When Ghantt was found in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, five months after the heist, DePriest and photographer Kent Johnson raced to the airport, according to Observer records. I knew I was going to be the prime suspect. Not all of them, but some of them are going to forgive you, theyre going to overlook it., he said. David Ghantt: Oh, God! Steve Chambers would keep the rest . Steve had hired a bodyguard named Mike McKinney. Ghantt:Since I still owe the federal government money I can't get paid. . Question: Are you happy that Wilkesboro-nativeZach Galifianakis plays you in the movie? Though she agreed to cooperate with the government when she pleaded guilty to bank larceny and money laundering in August 1998, Michele Chambers didn't tell the FBI she still had the ring until December, when she turned it in. Its attracted workers like David Ghantt. The towns booming construction industry attracts workers from around the country. He and co-worker Kelly Campbell, 27, had developed a close relationship and were spending time together outside of work. The Loomis Fargo heist: 25 years later The case had gotten national publicity and was the subject of numerous articles, documentaries and even a movie. After loading the massive cache of loot into the armored truck, Ghantt set the time lock on the vault, which locked the door for days unless the employees drilled through the lock. Campbellwho was married herselfrepresented something new and exciting. David's crush and former co-worker, Kelly Campbell (Kristen Wiig), approaches David about robbing the very company that he works for.Despite the lack of intelligence, Ghantt somehow pulls off the heist . Not many people can say they stole $17 million from their employer and had Zach Galifianakis play them in a movie. Gaston County residents remember how that worked out. The bandits had such a sudden influx of cash that they didnt know how to spend it. They had to be extremely careful not to tip off the group, as they could lose potential conspirators or more information important to a conviction. The man's famil, Growing up in Goldsboro, Greensboro Day senior Jaydon Young averaged 25.9 points per game as a freshman at Wayne Christian. Based on the October 1997 Loomis Fargo robbery. David Ghantt struck up a friendship with Kelly Campbell, a coworker who saw eye to eye with him. They both made jokes about their work and how they would rather rob the place than continue with their underpaid job. They also bought a BMW Z3 with cash and made several large purchases, not wanting to keep a low profile. He attended the big Los Angeles premiere and enjoyed being a part of it. He left for the border, winding up at the popular Yucatan Peninsula resort island. The old man me would never survive that, Id have a heart attack.. "I'm glad I've grown out of that.". And if that gives people out there a little bit of hope, then Ive served my purpose on this earth., (WATCH BELOW: The Loomis Fargo heist: 25 years later). Kelly : Oh, it's a real magical place. Bank heists are ideally supposed to have meticulous planning right? The ludicrous thing was that the bundles of cash still had Loomis Fargo bands stuck on them. More than 20 people were arrested by the FBI, making this one of the largest heists in history. In the coming years, a movie was made about the Loomis Fargo heist, called the Masterminds. Yes, happy. David Ghantt, Kelly Campbell, and their friends stole an astonishing $17.3 million. Still facing possible unknowns of other people involved, the FBI needed to gather more information without the suspects getting suspicious of them. However, the irony was that the same hitman who was sent to assassinate Ghantt ended up becoming friends with him. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. This opportunity was forged by Chambers and supported by Campbell earlier in the summer. There was a book published in 2002 as well, by author Jeff Diamant called,Heist! He had said, then reflecting on the events: "I wouldn't have thought about it before, but one day life kind of hit me in the face. He was like OK, yeah, we can do that, she recalled. I knew it was over then, Ghantt said. Steve hires hitman Mike McKinney to kill David, but the two become friends. Eventually, the two teamed up with a few other people and hatched plans for a heist. Top McCarthy aide, House Oversight chair each met with Ashli Babbitt's mother 0:00. Ghantt, who by then was long out of prison, served as a consultant. Who all wanted a Rambo movie which explored his time training as a green beret and his time serving in Vietnam as a prequel to first blood WATCH Antebellum 2020 FULL MOVIE, Your email address will not be published. Here you'll find all collections you've created before. Your daily dose of History. Subsequently, he was to take out as much cash as he could and load it up in a van. 2023 www.gastongazette.com. All Rights Reserved. In his hurry, Ghantt had simply overlooked the third security camera. The plan went off with few problems, but after Ghantt was safely in Mexico, his partners were left storing large amounts of cash. 04/10/2017 9:02. . The office in Charlotte would be the victim of Ghantt in the year of the opening. Ghantt was the vault manager and was surrounded daily by millions of dollars-worth of temptation. >> PHOTOS: The Loomis Fargo