Investigators also found Ghantt's pickup truck, abandoned at the warehouse. "Wells Fargo and Loomis forming armored car company", Last edited on 21 February 2023, at 16:45, Learn how and when to remove this template message, painting of Elvis Presley on black velvet, "FindACase | United States of America v. Steven Eugene Chambers", "The Unperfect Crime | New Dominion Pictures", "Sunday Evening/Late Night September 9, 2001", "Loomis Fargo heist: Q&A with guy who stole $17 million", "MASTERMINDS - Movie Production NotesCinemaReview.com", Ghantt and other gang members arrested in March 1998, Steven Chambers released from prison; announces he is a "retired criminal", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=October_1997_Loomis_Fargo_robbery&oldid=1140756292, Overcoming the mindset that led to the part David Ghantt played in the Loomis robbery and how he started on a new path was the subject of the book, Within days of the robbery, the case was depicted on the television criminal reporting show, An expanded two-hour special episode of the crime documentary series. Chambers, it turned out, became the biggest source of evidence for the FBI. You can reach Kevin Ellis at 704-869-1823 or www.Twitter.com/TheGazetteKevin. In spite of Chambers assurance that the money was, you know, totally not illegally acquired, the teller remained suspicious, especially because the stacks of cash still had Loomis Fargo wrappers on them. 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. Authorities say Steve. 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 1998 BMW for sale following the prosecutions of the Loomis Fargo heist conspirators. 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. Fact check: Is there much truth to the new 'Masterminds' movie Fed up, exhausted, and seeing a way out, Ghantt agreed. The Election, U.S. Foreign Policy, And Harold Pinter's 2005 Nobel Lecture, Nate Parker on Rape Allegations: 'I Don't Feel Guilty'. In 2020, the television show Super Heists portrayed the heist in Episode 3, "Van Full of Dollars". Q: You say your time in federal prison changed you. 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. He completed his prison sentence in November 2006. He left his wedding ring behind and spent his days spending money on luxury hotels and scuba diving. 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. One of the best ways to learn more about U.S. history is to make sure youre taking history classes. Its about the 1997 Loomis Fargo robbery also known as the hillbillly heist the second largest cash robbery in the history of the United States. Campbell was receptive and brought the idea up to Ghantt. Get the latest articles and test prep tips! The true crime behind Asheville-based Galifianakis film Unfortunately, he failed to disable the third camera. What happens at the end of mastermind? The pair began to daydream about whether they could really pull off the heist. My Proof: https://twitter.com/DavidGhantt/status/827476087596789760, My AMA time is up now, but thank you all for your participation in the Ask Me Anything session :-), New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, https://twitter.com/DavidGhantt/status/827476087596789760. The painful part is that when you get caught, that the part of your brain that was trying to talk to you when you first started the robbery was right, and that's like a dump truck running over you. David Bragg . The FBI knew they needed to make their move. I was working sometimes 75-80 hours a week at $8.15 an hour. I wanted to make a drastic change and I went for it, Ghantt remembered later to the Gaston Gazette. Thats the big thing. By now, you probably know the names -- David Ghantt, Steve Chambers and his wife Michelle, and 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. Bubbling under the surface, however, was a deep frustration at the way he was treated. 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. Answer: The painful one is getting caught. A lot of people ask me, Oh, do you have any regrets? No, not really. 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 . American Couple Who Disappeared in Greece Found Dead During the next few months they bought a BMW-Z3 roadster and tens of thousands of dollars in antiques, furniture and decorations. David Ghantt (@DavidGhantt) is a man that still holds the record for the second largest bank heist on American Soil. David Ghantt Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images And, with the help of several others David made off with $17.3 million dollars, 11 million of which was in 20's. David Ghantt : [voice-over] Steve was a petty thief, mostly known for stealing tiny wheelchairs from pediatric hospitals. The College Entrance Examination BoardTM does not endorse, nor is it affiliated in any way with the owner or any content of this site. According to Campbell, Chambers could help Ghantt execute a massive cash robbery of the vault at Loomis Fargo in one night. followed by "Don't worry, it is not drug money," the bank filled out a suspicious activity report, which ultimately reached the FBI. I realized a lot of things that were wrong with me as a person. 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. START or Stop: Do Nuclear Weapons Treaties Matter? [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. A: Zach and I have a runningtext conversation going, but he's very busy. Als u uw keuzes wilt aanpassen, klik dan op 'Privacyinstellingen beheren'. 'Masterminds' Review - The Hollywood Reporter Former Cramerton Police Chief David Young soon got wind of the Chambers excessive spending spree and reached out to the FBI. Galifianakis will play the armored car driver, David, who evades authorities, will be searching for his co-conspirators who betrayed him, Kelly (Kristen Wiig) and Steve (Owen Wilson). David Ghantt And The Ridiculous Loomis Fargo Heist Here's whatGhantt says now about the heist that madethe "Cramer Mountain Hillbillies" famous and changed him forever. Coverage of the latest true crime stories and famous cases explained, as well as the best TV shows, movies and podcasts in the genre. You've decided to give up on a part of your life. Even though they drove away with less than they had initially intended, they still had more than $17 million in hand. I'd probably be that infamous gringo living in Belize, kicked back on the beach, fishing and bored out of my mind. Too stupid to be true? Five 'Masterminds' missteps that actually happened [1], This robbery was the second-largest cash robbery on U.S. soil at the time, as only seven months earlier, on March 29, 1997 in Jacksonville, Florida, Philip Noel Johnson stole $18.8 million from the Loomis Fargo armored vehicle he was driving.