2022.08.24 Wednesday20 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. 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. Ghantt and seven others eventually pleaded guilty in federal court to charges directly related to one of the largest cash heists in history while more than a dozen other family members, friends and associates of those involved in the theft were found guilty of related charges, including money laundering. Zach Galifianakis played David Scott Ghantt, with other roles played byOwen Wilson, Jason Sudeikis, Leslie Jones, Kristen Wiig and Kate McKinnon. Lorsque vous utilisez nos sites et applications, nous utilisons des, authentifier les utilisateurs, appliquer des mesures de scurit, empcher les spams et les abus; et. Authorities say Steve and Michele Chambers moved from a mobile home into a $635,000 house three weeks after the theft. 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. The jokes between Ghantt and Campbell about their disgruntlement with their jobs took on a more serious note when Campbell introduced Ghantt to an old high school classmate of hers named Steve Chambers. Defense lawyer Andy Culler sought a seven-year, three-month sentence. Naturally, Ghantt started to run out of cash and turned to Chambers, who was annoyed by his requests for more money. Campbellwho was married herselfrepresented something new and exciting. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Q: You came to the North Carolina mountains during Hurricane Irma, but what do you miss about Gastonia? The FBI quickly connected Ghantt to Campbell, who was a former Loomis Fargo employee. I started just chucking it as fast as I could, he said, adding the sweat was pouring off of me.. Two days later, when the FBI found the Loomis Fargo armored van, they discovered almost $3.3 million in cash left in the back of the van; it was later discovered that the thieves had miscalculated the sheer bulk of the small denomination currency, and that they simply left the cash that they could not take with them in the back of the van. The couple was married for 22 years before her untimely death in 2012. David Ghantt And The Loomis Fargo Heist: The Outrageous True Story. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. On the night of October 4, the plan went into action. 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 ImagesMichele Chambers 1998 BMW for sale following the prosecutions of the Loomis Fargo heist conspirators. Eventually, Ghantt would return to the United States and the full sum would be split up between the conspirators. They received sentences and probation ranging from several years to 11 years and three months in federal prison for Steve Chambers, who was also fined more than $3,500,000. Fed up, exhausted, and seeing a way out, Ghantt agreed. What SAT Target Score Should You Be Aiming For? Its a farce that never farces; a comedy without jokes. The defense has finished its closing argument in the murder trial of Alex Murdaugh. 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. 121 90 1,443 Show this thread David GhanttRetweeted C.A. Instead, the two started hanging out on the beach together and became friends. Campbell used part of her share of the money to buy a Toyota Sienna minivan in two cash installments. According to Campbell, Chambers could help Ghantt execute a massive cash robbery of the vault at Loomis Fargo in one night. Her husband, Steve Chambers, whom prosecutors have called the main defendant, began serving an 11-year sentence earlier this year. Within two days, the investigators found the van with $3 million in cash and the security camera tapes inside. Because Ghantt was the only employee who wasnt there that morning, he became the obvious suspect. Get all your true crime news from Oxygen. He and his wife, Michelle, moved from their mobile home in Lincoln County to a luxury house in the wealthy Cramer Mountain section of Cramerton. Thats going to be your life for quite some time, typically. 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. Then Michele made a trip to the bank. 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. 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. 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. Campbell was receptive and brought the idea up to Ghantt. 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. Will California Save the Iconic Joshua Tree? 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. [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. 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. David Ghantt was portrayed by Zackary Hatfield. 29 David Ghantt Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images. Michele Chambers declined to make a statement at the hearing. Both were involved in the second-largest cash heist in U.S. history, in which a group of people stole $17 million from the. My name is David Scott Ghantt. You have permission to edit this article. START or Stop: Do Nuclear Weapons Treaties Matter? David Ghantt was the vault supervisor for Loomis, Fargo & Co. armored cars, which managed the transportation of large sums of cash between banks in North Carolina. Campbell left her job in the summer of 1997, but she would later use Ghantts feelings for her to her own advantage to get him to agree to carry out the multi-million-dollar heist. He made his own self miserable. Instead, the bandits just started throwing as much money as they could into the van until they couldnt fit anymore. While listening in, they uncovered another more sinister alleged plan to kill Ghantt. