helped federal agents find Ghantt south of the border. But Ghantt has been open about what he did and how he believes it changed him for the better. Going to prison helped me grow up as a human being. Michelle Chambers received a harsher sentence than Ghantt seven years and eight months because she had violated several bond conditions. I felt cornered and one day the joking in the break room about robbing the place suddenly didnt seem so far-fetched.. I got to eat my meal perfectly, but every 5 minutes, someone wanted to shoot a selfie with Zach or an autograph from Zach. David Ghantt discovers the true meaning of adventure far beyond his wildest dreams. 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. He was the only employee unaccounted for the next morning, and videotapes recovered at the Loomis Fargo Charlotte office showed Ghantt removing "cubes of cash" and loading it into a Loomis Fargo armored van for over an hour. Victoria Beckham's Family Including Brooklyn and Wife Nicola A comedy film called Masterminds, based on the Loomis Fargo heist and starring Zach Galifianakis, Kristen Wiig, Owen Wilson, and Jason Sudeikis, was released in 2016. They called the police, who brought in the FBI, classifying the heist as a bank robbery. 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. We caught up with David Ghantt about life after his $17m heist, hanging out with Zach Galifianakis and the accuracy of Masterminds, a new movie based on. Ghantts wife was reportedly nothing like the bizarre, robotic fiance character in the film, for instance. And it didn't take long to figure out that this was not the place for me. What ACT target score should you be aiming for? Campbell used to work for Loomis and continued the friendship with Ghantt, eventually . At the time it was the second largest cash robbery ever to happen on US soil. Its heavy. Campbell and Chambers made themselves easy to catch, what with their lavish spending. Ghantt reported to Chambers that his supply of money was running low, but Chambers sent Ghantt just $8,000. 33. Jandice : In any case, we got to talkin' afterwards, and I thought, well, that one's dead, this one's alive. 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. All but one of the indicted pleaded guilty. The FBI (Leslie Jones, Jon Daly) made easy work of the case, however, and everyone involved was eventually arrested and imprisoned. 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. The real story behind the second largest bank heist in history, which $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. Chambers, who made an ill-fated decision to buy a home in the gated Cramer Mountain community with his newfound wealth, now runsa gym on Lowell-Bethesda Road. Federal Judge Graham Mullen sentenced her to between those lengths. Ten days later, the group was indicted for bank larceny and money laundering. Together with his wife, Chambers bought a new luxury home (upgrading from his mobile home), a BMW Z3, and some extravagant furnishings. Chambers had no intention of following those rules, believing the FBI would never connect him to Ghantt. Whisler told the judge that the couple had searched for a new house before the theft, and that Michele Chambers bought rubber bands from Wal-Mart to count the money the night of the crime. Some of the friends and family members received parole, while Ghantt was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison. As Campbell would later explain, If David got killed, there couldnt be any finger pointing. So Chambers decided to solve the problem by putting a hit on Ghantt. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. In addition to her work for PrepScholar, Hayley is the author of Museum Hack's Guide to History's Fiercest Females. Q: Do you appreciate your normal life now more than you would if you hadn't spent years in prison? David Ghantt is more than just a man who was a part of one of the worlds largest heists, he's more than a funny name associated with a comedy movie, he's actually just an every day person who once made a really bad decision. 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. ", The much-faster-than-expected economic recovery thats followed the easing of the coronavirus pandemic has produced several encouraging develo. Chambers was a small-time crook who suggested to Campbell that they rob Loomis Fargo. Said Ghantt, one day life kinda slapped me in the face. I learned that I was an a--hole. so make sure youre taking the right ones for you. He made his own self miserable. Get all your true crime news from Oxygen. Ask questions; get answers. Instead, the two started hanging out on the beach together and became friends. 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 Ghantt hadnt really thought about the physical challenge of moving such a large sum of money. From the beginning, the FBIs prime suspect was David Ghantt. We were in Old Fortwhen they were shooting the movie and went out to eat. Authorities said they hired a man named Michael McKinney to meet up with Ghantt and kill him, under the guise that he was planning to give Ghantt more of the money he was owed. Chambers and his wife also made some cash payments on a few cars. Loomis Fargo employee David Ghantt and his partners nearly pulled off the perfect crime, but it would be their lavish spending, and an alleged murder plot, that would be their undoing. Parishioners filled the pews for a memorial mass held for Bishop David O'Connell Wednesday night at the St. John Vianney Catholic Church in Hacienda Heights. Ghantt was. The Proposed TikTok Ban Goes Too Far. Based on a true story, the premise itself is fascinating, which makes Masterminds all the more a waste. Both were involved in the second-largest cash heist in U.S. history, in which a group of people stole $17 million from the. 