[2]. In the end, eight co-conspirators were indicted for the Loomis Fargo heist. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}, Nebraska cheerleader competes by herself at state competition, but crowd doesn't let her feel alone, Police identify victim who died Wednesday in Greensboro's 11th homicide of 2023, William Sturkey: Chapel Hill trustees 'hellbent' on winning campus culture wars, Rob Schofield: North Carolinas chronic public employee shortage wasnt an accident, KFC is bringing back a fan favorite after a nearly 10-year hiatus, Richard Groves: What the 'He Gets Us' media campaign says about the decline of Christianity, Two Things: Victim's family not surprised by no show; hospital wars in Greensboro and money well spent, Mark Elliott and Jeremy Rinker: Budget reductions at UNCG punish it for serving disadvantaged students, Samet: Guilford County wanted more black-owned businesses added to construction project after the bids were opened, Former Page High School teacher arrested on child sex charges, records show, Proposed rules for Airbnb, other short-term rentals advance in Greensboro, 'A bizarre case': Greensboro TikTok star found not guilty in fatal 2019 crash, Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist proposes community hospital in Greensboro, Greensboro police officer involved in confrontation on Golden Gate Drive resigns, Jaydon Young's lessons of sacrifice mix with two-hour transfer, Virginia Tech and 2023 tournament. 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. 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. Eventually, Ghantt would return to the United States and the full sum would be split up between the conspirators. I wasnt attracted to him or anything, but he was a nice guy, Campbell said. 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. Before he decided to steal $17 million from the bank, Ghantt had worked for years as a relatively taciturn and compliant employee. Ghantt was joking in the breakroom with fellow Loomis Fargo employee Kelly Campbell. Dont worry, its not drug money.. Ghantts wife was reportedly nothing like the bizarre, robotic fiance character in the film, for instance. The odds of you actually getting away with something these days is pretty damn slim. Generally, the events of the film are fairly close to reality when they follow the broad details of the case. 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. When Seymour Hersh Strained to Keep Up With CounterPunch, Nichole Stephens, Administrative Assistant. Over the years many of his social . From there, the money was moved from the company vehicle to private vehicles. David Ghantt worked as a vault supervisor for the armoured cash vehicles at the Charlotte, North Carolina branch of Loomis, Fargo & Co. Ironically even though he worked for a company that moved millions of dollars every day, he was relatively underpaid. Michelle Chambers received a harsher sentence than Ghantt seven years and eight months because she had violated several bond conditions. There was also no dramatic showdown between Chambers and Ghantt as the movie suggests. The Loomis Fargo robbery was one of the largest heists in history, with $2 million in stolen funds still unaccounted for. 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. An elderly American couple who went missing in Greece in late January this year were discovered dead in Taygetos mountain range. On the night of October 4, the plan went into action. He had never been in trouble with the law. Its a farce that never farces; a comedy without jokes. Afterward, outside the courthouse, her parents said the length was about what she had expected. Harper Beckham Attends Paris Fashion Week & Looks So Grown Up ", The much-faster-than-expected economic recovery thats followed the easing of the coronavirus pandemic has produced several encouraging develo. Defense attorney Jim Griffin laid out his team's side of the case to the jury for more than two hours, arguing . When I interviewed for this job about three years ago, I told (my boss) that I had some dirt in my background, and if he went digging for it, he would find it. The Current TikTok Ban Doesnt Go Far Enough. Youre better at planning bank heists than David 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. The True Story of David Ghantt and the Loomis Fargo Heist - PrepScholar I got to eat my meal perfectly, but every 5 minutes, someone wanted to shoot a selfie with Zach or an autograph from Zach. To make a successful getaway, Ghantt had to lift nearly 2,800 pounds of currency. Masterminds is an atrociously bad comedy, and absolutely everyone is to blame. When Ghantt called Chambers to have the latter wire him more money, Chambers sent just a few thousand dollars. Meanwhile, Ghantt would take $50,000, as much as could legally be carried across the border without questions, and flee to Mexico. All but one of the defendants pleaded guilty. 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. Where ever it was, it is long gone now. The Thieves Who Couldn'T Cope With $17 Million That 3-carat ring came back to haunt Michele Chambers at Tuesday's hearing. How? I really don't miss that guy. Get all your true crime news from Oxygen. All rights reserved. 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. The police then called the FBI because most of the money handled at the facility belonged to banks, which technically made it a bank robbery a federal offense.[5]. You can't get barbecue slaw in this hedonistic state (Florida), and there's nowhere to get real ice cream here like Tony's. LRM Exclusive Interview: David Ghantt, Real Life Thief Who Inspired ``I wish she'd gotten less.
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