It was Chambers' extravagant spending after the Loomis Fargo heist that led to the arrests. Two days later, the FBI found the Loomis Fargo armored van. Man died Wednesday. As Ghantt and seven others await hearings on charges from the October theft, authorities still have a big unanswered question: Where's most of the money? Former Cramerton Police Chief David Young soon got wind of the Chambers excessive spending spree and reached out to the FBI. Both were involved in the second-largest cash heist in U.S. history, in which a group of people stole $17 million from the main . Since he was the only employee unaccounted for the following day, they checked the tapes for clues. Next, he went to the managers office and took out the tapes from two security cameras. Ghantt was the vault manager and was surrounded daily by millions of dollars-worth of temptation. All Rights Reserved. Yes, happy. Ghantt was the vault manager and was surrounded daily by millions of dollars-worth of temptation. Several cars and nine safety deposit boxes were seized, authorities said. Her sentence would've been ``substantially' less if she hadn't kept it, officials said. Let me see! 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. The reason for this was because, after the Loomis Fargo heist, the thieves had miscalculated the sheer bulk of the small denomination currency. "I've moved on with my life," he said Tuesday. Its attracted workers like David Ghantt. Ghantt says he operates a bulldozer for a small company. Diese Aufgabe ist allerdings weitaus weniger spannend, als sie sich anhrt, und so ist Davids Tageshhepunkt nicht das Verladen der Millionen, sondern der tgliche Flirt mit seiner Kollegin Kelly. The events that led to the Loomis Fargo heist started with Ghantt entering a relationship with fellow employee Kelly Campbell. 69-year-old suffers stroke in his home; Realtor showing house leaves him there. David Ghantt : Oh, Rio, yeah, yeah. His coworker Kelly Campbell began to listen. 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. David ist einer der Mnner, die fr Banken Unsummen an Dollars von A nach B fahren. La vie de David Ghantt n'a rien de compliqu. But Ghantt, who served as an unpaid consultant to the movie and attended the big Los Angeles premiere earlier in the week, has no such reservations. After Ghantts release from prison, he took up a job as a construction worker. But former Kings Mountain resident David Scott Ghantt can. Kelly Campbell is scheduled to be sentenced in October. David Scott Ghantt speaks with Channel 9's Glenn Counts 25 years after the robbery. . I knew that if I did something like that, I would take a huge amount of money, Ghantt said of the brash robbery on an upcoming episode of, To find out more about how the thieves got caught and how long they landed behind bars, tune in the, Rebel Wilson 'collapsed' after Ramona Agruma proposal: 'I was so overwhelmed', Amy Grant recalls being 'so scared' to return to touring following serious bike accident, Travis Scott being sought by NYPD after alleged nightclub assault, Zachary Levi talks Shazam! future after DC shake-up: 'I'll keep playing this role as long as I can', Get your Din Djarin on with this replica 'Mandalorian' helmet. At the time . He and co-worker Kelly Campbell, 27, had developed a close relationship and were spending time together outside of work. You should definitely start your own blog, I highly recommend it. 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. Another name the FBI had become very interested in is Eric Payne. I knew that if we could stay off the radar for about a year, we could basically live a vacation life, Ghantt said. They also found several stacks of money with Loomis bands still attached throughout all the homes searched. Gaston County residents remember how that worked out. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. Not many people can say they stole $17 million from their employer and had Zach Galifianakis play them in a movie. David Ghantt was sentenced to seven years in prison and Steven Chambers was sentenced to 11. 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 . David Ghantt, Kelly Campbell, and their friends stole an astonishing $17.3 million. But things didnt quite work out that way. In this action comedy based on true events, David Ghantt (Zach Galifianakis) discovers the true meaning of adventure far beyond his wildest dreams. 20 years ago, on the night of October 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. Before long, the tales of high living by Chambers and his now former wife, Michelle, led the thieves to be labeled either the "Cramer Mountain Hillbillies" or "The gang that couldn't steal straight." Ghantt:It's a comedy. Agents found out where Ghantt was living because Chambers had put out a hit on him, foolishly believing Ghantt was the only person the FBI had fingered for the crime. Now and again I run into blog posts that tends to make me want to get started on bloggin myself. Authorities had the receipt and had known it was missing. {{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. He has no contact with any of those convicted with him in the crime, including his former wife, and doesn't plan to see the movie, he said. I made a joke once that was the hardest Id ever worked for Wells Fargo -- yeah, its a lot of work, Ghantt said. En marzo del 97, la empresa fue vctima del llamado "robo del siglo": un empleado se . David Ghantt was a Gulf War veteran who never had a problem with the law. Afterward, outside the courthouse, her parents said the length was about what she had expected. Thank you! It still had almost $3.3 million in cash left in the back of the van. He rarely went to the nearby beach, she said. Ghantt, his former co-worker Kelly Campbell and her friends Steve and Michelle Chambers carried out the Loomis Fargo heist on Oct. Campbell helped plot the robbery of Loomis' Charlotte vault on Oct. "He quickly found out when you have money, you. The plan to rob Loomis Fargo was spawned by Campbell and her friend Steve Chambers, during a casual bonfire at Chambers home. That was the most painful truth to come to. 