Butcher says the federal courts in the Western District of North Carolina have never handled a case quite like Loomis. About six months before the Charlotte theft, on March 29, a total of $18.8 million was taken from Loomis, Fargo in Jacksonville, Fla., in what was believed to be the largest heist in U.S.. Loomis Fargo heist: 25 years later David Scott Ghantt, his former co-worker Kelly Campbell and her friends Steve and Michelle Chambers carried out the Loomis Fargo heist on Oct. 4, 1997. You cannot fine low-income people millions of dollars. : The $17 Million Loomis Fargo Theft. Driving away, he said he felt a mix of fear, confidence and excitement that he outsmarted the FBI. 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. "I'll need help moving the money, getting a new ID, and leaving the country," he told her. For example, Steve Chambers and his wife were living in a trailer and upgraded to what would today be a multi-million-dollar mansion at Cramer Mountain. VERDICT The first edition of this work was published in 2002. Loomis Fargo employees could not open the vault the next morning, and called the police. But this time on the phone, Kelly wasn't joking. You can seize property. He was a hard worker, smart enough, and had graduated from high school. Some of that money is just gone. Chambers had broached the possibility of a robbery to Campbell earlier in the summer. Some of that money is just gone. "Are you serious?" Next month, Payne will back in the Charlotte federal courthouse, this time to be sentenced from weapons and methamphetamine trafficking charges. Campbell used to work for Loomis and continued the friendship with Ghantt, eventually hooking him up with Chambers. The same applies to trolling, the use of multiple aliases, or He knew it would mean leaving Tammy. Butcher says the federal courts in the Western District of North Carolina have never handled a case quite like Loomis. '. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. Steve Chambers and his wife were living in a trailer and upgraded to what would today be a multi-million-dollar mansion at Cramer Mountain. 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. Campbell was released from federal custody in 2004 after serving five years, meaning her collection case will age out in December 2024. personal/abusive/condescending attacks on other users or goading At that point, Kelly and David had known each other for two years. He wanted to leave his wife for her, and Kelly, who also was married, let him think she wanted the same. The October 4 shift was lasting longer than expected, due to delays involving pickups and deliveries. David told Kelly they would have to control themselves and not spend the money too quickly, because the FBI could electronically trace a suspect's recent spending activity through bank papers, credit card records, and land transactions. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ). It was the second-largest. If we can sit on the money for a year, maybe two, it could work.". He knew his mother would be traumatized, shocked, and appalled. Well she was a pretty happy-go-lucky person, he said. Though Wydra is retired, 25 years ago, he was an agent with the FBI. While David Ghantt trusted Steve Chambers enough to leave his cut behind, Chambers had other plans. 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. Inside $3.3 million was located along with the two stolen surveillance tapes, apparently left due to the robber and his accomplices being sloppy, or in a hurry. Loomis Fargo heist: 25 years later Steve Chambers and his wife were living in a trailer and upgraded to what would today be a multi-million-dollar mansion at Cramer Mountain. Punishment needs to be fair and realistic. There are multiples of thousands of these things coming every year. Ghantt took $50,000 for himself and fled to Cozumel, Mexico. The movie was called Masterminds and stars Zach Galifianakis, Kristen Wiig and Owen Wilson. More calls between the two men, and also between Steve and Kelly Campbell, made it clear that the group was starting to turn on David Ghantt. Get an email notification whenever someone contributes to the discussion. 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. If it didn't work out, he could return to the United States later with a new identity. The case had gotten national publicity and was the subject of numerous articles, documentaries and even a movie. While Ghantt waited for the heat from the robbery to die down, Chambers would send Ghantt small amounts of money. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. If a prank seemed dangerous, David backed out. Thats pretty standard in restitution matters. Have a youtube channel or website similar? 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. Its a once-in-a-lifetime thing, and I went down and talked to them, got to meet Zach Galifianakis and the director, Ghantt said. At about 6:40 p.m., he went back inside. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]. Now and again I run into blog posts that tends to make me want to get started on bloggin myself. 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. Then one day, while reviewing his and Tammy's credit card bill, he did some quick math and realized that even if they met the minimum monthly payments, the bill would take thirty years to pay. White-collar criminals are pretty good at hiding their money, she said. All but one of the 24 defendants pleaded guilty, and the one who didnt take the deal was convicted. They assumed that whoever was involved would keep the cash in a safe place, like a safe deposit box. Campbell, a mother of two, was in the process of divorcing Each cart, holding about $2 million, was taking David seven or eight minutes to stack, push, and empty into the van, and there were about eight cartloads' worth in the vault. He said at first, they were very proud of what they had been able to do. "About fourteen or fifteen million dollars," he said. Then they returned it. The actual crime itself required none of Hollywood's imagination. The Loomis case is another example where the amount of restitution ordered vs. what is actually paid are two dramatically different numbers. Spunk. Prosecutors say a vault. The affidavit described Chambers as a former FBI informant who had provided information on another Loomis armored car robbery that never materialized. contact us to submit an unexplained mystery article, or to join the team on the email address below. 