Guller was the attorney for Steven Chambers, who came up with the original idea for the Loomis theft. For example, Steve Chambers and his wife were living in a. Loomis Fargo heist: 25 years later While David Ghantt trusted Steve Chambers enough to leave his cut behind, Chambers had other plans. But this time on the phone, Kelly wasn't joking. The FBI began to question past and current employees of Loomis Fargo. Figure in Loomis Heist Gets Prison | AP News Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. And if that gives people out there a little bit of hope, then Ive served my purpose on this earth.. First, they tapped the Chambers phone, and began listening in on February 11th, 1998. >> PHOTOS: The Loomis Fargo heist, 25 years later. He put on his best pair of jeans, a button-down shirt, and his nicest cowboy boots. But what the bank didnt tell Michelle, and Michelle didnt know, was that one of those forms get filled out if you ask about it, or if its close to $10,000 or if they suspect that any part of that transaction is suspicious, Wydra said. contact us to submit an unexplained mystery article, or to join the team on the email address below. FBI video shows agents searching the Cramer Mountain home and finding stacks of cash. In addition to their extravagant spending, Michelle Chambers made the mistake of loudly asking a bank teller how much cash she could deposit in her account without it being reported to the feds, and then said, its not drug money.. They swept the surrounding counties, locating Kelly Campbell and Eric Payne in their homes. Sunny. That first day in prison was scary, Ghantt said. 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. Some of that money is just gone. And after two years, the case is just a file. Afterward, she and David would talk just occasionally on the phone. Campbell left her job in the summer of 1997, but she would later use Ghantt's feelings for her to her own advantage to get him to agree to carry out the multi-million-dollar heist. 'When you have money, you just have different problems': The Loomis LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Is this really about the needs of the poor? There's just one hitch: Ghantt has entrusted the money to an oddball crew of accomplices who had wooed him into committing this massive theft in the first placeand who, he soon learns, are trying to take him out. One number is working in Campbells favor. He ejected the two VCR tapes that he knew had recorded him stealing the money, took them, and prepared to leave. Was the temptation too much? Campbell led Ghantt to think she loved him and they would flee to Mexico together, but she actually wanted to make a better life for herself in the U.S. With the plan in place, Ghantt sent a newly hired employee he had been assigned to train home early (reportedly, at 6 p.m.) and then proceeded to load a little more than $17.3 million in cash (approximately $11 million of which was in$20 bills) into the back of a company van. Thats pretty standard in restitution matters. For people earning $8.15 an hour David's salary the jokes came naturally. Discover some of the worlds strangest ancient places. (LogOut/ Asked the purpose of his visit, Johnson had replied, "To visit friends. At that point, Kelly and David had known each other for two years. 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. When did you conclude Yeah, Im actually going to do this? Counts asked. Then, keeping with the plan, Ghantt took $50,000 (the maximum that could be taken across the border by law without further authorization) with him and left for Mexico, winding up at the popularYucatan Peninsularesort ofCozumel. Loomis Fargo heist: 25 years later Former FBI agent John Wydra, who helped crack the case, sat down with Channel 9 Reporter Glenn Counts to talk about the clues that led to solving the crime, and how the group got caught. Theres no way to get it back, Butcher told The Charlotte Observer. In all, they recovered $6.6 million. David got a kick out of her. Anybody who gets caught up in the system is getting chewed up by it, the now-retired Gronquist told the Observer. Campbell used part of her share of the money to buy aToyota Siennaminivanin two cash installments. Not all of them, but some of them are going to forgive you, theyre going to overlook it., he said. Stealing from Loomis Fargo could make him rich, if he got away with it. So they went to Mexico and arrested Ghantt in order to protect him. To the community, the Loomis Fargo heist was a big joke -- the largest hillbilly caper of all time. But being the vault supervisor at Loomis Fargo had one perk -- exposure to tons of cash. A few of the Loomis restitution cases have already been closed either because the amount was paid in full or because the 20-year clock wound down. Over 88% of the money has been recovered since the heist. I dont know if Steve would have done it himself, but he definitely was capable of buying someone to do it for him and I think that was going to happen if we didnt step in and arrest Ghantt, Wydra said. In addition, he also rented Mike his own apartment, paid him $400/weekly and bought him a gun. We are happy to work with other website publishers. Loomis Fargo, the nation's largest privately held armored- car company, used vans to transport hundreds of millions of dollars a day belonging to banks and other businesses, stocking automated teller machines and storing money in the Loomis vault between deliveries. What that says is, We will never forgive you for what youve done.'. Its attracted workers like Ghantt. In one case, the restitution for a Loomis defendant may be a moving target. He waffled on the heist idea three or four times from late August to mid-September. He allegedly hired a hitman to take Ghantt out, tying up the ultimate loose end. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. The property has changed hands several times since then. How he felt shorted by life. In David's eyes, Johnson's big mistake was that he did it alone. Ghantt went to Mexico leaving the money with his cohorts, thinking that he could get his share back when he needed it. : The .17 Million Loomis Fargo Theft . Thank you so much. Instead he became paranoid, especially after Steve Chambers put a contract out on his life. OWLS director fired in wake of new board taking over, New rules will require flood history disclosure in real estate, North Carolina recreational spring flounder season canceled for 2023, Supreme Court seems ready to sink student loan forgiveness, Beach commission gets update on search for new sources of sand for beach nourishment. >> PHOTOS: The Loomis Fargo heist, 25 years later Ghantt, his former co-worker Kelly Campbell and her friends Steve and Michelle Chambers, carried out the Loomis Fargo heist on Oct.. Copyright The Nashua Telegraph | https://www.nashuatelegraph.com | 110 Main St, Ste 1, Nashua, NH 03060 | 603-882-2741, Loomis Fargo defendants owe as much as they stole in 1997, Thats pretty standard in restitution matters. Learn how to enable JavaScript on your browser. Growing up, David had been a nice kid, a decent student who was at worst a minor troublemaker and prankster. The plan to rob Loomis Fargo was spawned by Campbell and her friend Steve Chambers, during a casual bonfire at Chambers' home. Living with his wife, Tammy, in a mobile home, he had longed for the middle-class lifestyle of his childhood that had come to seem luxurious, a pipe dream for him now. David's share would be sent to Mexico, where he planned to hide and where he expected Kelly to join him. Seven Charged In $17M Heist - CBS News This technically made it abank robbery afederal offense. 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 Holly, N.C. on Aug 16, 1999. "I'm busy," he said. Thirty years! But on Oct. 4, 1997, that no longer mattered and Ghantt took off with $17.3 million. Later, they also arrested Nathans older brother. NASCAR. The plan was for Ghantt to commit the actual robbery and then quickly leave the country forMexico but to leave the bulk of the cash with Chambers. Steve began talking about wiring money to overseas accounts, and even purchasing a nightclub. Since Ghantt was the supervisor, he sent his co-worker home first. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. Booklist "Librariesshould consider purchasing this entertaining and lightly edited version, which reads like a fast-paced novel." These weren't the hardest of criminals, and though there was logic to not knowing each other's names, they had derived some of their methods from Hollywood depictions of crime. And once he started, he didn't stop with one cartful. It was the second-largest. Kelly called, using David's own cell phone, to ask where he was already, because she and the others were waiting outside for him. Lacking a college degree, he found that his army skills felt meaningless in the 1990s job market. These (Loomis) guys, not so much.. Ghantt, in order to conserve this money, curtailed his spending. He had approached her inside the chain-link fence that surrounded the building and said with a flirty smile, "If you give me a cigarette, I'll be your friend. In one case, the restitution for a Loomis defendant may be a moving target. Ghantt had struck up a relationship with a fellow Loomis Fargo employee, Kelly Campbell; they continued to maintain contact even after Campbell left the company. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. 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. Criminals dont usually get high-paying jobs after leaving prison. High around 65F. 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. So the pieces were falling into place for investigators. Seven p.m. came and went, and so did 7:20. As an adult, he preferred Shakespeare, Tom Clancy, and any book he could find about the Federal Bureau of Investigation. "I've got a friend," she said, "who can hook you up with a new ID.". While Ghantt waited for the heat from the robbery to die down, Chambers would send Ghantt small amounts of money. The principals here are David Ghantt, a driver for Loomis, Fargo and Co.; Kelly Campbell, the woman Ghantt had a crush on, and who convinced him to commit the crime; and Steve and Michele Chambers. 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. The theft at the time the second-largest cash robbery in U.S. history has been the brunt of mocking movies and books, mostly on how the thieves, who had little money to begin with, could not control their spending habits once they did. Unexplained Mysteries - owned by Aliens since 2011. He hired a hitman to take Ghantt out, tying up the ultimate loose end. 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 Holly, N.C. on Aug 16, 1999. That sounds like a lot of money until its compared to the $18,930,201.26 the group was ordered to pay. Action News Jax facebook feed(Opens a new window), Action News Jax twitter feed(Opens a new window), Action News Jax youtube feed(Opens a new window), JSO K9 escapes kennel, bites three people in Jacksonville neighborhood, To know Nancy was to love Nancy: St. Johns County woman killed in suspected DUI crash, JSO says missing child alert results in deadly drowning, Senator proposes bill giving state emergency jurisdiction over custody of kids with trans parents, Florida woman accused of killing terminally ill husband released from jail. Probably very egotistical of me, I thought, Yeah, sure, I can beat them, theyre college smart and thats about it, Ghantt said. Soon thereafter, he met Kelly Campbell, a co-worker at Loomis Fargo. There was a book published in 2002 as well, by author Jeff Diamant called,Heist! Loomis Fargo defendants owe as much as they stole in 1997 All but one of the defendants pleaded guilty. When Ghantt called Campbell however, the FBI was able to track his location, and arrested him with the help of the Mexican police onMarch 1, 1998. The movie was called Masterminds and stars Zach Galifianakis, Kristen Wiig and Owen Wilson. Moving the money into the van quickly proved an onerous task. Diamant, a journalist who reported on the case at the time, goes into meticulous detail on how the heist was pulled off and its aftermath. She was five-foot-seven, had dirty-blond