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. But as Ghantt admitted, the film took some liberties with specific details and characters to make the film funnier. The chief running joke in Masterminds is the Prince Valiant 'do gamely sported by Galifianakis as David Ghantt, . According to Campbell, Chambers could help Ghantt execute a massive cash robbery of the vault at Loomis Fargo in one night. Because Ghantt was the only employee who wasnt there that morning, he became the obvious suspect. Having only brought $50,000 in cash, however, Ghantt soon found himself short on funds. Ghantt was joking in the breakroom with fellow Loomis Fargo employee Kelly Campbell. 20 years ago,on the night ofOctober 4, 1997, David Scott Ghantt loaded $17.3 million of cash from the bank vault in Charlotte, North Carolina he was employed to supervise into a van. Her sentence would've been ``substantially' less if she hadn't kept it, officials said. Im like, You need to understand that, that money has been missing for 20 years. For the New York State assemblyman, see. Guided by federal sentencing rules, prosecutors had requested a sentence of nine years for Michele Chambers. You take a movie like Oceans Eleven, the whole concept of that movie is so farfetched, its not even funny. Jared Hess directed Masterminds, and god bless the guy, but if Gentlemen Broncos and Nacho Libre were not proof enough that Napoleon Dynamite was a fluke, Masterminds should seal the deal. Just days after agreeing to the plan, the group set a day to carry out the robbery. Most high schools offer a variety of history classes, so make sure youre taking the right ones for you. They asked me how I felt about it and I said, Its my story, but its your movie so have at me. The move bought him a little extra time to make his escape. Elizabeth Poile was in 10th . His wife, they said, got breast implants and used cash to purchase a 1998 BMW Z3 sports car. Authorities had the receipt and had known it was missing. Retro CharlotteFBI security footage of David Ghantt in the midst of the Loomis Fargo heist. Steven Chambers, left, and David Scott Ghantt leave federal court. But even though he worked for a company that regularly moved millions of dollars, David Ghantt himself was underpaid. Separating the Red and Blue. After meeting up with Chambers, Campbell, and some other co-conspirators, Ghantt hightailed it to Mexico with $50,000 in cash in his car. And, with the help of several others David made off with $17.3 million dollars, 11 million of which was in 20's. I'd probably be that infamous gringo living in Belize, kicked back on the beach, fishing and bored out of my mind. 'Masterminds' Review - The Hollywood Reporter The FBI investigation was aided by the gang's extravagant spending. 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. Zach Galifianakis played David Scott Ghantt, with other roles played byOwen Wilson, Jason Sudeikis, Leslie Jones, Kristen Wiig and Kate McKinnon. Here, he amps up the most obnoxious excesses of his entire cast and lets their grating bad-improv skills run amok. 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. You'd be amazed at how much stress you can relieve yourself from in your life by just taking 20 or so minutes a day for yourself and just letting the world go. Michele Chambers' sentence was two months longer than that given to David Scott Ghantt, the Loomis employee who removed the money from the company vault on Oct. 4, 1997. Although the history of the predecessor Wells Fargo & Company dates back to 1852, Loomis Fargo & Company was established in 1997 by the consolidation of Wells Fargo Armored Service and Loomis Armored Inc.; the resulting corporation employed 8,500 people and provided armored transportation, cash handling services, and automatic teller machine maintenance. A: I like the 47-year-old David Ghantt more than I did the 20-something David Ghantt. David Ghantt (Zach Galifianakis), an employee of Loomis Fargo, robbed his own vault, left the $17.3 million in cash with his co-conspirators, Kelly Campbell (Kristen Wiig) and Steve Chambers (Owen Wilson) and fled the country to Mexico. He was like OK, yeah, we can do that, she recalled. 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. Hes a great person. In the end, eight co-conspirators were indicted for the Loomis Fargo heist. Then, keeping with the plan, Ghantt took $50,000 (the maximum that could by law be taken across the border without further authorization) with him and left for Mexico, winding up at the popular Yucatan Peninsula resort-island of Cozumel. By now, you probably know the names -- David Ghantt, Steve Chambers and his wife Michelle, and Kelly Campbell. Back then all I really wanted to do was just, I wanted to change my life. A: Zach and I have a runningtext conversation going, but he's very busy. The College Entrance Examination BoardTM does not endorse, nor is it affiliated in any way with the owner or any content of this site. But it was Ghantt, now 47 and living with his wife and daughter in Jacksonville, Florida,who actually took more than 2,000 pounds of cash and just drove away from his job. That usually takes the shine right off of it, when you start explaining that. He continued, Youd be wearing a lot of khaki brown and eating crappy food., Since the