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Whisler said he didn't think those factors should result in a reduced sentence. VIDEO. hbspt.cta.load(360031, '4efd5fbd-40d7-4b12-8674-6c4f312edd05', {}); Have any questions about this article or other topics? The judge said he doubted she would be able to pay the $4.8 million restitution, but said federal law required him to impose it. Day in and day out, he drives an armored vehicle,. She wondered how much she could deposit without attracting the attention of the FBI, so she decided to just ask the teller: How much can I deposit before you have to report it to the feds? she asked. 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. Over the years many of his social . Some of the friends and family members received parole, while Ghantt was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison. And it didn't take long to figure out that this was not the place for me. In the meantime, however, Chambers not only refused to wire money to Ghantt in Mexico, but ultimately hired a hitman (Jason Sudeikis) to take him out. 5 min read. Hes way smarter than youd think he would be because he tends to play Bozos. Kelly Campbell is scheduled to be sentenced in October. Over the next months, Ghantt, Campbell, and Chambers developed a plan. Kate. I realized a lot of things that were wrong with me as a person. Authorities began to hone in on the group and put a wire tap on Campbell's phones. In total, 24 people were convicted. I mean, thats pretty much why I did it. Im like, You need to understand that, that money has been missing for 20 years. Degrowth or Debunk: Do Degrowth proponents have a strategy? He also took various measures to change his appearance, such as shaving, after a patron at a restaurant pointed out to him that he "looked like the man who robbed a bank of $20 million. Some people screw up big like you, some people screw up small.". Ghantt, now 29, was a tall, decorated Persian Gulf War veteran whom early newspaper reports likened to Huckleberry Finn. Project #ShowUs. I did get to meet him. To its credit, Masterminds does nail down the broad strokes of the real story, although there were a couple of noteworthy details the film left out. Inside the truck, they found Ghantt's ring and surmised this was a sign of Ghantt's intention to end his relationship with his wife. You may email him here, follow him on Twitter, or listen to his weekly TV podcast, Podjiba. 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. Question: Which do you regret more, stealing the money or getting caught? Culler acknowledged that she had overheard her husband and co-defendant Kelly Campbell talk about the plan, ``but she thought it was fantasy world.'. But before thehit could be carried out, the FBI swooped in and arrested Ghantt and the others. 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. Ghantt added, I really enjoyed the movie. To make a successful getaway, Ghantt had to lift nearly 2,800 pounds of currency. 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. The Current TikTok Ban Doesnt Go Far Enough. He told me they were in the dirt business, so he didn't have to worry too much about me. Collections. Once the hitman Chambers had hired arrived in Mexico, he found that he couldnt bring himself to kill Ghantt. Wij, Yahoo, maken deel uit van de Yahoo-merkenfamilie. Ghantt sent home a new employee and quickly loaded the money into the back of a bank van. They called the police, who brought in the FBI, classifying the heist as a bank robbery. (Ghantt works as a heavy machine operator in the construction industry.). [3][4] Its Charlotte office would be the victim of David Scott Ghantt and his confederates later that year. In February 2009 the Associated Press reported that Chambers had chosen to describe himself as "changed". 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. As a vault supervisor for Loomis Fargo, David had access to the vaults and all the cash within. [1] Tips had led the FBI to begin monitoring Chambers's (and his wife's) activities, but it was not until the FBI recorded a phone call from Ghantt in Mexico that the final connection was made. To find out more about how the thieves got caught and how long they landed behind bars, tune in the Super Heists on CNBC on Monday at 10 p.m. ET/PT. Two days after the heist, the FBI found the missing van with $3.3 million of cash left in it. 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. As it turns out, the heist did in fact go as well as you might expect. Anonymous tips had the FBI monitoring Chambers calls. David Ghantt was a nuisance to Steve Chambers and Kelly Campbell, John Wydra, a retired FBI agent who handled the case, told Super Heists.. On similar grounds, four other people were ultimately also charged with money laundering. 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. 