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). In less than a month after the heist, Chambers and his wife moved out of their trailer and relocated into a 7,000-square-foot, $635,000 mansion. He left for the border, winding up at the popular Yucatan Peninsula resort island. She recruited an old friend, Steve Chambers, a convicted criminal who was once an FBI informant. Ghantt made his way to Mexico, where he hid for several months. The investigation ultimately resulted in the conviction of eight people directly involved, as well as sixteen others who had indirectly helped them. Question: Are you happy that Wilkesboro-nativeZach Galifianakis plays you in the movie? There was a book published in 2002 as well, by author Jeff Diamant called,Heist! $17.3 million in cash was robbed from the Charlotte, North Carolina, regional office vault of Loomis, Fargo & Co. on the evening of October 4, 1997. Galifianakis can pull off broad comedy effortlessly, a skill which catapulted him to . A connection between each suspect began to emerge slowly, and as the intensity of spending grew, suspicion did as well. Ghantt began to complain vocally. FBI agents got to him first. Trending News Question: You were a consultant? That movie, Masterminds was filmed in 2014. A series of snapshots published in the Observer on March 8, 1998, just as the FBI and everyone else was getting a grip on just how strange the heist had been. The move bought him a little extra time to make his escape. The van used to move the money was later located a few miles from the warehouse. #inline-recirc-item--id-91a2c54e-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d ~ .item:nth-child(5) { But there was just one thing the group hadnt been counting on: the massive weight of that amount of cash. That time in prison was actually good for me. In addition, six other people, some of whom had been spending large amounts of money, were arrested Monday in North Carolina in connection with the case, Perry said. From the start, David Ghatt was considered to be a prime suspect. 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. He attended the big Los Angeles premiere and enjoyed being a part of it. The images of the aftermath the huge house on Cramer Mountain with its leopard-print carpet, the blue barrels full of money, the lonely hotel room in Playa del Carmen where Ghantt ate M&Ms instead of going to the beach endured long after 21 people were convicted for their connections to the heist. display: none; Needless to say that things didn't go as planned. No hard feelings. Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. This company employed 8,500 people and provided armored transportation, cash handling services, and automatic teller machine maintenance. $17.3 million in cash was robbed from the Charlotte, North Carolina, regional office vault of Loomis, Fargo & Co. on the evening of October 4, 1997. Most people are going to forgive you. 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. 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. They knew Steve Chambers had worked as an informant in the past, and were nervous he would smell out an undercover. He loves his motorcycle and enjoys going fishing and, while hes sorry for the past, hes not ashamed to talk about it. Surveillance tapes and photographs showed a man who the FBI believes is Ghantt taking bags of money and putting them onto a cart in the vault at Loomis, Fargo's offices in Charlotte. Inside the truck, they found Ghantt's wedding ring. It took me going to prison to realize I was a bag of worms, and it took me years of work to be somebody worthy to come back into our society, he said. In addition, he also rented Mike his own apartment, paid him $400/weekly and bought him a gun. 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 . I just want people to go to the movies and have a good laugh, even if it's at my expense. They also purchased expensive cars, jewelry and a breast enhancement or two. Additionally, all the stolen cash was recovered or accounted for, except for $2 million. I knew I was going to be the prime suspect. The Loomis Fargo Bank Robbery was a robbery of $17.3 million in cash from the Charlotte, North Carolina, regional office vault of Loomis, Fargo & Co. on the evening of October 4, 1997, by vault supervisor David Scott Ghantt, his married girlfriend Kelly Campbell (a former Loomis co-worker), Steve Chambers, his wife Michelle Chambers, Michael Gobbies and four other co-conspirators. 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. He had sent home early a newly hired employee and then proceeded with the loading of the funds. While they had initially agreed to control their spending for a year or two, Chambers had no intention of following those rules. 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. That 3-carat ring came back to haunt Michele Chambers at Tuesday's hearing. Later, they also arrested Nathans older brother. It's said that Chambers approached Campbell in the summer of 1997 about executing a $17.3 million robbery (which today means $ 25.9 million) at her former job. Zach Galifianakis stars as Ghantt, sporting an impressively pronounced bowl-cut and a perpetually pained smile. }, First published on March 2, 1998 / 2:20 PM. Question: Should people go see this movie? 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However, he was running short of funds. That's the kind of movie they wanted to make. Ghantt says he believes in redemption, and that his mistake 25 years ago brought him all the things that are important in his life today. He has been open about what he did and how he believes it changed him for the better. David Ghantt (Zach Galifianakis) is unfulfilled in his life, unhappy with his work -- and that work is driving the armored car bringing thousands of dollars to and from banks every day. Robbing the 7-Eleven and getting $40 bucks and a pack of Marlboros was not for me. Once they were in custody, the overwhelming task of clearing out possessions possibly purchased with the stolen money began. Michelle Chambers received a few more months than Ghantt, because she had violated several bond conditions. display: none; Answer It is based on the October 1997 Loomis Fargo Robbery in North Carolina, which was the subject of the 2016 American comedy film Masterminds. You have permission to edit this article. Question: Are you surprised that Hollywood took this on as a movie? 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. Ghantt and seven others eventually pleaded guilty in federal court to charges . Crimes, guns, suspensions and dropouts soar in NC public schools after the pandemic. Authorities also are looking for evidence in connection with a possible conspiracy to kill Ghantt, Perry said. And that's OK with Ghantt, who's just a few weeks shy of his 47th birthday, out of federal prison for more than a decade, married with a 9-year-old daughter . He's a very likable person. They were the butt of a national joke. But his partners soon began to get greedy and were spending large amountswith Chambers and his wife, Michelle, even buying an exclusive mansion in cash. David! 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