films release and its recent Netflix debut, Scott Ghent cited that the most common question he receives is about the missing $2 million never recovered by the FBI; Ive had people actually ask me that question. David Scott Ghantt Ghantt, his former co-worker Kelly Campbell and her friends Steve and Michelle Chambers carried out the Loomis Fargo heist on Oct. 4, 1997. EDITORIAL. He then began loading $17 million in unmarked bills inside a company van before driving away. Si vous ne souhaitez pas que nos partenaires et nousmmes utilisions des cookies et vos donnes personnelles pour ces motifs supplmentaires, cliquez sur Refuser tout. He worked fueling airplanes, driving a forklift, and in 1994 he got a job as a vault superintendent at Loomis. Chambers served 11 years before being released. dvelopper et amliorer nos produits et services. 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. A: I'm in dire need for some RO's barbecue and some Tony's Ice Cream. WOMAN GETS TIME IN LOOMIS HEIST - Greensboro News and Record On the night of October 4, the plan went into action. When she was a teacher, Hayley's students regularly scored in the 99th percentile thanks to her passion for making topics digestible and accessible. The Book of Dave: A New Path After a $17 Million Misstep by David Youre better at planning bank heists than David Ghantt. Eventually, Ghantt would return to the United States and the full sum would be split up between the conspirators. 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. Campbell knew theyd need the help of the warehouses vault supervisor, who just happened to have a crush on her, and she called Ghantt to ask for his help. I really don't miss that guy. My name is David Scott Ghantt. Anonymous tips had the FBI monitoring Chambers calls. Authorities began to hone in on the group and put a wire tap on Campbell's phones. CREATIVE. The true crime behind Asheville-based Galifianakis film 25th anniversary of the incredible Loomis Fargo bank heist | wcnc.com 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. After finding himself in prison he made a concious choice to do things differently. They would then load as much cash as they could carry into a van. Chambers, it turned out, became the biggest source of evidence for the FBI. At the time it was thesecond largest bank heistin U.S. history. As Predators' David Poile braces for retirement, wife reveals love story With the plan in place, Ghantt sent a newly employed co-worker home early (reportedly at 6 p.m) who had been assigned to train with him. SAT is a registered trademark of the College Entrance Examination BoardTM. By Dustin Rowles | Film | September 30, 2016 |. And with that, David Ghantt took off for Mexico. The pair were both from the United States but had lived in the Peloponnese region of Greece for the past few years. Prosecutors also resisted Culler's efforts to downplay Michele Chambers' role in the theft. The brother of a man killed by a woman now charged with murder in Chambers County said he sees similarities in his brother's case and the case of woman's latest husband's death. 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. I realized a lot of things that were wrong with me as a person. Meanwhile, Ghantt would take $50,000, as much as could legally be carried across the border without questions, and flee to Mexico. While making only eight dollars an hour in his role as supervisor, Ghantt decided it was time to do something: I was unhappy with my life. Masterminds (2016) - IMDb He had stayed in a luxury hotel and paid for expensive food and activities such as scuba diving and parasailing. (His wife tells him to change that word to "selfish."). Defense attorney Jim Griffin laid out his team's side of the case to the jury for more than two hours, arguing . Will Mcintyre/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images. Chambers promised to wire him money in Mexico until the investigation blew over and Ghantt could return to . From there, the money was moved from the company vehicle to private vehicles. Ghantt plead guilty to his charges andserved six years in prison, along with21 other defendantswho received chargesrangingfrom money laundering to bank larceny. However, the FBI knew immediately who robbed the vault (Ghant was seen on video camera), and it didnt take long for the FBI to loop in Kelly Campbell. Also charged were several innocent relatives that the robbers had enlisted to help get safety deposit boxes in various banks. My name is David Scott Ghantt. I stole $17 million, and Zach - reddit Until it's gone, you don't appreciate it. Everybody thinks being famous and being an actor is stupendous, and the money is fantastic, but they kind of live in afish bowl. Victoria Beckham's family were on hand as she debuted her latest collection at Paris Fashion Week on March 3, including her and husband David Beckham's oldest child, Brooklyn Beckham . The Loomis Fargo heist became something of a media lightning rod. As a vault supervisor for Loomis Fargo, David had access to the vaults and all the cash within. 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. I started just chucking it as fast as I could, he said, adding the sweat was pouring off of me.. [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. Guess what? Of course, I went on a spending spree. 