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. 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. A lot of people ask me, Oh, do you have any regrets? No, not really. All rights reserved. Kevin McCarthy is No Edward Snowden, But He Should Find the Comparison Flattering, Assessing Nicaraguas Long Haul toward Liberation and Economic Democracy, A National Divorce? I really don't miss that guy. So he hatched a plan to rob his employers. No rift here! Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. I think Zachs a hell of an actor. Unfortunately, he failed to disable the third camera. [citation needed], The defendants were the targets of many barbed jokes in Charlotte and across the country, in part because of their extravagant spending. 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. He was also married. Meanwhile, Ghantt would take $50,000, as much as could legally be carried across the border without questions, and flee to Mexico. Q: You say your time in federal prison changed you. If so,check out some of these books on our AP History Exam reading list. 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? He then began loading $17 million in unmarked bills inside a company van before driving away. 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. Ask below and we'll reply! Hayley Milliman is a former teacher turned writer who blogs about education, history, and technology. his wife-to-be. David Ghantt normally came home between 6 and 8 p.m., and often he was late, his wife said. Masterminds is an atrociously bad comedy, and absolutely everyone is to blame. If you can see the obvious flaw in this plan, namely that Chambers would have no reason whatsoever to actually wire Ghantt any money, then congratulations. Separating the Red and Blue. Steve Chambers and his wife (Mary Elizabeth Ellis) were a little more difficult to connect to the heist. Eventually, Ghantt called in from Mexico, seeking more money, and the FBI officially recognized Chambers as a co-conspirator. 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. See how other students and parents are navigating high school, college, and the college admissions process. Chambers, his wife, and several of their accomplices were arrested the next day. A: I like the 47-year-old David Ghantt more than I did the 20-something David Ghantt. While Ghantt waited for the heat from the robbery to die down, Chambers would send Ghantt small amounts of money. The True Story of David Ghantt and the Loomis Fargo Heist, Get Free Guides to Boost Your SAT/ACT Score, check out some of these books on our AP History Exam reading list. David Ghantt (@DavidGhantt) is a man that still holds the record for the second largest bank heist on American Soil. Once the heat was off, Ghantt would return and they would split the haul evenly. Chambers would hold on to most of the remaining cash and wire it to Ghantt as needed. Jandice : In any case, we got to talkin' afterwards, and I thought, well, that one's dead, this one's alive. David Ghantt on stealing 17 million dollars from Loomis Fargo (Crime & Entertainment Full Interview) Crime & Entertainment 3.77K subscribers Subscribe 4.8K views 1 year ago David Ghantt. With a cast like this, and Emily Spivey (Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Up All Night) as part of the writing team, Masterminds shouldnt be nearly as obnoxious and dull as it is, but nothing ever clicks. By Dustin Rowles | Film | September 30, 2016 |. ``There are many people with those factors who don't resort to crime,' he said. Chambers wife, Michelle, bought a minivan in cash and began taking frequent trips to the bank to make deposits. Jimmy Carter is a Liberal Saint Now, Was a War Criminal Then. 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. Besides wearing the ring, driving the BMW, and living in the new house, prosecutors say Michele Chambers helped others deposit millions of dollars in safe-deposit boxes in the area, and that she took $200,000 in cash into a Salisbury bank in November 1997 and came out with a $200,000 check. 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. Across the border in Mexico, Ghantt was also living it up. He had never been in trouble with the law. Galifianakis seems to be playing a character out of Dumb and Dumber 3: The Dumbening; Kristen Wiig plays what could only be described as her worst SNL character; Owen Wilson plays an Owen Wilson character; and Sudeikis plays a bumbling hitman who cant pull the trigger after he finds out his target shares the same name and birthdate, which is the dumbest twist since the Martha revelation in Batman vs. Superman. Ghantt has never explained where that money went. . If you're trying to make yourself better today, that's all most people care about. Ill never pay it off on my paycheck, Ghantt said. By comparison, Ghantt served seven years in prison and was fined $26,000. After years of working hard, the realisation hit . A: When I first got in, I thought, "What in my life has led me to this?" 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. Also charged were several innocent relatives that the robbers had enlisted to help get safety deposit boxes in various banks.
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