hair, and had worked with him for about a year at Loomis Fargo, until she left for another job in 1996. Steve's a serious guy.". He knew it would mean leaving Tammy. The loot would later be divided among David, Kelly, and Steve. The participants in the heist also spent lavishly on fancy jewelry, fancy cars and breast enhancement surgeries. Next month, Payne will back in the Charlotte federal courthouse, this time to be sentenced from weapons and methamphetamine trafficking charges. Join thousands already receiving our daily newsletter. He was a hard worker, smart enough, and had graduated from high school. The Loomis defendants face no additional legal jeopardy for not paying off their debts. He hated his job and his bosses, he'd lost hope in his marriage, he wasn't going to advance at Loomis, and he couldn't afford to quit to enroll in college. https://www.charlotteagenda.com/67457/loomis-fargo-heist-masterminds-movie/, http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/state/article104506876.html, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/October_1997_Loomis_Fargo_robbery#Company, http://retroclt.blogspot.com/2014/07/loomis-fargo-heist.html, . 'When you have money, you just have different problems': The Loomis It all went down in Charlotte, North Carolina, and the man at the center of that heist, David Scott Ghantt, now lives in Jacksonville. I think if you remember some of her early photographic opportunities, shall we put it that way, she was sort of laughing, not seeming to take it seriously.. And Kelly thought he was funny. Though Wydra is retired, 25 years ago, he was an agent with the FBI. "Do you know how much there's gonna be?" Learning from this error, David planned to leave the stolen money behind with his coconspirators while he fled to Mexico. This website uses cookies and some data tracking to improve your experience and serve adverts, We assume you're ok with this, you can opt-out if you wish. After discussing his job, his marriage, and his everyday struggles, they joked about Loomis and about how easy it would be to steal from the place. CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) During one overnight shift, a bumbling conspiracy of thieves just west of Charlotte stole more than $17 million from Loomis Fargo. Ghantt, his former co-worker Kelly Campbell and her friends Steve and Michelle Chambers carried out the Loomis Fargo heist on Oct. 4, 1997. If we work together, we can all have plenty of pie.. Restitution is a familiar part of sentencing in federal court. Driving away, he said he felt a mix of fear, confidence and excitement that he outsmarted the FBI. But you cant get blood from a stone, Johns said. In Florida, a Loomis Fargo employee had pulled a gun on his coworkers and gotten away with $18 million, a move that FBI agents theorize Ghantt, Campbell and other employees all sat around talking about - and what they would do with that amount of money - for a while. He says the Loomis case shows how the criminal justice system and the courts treat lower-income people differently. Paying the money back has taken a lot longer, and time is running out for the U.S. government to collect. Man at the center of Loomis Fargo heist 25 years ago now a 'normal guy The FBI was inadvertently aided by the gang members extravagant spending. He realized his bosses would know he had worked that day and that he was missing, but maybe without a video they would think he'd been held at gunpoint and taken hostage, or even better, that he'd been killed. And with Loomis, were looking at only one case. true story that has captivated American audiences on the news and now on the big screen in the major motion picture, Masterminds. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. David knew this was important from having followed the recent news about a Florida man who had brazenly committed the biggest heist from an armored-car company in United States history, a loner named Philip Noel Johnson, who also had worked for Loomis. He also took various measures to change his appearance, such asshaving, after a patron at a restaurant pointed out to him that he looked like the man who robbed a bank of $20 million.. 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. She had previously been making frequent small deposits to avert suspicion. More than half of the amount came from the seizure of a luxury home purchased by husband-and-wife defendants during their post-heist spending spree. Current price is $11.49, Original price is $14.99. Still facing possible unknowns of other people involved, the FBI needed to gather more information without the suspects getting suspicious of them. White-collar criminals are pretty good at hiding their money, she said. And they hit the jackpot -- FBI video shows agents recovering most of the stolen cash. Once they were in custody, the overwhelming task of clearing out possessions possibly purchased with the stolen money began. David didn't appreciate her tone. They didnt expect it.. A parrot tattoo on her right ankle. He shut the empty vault and set its timer so the vault could not be opened for two or three days. So he and some friends decided at the end of his Oct. 4 shift he would load a company van with more than 2,000 pounds of cash and just drive away. Nathan, Steves cousin, was found in a mobile home the Chambers had abandoned. Feet Security Officer Bo Foot's Incident In Happy Town | ipl.org Meanwhile, Ghantt's gang spent wildly and paid their family members and friends to hide money. Im married, I got one girl, shes 15 going on 30. They also found several stacks of money with Loomis bands still attached throughout all the homes searched. More than 2 million dollars are still missing to this day. And with Loomis, were looking at only one case. Heist!: The $17 Million Loomis Fargo Theft - amazon.com Breakdown by congressional district, States' push to define sex decried as erasing trans people, North Carolina Supreme Court hears felony voting rights case, North Carolina House GOP modifies rules on veto overrides, N. 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