20 years ago, on the night of October 4, 1997, David Scott Ghantt loaded $17.3 million of cash from the bank vault in Charlotte, North Carolina he was employed to supervise into a van. Ghantt and his compatriots, it turns out, had underestimated how bulky money is. The Loomis Fargo robbery was one of the largest heists in history, with $2 million in stolen funds still unaccounted for. Because the money in the vault was largely from banks, the crime was technically a bank robbery and thus a federal offense. During the hearing, Culler recounted his client's difficult personal life: her parents' divorce when she was 2 or 3 years old; a teenage stay in a Baptist Children's home; a teenage pregnancy; and various medical conditions. ``None of these defendants , in this court's opinion, are capable of making substantial restitution, no matter what they do, or no matter what they try,' Mullen said. Director Jared Hess Writers Chris Bowman (screenplay) Hubbel Palmer (screenplay) Emily Spivey (screenplay) Stars Zach Galifianakis Kristen Wiig Owen Wilson Ghantt was already married when he took part in the heist, to a woman named Tammy - who author Diamant described as "very nice." It is true, however, that she had no idea about the plot and that. [3][4] Its Charlotte office would be the victim of David Scott Ghantt and his confederates later that year. [citation needed], It was later confirmed by the FBI that more than 88% of the stolen cash had been located or otherwise accounted for. Please subscribe to keep reading. Before he decided to steal $17 million from the bank, Ghantt had worked for years as a relatively taciturn and compliant employee. When Seymour Hersh Strained to Keep Up With CounterPunch, Nichole Stephens, Administrative Assistant. DUMB & - The Washington Post David Ghantt And The Loomis Fargo Heist: The Outrageous True Story Ghantt added, I really enjoyed the movie. Learning about US history? He completed his prison sentence in November 2006. Bubbling under the surface, however, was a deep frustration at the way he was treated. Q: You came to the North Carolina mountains during Hurricane Irma, but what do you miss about Gastonia? 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 Campbell (Wiig), who got Ghantt mixed up in the plans for the heist after she left Loomis. Creative Insights. On the evening of October 4, 1997, one man loaded $17.3 million in cash from the vaults of Loomis, Fargo & Co. into the back of a van. Robbing the 7-Eleven and getting $40 bucks and a pack of Marlboros was not for me. And drastic it was. Thats the big thing. Where ever it was, it is long gone now. 'Masterminds' Review: Loomis Fargo Robbery Where Are They Now? - Pajiba While listening in, they uncovered another more sinister alleged plan to kill Ghantt. He made it across the border just as his deception was discovered. Collections. ACT Writing: 15 Tips to Raise Your Essay Score, How to Get Into Harvard and the Ivy League, Is the ACT easier than the SAT? 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. Did you know that the SAT offers subject exams, too? 20 Years Later: 'Masterminds' of One of the Largest Bank Heists in U.S Her husband, Steve Chambers, whom prosecutors have called the main defendant, began serving an 11-year sentence earlier this year. 43-year-old Margret and her mother both died in 2012 . David Ghantt, a Gulf War veteran, had never been in trouble with the law. In October of 1997, I was a vault supervisor for armored truck company Loomis Fargo, when I made off with $17.3 million. 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. He told me they were in the dirt business, so he didn't have to worry too much about me. As it turns out, the heist did in fact go as well as you might expect. All but one of the defendants pleaded guilty. It was an open-and-shut case and all authorities had to do now was to find the culprit and identify Ghantts accomplices. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. It was over. Now looking back, with the life I have now, Ive got a great family, got a great kid. What SAT Target Score Should You Be Aiming For? ``I wish she'd gotten less. Q: You say your time in federal prison changed you. Holding 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 & Co. She was also ordered to pay $4.8 million in restitution.It was the fourth-most severe sentence given in the case, which has 21 defendants. The problem with the movie, however, is that the talented cast had no idea what the hell they were trying to do. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. Eventually, Ghantt called in from Mexico, seeking more money, and the FBI officially recognized Chambers as a co-conspirator. After this look at David Ghantt and the Loomis Fargo heist, read about a more successful robbery, the Antwerp diamond heist. Do you still have contact with him? Chambers wife, Michelle, bought a minivan in cash and began taking frequent trips to the bank to make deposits. The FBI quickly connected Ghantt to Campbell, who was a former Loomis Fargo employee. Explain: The scary part is that as soon as you put that little bit of money in the van, that there's no going back. Hes way smarter than youd think he would be because he tends to play Bozos. He stayed at a luxury hotel and took scuba diving lesson. For Christmas, Steve Chambers gave his wife a $43,000 diamond ring. Will California Save the Iconic Joshua Tree? twitter.com 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. . I didnt even have a real home life because I was never there. 29 David Ghantt Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images. Meanwhile, David Ghantt was relaxing on a beach in Cozumel, Mexico. Three of the 21 defendants in the case haven't been sentenced. 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