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Marine Fisheries Commission advocates for water quality, North Carolina the only state allowing unnecessary killing of sea turtles, 'Pagan' bike gang leader in N. Carolina sentenced to prison, Deputy cleared in shooting death of Gloucester woman, Beaufort amends charter to allow four-year mayoral term. Michelle Chambers paid off only $27,000. Ghantt was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison. On Oct. 5, the Loomis heist celebrates its 25th birthday. Friends of Campbell had also begun spending large amounts of cash. But after one visit, she asked a teller How much can I deposit before you have to report it to the feds? followed by Dont worry, it is notdrug money, the bank filled out asuspicious activity report, which ultimately reached the FBI. Steve's a serious guy.". Outside of 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. While Ghantt trusted Chambers enough to leave his cut behind, Chambers had other plans. And once he started, he didn't stop with one cartful. Fourteen defendants were ordered to make restitution payments to Loomis Fargo totaling almost $19 million. Of course the most famous thing inside the home was a velvet Elvis portrait. Cool interesting stuff features everything odd, weird, bizzare, strange or unusual. Its in the ether. So the original gang was all totally shocked, Wydra said. Her case closes in 2025. The stated plan was for her to move to Mexico to be with him after the theft. The woman on the phone was Kelly Jane Campbell, and David had a mad crush on her. When some friends stole a stop sign from a busy intersection, David made them put it back. Later that year, he saw a newspaper ad for a job at Loomis Fargo. It has a certain feel, a smell and weight to it. Only a nickel on every dollar have been collected so far. David said he needed Kelly to drive to Loomis before the theft that night to remove a duffel bag from his parked pickup truck. "But you can still have a cigarette.". Afterward, everything became comical. More than 2 million dollars are still missing to this day. sole discretion of the site administrators and repeat offenders may They could talk about anything, even topics he couldn't discuss with his wife. Though much of the cash was already stacked on pushcarts in the vault, other stacks were on shelves or the floor, and they were heavy. In all, they recovered $6.6 million. she asked again. 12) Loomis Fargo heist- The aftermath Ultimately, eight co-conspirators were indicted for the Loomis Fargo bank heist. Her case closes in 2025. Inside the truck, they found Ghantts ring and surmised this as a sign of Ghantts intention to end his relationship with his wife. true story that has captivated American audiences on the news and now on the big screen in the major motion picture, Masterminds. It all went down in Charlotte, North Carolina, and the man at the center of that heist, David Scott Ghantt, now lives in Jacksonville. You have permission to edit this article. A parrot tattoo on her right ankle. David and Steve had never met, but Steve had already secured somebody else's birth certificate and social security card for him and given it to Kelly to pass along. If the American Dream involved being better off as adults than your parents were, David was experiencing a version of the American Nightmare. In 1994, they moved to Gastonia, North Carolina, where they had grown up, and David took a job driving a forklift. Besides her prison sentence, Campbell must undergo mental health and drug treatment and spend two years in a supervised release program. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The hillbilly outfit did more that just drop a few breadcrumbs. These cookies do not store any personal information. 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. She had previously been making frequent small deposits to avert suspicion. The FBI became more suspicious after they interviewed Campbell for the third time. Chambers would then occasionally wire Ghantt money and see to his basic financial needs; when the heat was off, Ghantt was to re-enter the U.S. and the money would be split up among all of the co-conspirators. They didnt expect it.. Tuesday marked 25 years since a group of buddies pulled off the third-largest money grab in U.S. history -- the Loomis Fargo heist. When Ghantt called Campbell asking for more money, a plan was set in motion to take him out. Money. A couple by the names of Steve and Shelley Chambers also became people of interest in the investigation due to their extreme sudden increase in spending. Updated: 11:31 AM EDT October 4, 2022 CHARLOTTE, N.C. Tuesday is the 25th anniversary of the infamous Loomis Fargo heist in Charlotte, where a bank worker, with the help of two accomplices,. Getting restitution, its like pulling teeth.. Burks was also ordered to serve 15 years in prison, limiting his ability to balance his books. David's vision for all of this actually derived more from books than from movies. Guller was the attorney for Steven Chambers, who came up with the original idea for the Loomis theft. Since then, there have been numerous articles, books, documentaries and even a movie about this gang -- the gang that couldnt shoot straight. Perry identified the other six people arrested as Steve and Michelle Chambers; Kelly Jane Campbell, a former Loomis employee; Michael L. McKinney; Thomas Nathan Grant; and Eric Haley Payne.. So the pieces were falling into place for investigators. Low 46F. 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. So we were able to figure out with all the denominations, it would require about 20 safe deposit boxes to store it all.. The walk-in vault was a fortified gray room, more wide than long, with shelves, cabinets, desks, and multiple pushcarts stocked with shrink-wrapped cash. Curiously, Payne had recently paid of his Visa in one payment and had been driving around new and rented vehicles for the past weeks. Youre supposed to get less time for cooperating, a lesser penalty, and instead, you see what she got hit with. Gronquist said. The FBI says Chambers hired a hitman to tie up the ultimate loose end -- Ghantt. Temptation to do something that you think you normally wouldnt do can change a lot of minds when its that kind of cash, and thats what it was., (WATCH BELOW: VIDEO: The Loomis Fargo heist: 25 years later). They located Steve and Shelley Chambers in their newly-purchased home at the top of a hill. 