heist, 25 years later. jim martin death couples massage class san diego beaver falls football real kelly campbell loomis fargo heist. Popular Lake Norman pub set to reopen after a major face lift. Ghantt was the vault manager and was surrounded daily by millions of dollars-worth of temptation. display: none; Ghantt ended up doing more than five years in prison, and Chambers did more than 11 years. Loomis Fargo in Charlotte, North Carolina found itself the target of a robbery on October 4 th, 1997 by one of their vault security guards, David Ghantt and his girlfriend, Kelly Campbell who had been a former employee at the time.Along with Ghantt and Campbell were eight others including a former high school friend of Campbells, Steve . But before the hit could be carried out, the FBI swooped in and arrested Ghantt and the others. 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. He then broached the possibility of a robbery to Campbell; who subsequently introduced Ghantt to Chambers. . Ghantt:We're both North Carolina boys so we had a lot to talk about from the very beginning. #inline-recirc-item--id-91a2c54e-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d ~ .item:nth-child(5) { DePriest talked to employees at the hotel where Ghantt had stayed under the name James T. Kelley and claiming to be an oilrigger on vacation. Actor Owen Wilson plays him in the movie, which includes the real names of all the major players. Additionally, all the stolen cash was recovered or accounted for, except for $2 million. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Whisler said he didn't think those factors should result in a reduced sentence. Agents raided safe deposit boxes, where they recovered more than $11 million. I ride motorcycles and fish -- normal guy, Ghantt told Counts. The plan was to maintain a low profile and wait for things to cool off, allowing Ghantt to return to the states and collect his cut. It was unclear whether anyone will get that money, authorities said. Just outside of the building, David Ghantt met up with his girlfriend, Chambers, and others involved in the plot. Kelly Campbell, 29, a former company employee, entered guilty pleas earlier to bank larceny, money laundering and conspiracy to commit murder charges. La vie de David Ghantt n'a rien de compliqu. The friends and neighbors of Steve and Michelle Chambers became suspicious soon after the news broke that . : The $17 Million Loomis Fargo Theft. I felt stiff and one day the jokes during the break about the robbery of that place suddenly didn't look so obvious. 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. AP. I worked sometimes 75-80 hours a week for $ 8.15 an hour, I didn't even have a real life at home because I was never there, I worked all the time and was unhappy, which is understandable considering how old I was then. A third surveillance tape was carelessly left behind, and the company was able to identify the man who robbed the vault as David Ghantt. It all went down in Charlotte, North Carolina, and the man at the center of that heist, David Scott Ghantt, now lives in Jacksonville. 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. If I hadn't done what I did the, the life I have now with my wife and child, I wouldn't have. }, First published on March 2, 1998 / 2:20 PM. Steve Chambers would keep the rest. Note: No quotes were altered, although in some cases additional quotes were added to the questions as Ghantt expanded on his thoughts. It was over. He have since served time in prison for the crime, and told Channel 9s Glenn Counts he learned a valuable lesson while behind bars. Diamant captures the human side of the crime as well as the bizarre details, including a clown-faced lava lamp. David Ghantt helps steal $17 million from Loomis Fargo mostly due to his love for Kelly Campbell, but the leader of the operation, Steve Chambers, wants to get rid of David for being a liability. That movie, Masterminds was filmed in 2014. Ghantt met up with the other members of the plot and offloaded the cash. The phone calls began to get more intense when Steve and Eric got suspicious of a man who was running hismouth about them and the vault job over in Charlotte. Her husband, Steve Chambers, whom prosecutors have called the main defendant, began serving an 11-year sentence earlier this year. Watch Live: Closing arguments underway in double murder trial of Alex Murdaugh, Top McCarthy aide, House Oversight chair each met with Ashli Babbitt's mother, Colon cancer rates rising in younger age group, study finds, Garland testifies before Senate panel amid ongoing special counsel probes, Ex-Georgia star Jalen Carter was racing in deadly crash, arrest warrants allege, Fiery train crash in Greece kills dozens, many of them students. The pair began to daydream about whether they could really pull off the heist. I wish them all a happy life and that's about it. They located Steve and Shelley Chambers in their newly-purchased home at the top of a hill. David Ghantt: [after the loaded gun in the back of his trousers goes off] Oh, that burns! And then I realized that a lot of people knew who I was and they had followed the case.. From the start, David Ghatt was considered to be a prime suspect. Ghantt took $50,000 for himself and fled to Cozumel, Mexico. 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