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. 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. "What would it take to convince you to do it?" : The .17 Million Loomis Fargo Theft [Jeff Diamant] on Amazon.com. Sun, sand and beaches are all part of why Jacksonville is a popular destination. What it does is put a ball and chain on that person for the rest of their lives, they are walking around and they are basically an indentured servant, Gronquist said. Ms. Campbell worked at Loomis for 11 months, leaving in November 1996, according to court papers. 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. I gotta go.". Lacking a college degree, he found that his army skills felt meaningless in the 1990s job market. Most people are going to forgive you. On the evening ofOctober 4, 1997, the Loomis Fargo & Co branch in Charlotte, North Carolina was in the process of being plundered. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]. He and Tammy could have one or two meals each week that he really liked, but the rest were hot dogs or Hamburger Helper. Jim Gronquist was Campbells defense attorney. All of the co-defendants were arrested the next day, about six months after the heist. David was thin six-foot-one, one hundred sixty-five pounds and heaving the stacks onto the cart, pushing the cart toward the vault door, and then emptying its contents into the van was exhausting. David didn't appreciate her tone. The plan was still on, but David remained steamed. 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. "I've got a friend," she said, "who can hook you up with a new ID.". Who was she to be pressuring him? Kelly Campbell, 29, a former company employee, entered guilty pleas earlier to bank larceny, money laundering and conspiracy to commit murder charges. NASCAR. Some of the biggest numbers remaining on the Loomis collection board, as is the case with Campbell, belong to those who played the biggest role in the crime: David Ghantt, the Loomis employee who loaded all that money 2,800 pounds in all into the back of a company van before escaping to Mexico, has paid just under $50,000 of the $3.81 million he was assessed. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. We went on a mission to calculate exactly how much size-wise the money was, $11.3 million in $20 bills, and it weighed over 2,000 pounds, former FBI agent John Wydra said. By then, the FBI had become greatly concerned for Ghantts personal safety; they had learned of Chambersmurder for hirescheme. I appreciate your kind words! He worked close-by to where the van and over $3 million dollars had been ditched, and was friends with Steve Chambers. He shut the empty vault and set its timer so the vault could not be opened for two or three days. You can seize property. The $17 million was stolen last Oct. 4 from the armored-car company's vault in Charlotte. 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. According to Butcher, Campbells last official payment came in June 2021 when the government appears to have seized a tax refund of $81.24. An additional tip reached the FBI when Michelle Chambers made a large deposit at a bank. The figures can be astounding. Ghantt, his former co-worker Kelly Campbell and her friends Steve and Michelle Chambers carried out the Loomis Fargo heist on Oct. 4, 1997. 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. You cannot fine low-income people millions of dollars. I pay (restitution to) thousands of people, but its in drips and drabs.. These (Loomis) guys, not so much.. Hes a family man with a wife and daughter. Expanded two-hour true crime story about the 1997 Loomis-Fargo armored car heist in North Carolina and the serio-comic fate of its bumbling underdog perpetra. Getting restitution, its like pulling teeth., White-collar criminals are pretty good at hiding their money,, Youre supposed to get less time for cooperating, a lesser penalty, and instead, you see what she got hit with., She will never get beyond the debt. Thank you so much. You can have your whole career and not have a case like that. And with Loomis, were looking at only one case. I was relieved emotionally because I knew there was a good chance my luck might run out, Ghantt said. Loomis, Fargo offered a $500,000 reward for his arrest and conviction. Still facing possible unknowns of other people involved, the FBI needed to gather more information without the suspects getting suspicious of them. 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. Over the next two weeks, David thought about it. Aprs de nombreux seconds rles comiques au cinma, elle parvient percer en co-crivant et tenant le rle principal de la Next month, Payne will back in the Charlotte federal courthouse, this time to be sentenced from weapons and methamphetamine trafficking charges. She sounded incredulous. 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. >> PHOTOS: The Loomis Fargo heist, 25 years later. Why do we feel its so necessary to treat people like this, to say, OK, well just ruin the rest of your life because you made a bad decision., Punishment should not last a lifetime. Before the robber left Loomis Fargo, he made a trip to the managers office to remove two surveillance tapes in order to conceal his identity. be blocked or permanently banned without warning. Its said the current owner now has it in storage in Phoenix, Arizona. 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. of violence, racism, anti-Semitism, or Instead he became paranoid, especially after Steve Chambers put a contract out on his life. Ghantts spending in Mexico was extravagant at first. "Don't back out on us. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph.. Clear skies. Theres no way to get it back,, And with Loomis, were looking at only one case. David Scott Ghantt, his former co-worker Kelly Campbell and her friends Steve and Michelle Chambers carried out the Loomis Fargo heist on Oct. 4, 1997. Even with several vehicles, they underestimated how much space they would need and they had to leave $3 million behind.