(John D. Simmons/The Charlotte Observer via AP) The Associated Press, BY MICHAEL GORDON, The Charlotte Observer. At the end of one session, they wound up kissing outside the pickup. The FBI heard about the plot and agents knew they could no longer wait. . "She just called me up on the phone and said, 'Hey, let's meet one day after work.' She declined to take a lie-detector test. Sandra Floyd, Michele Chambers's mother, remembers the first time she saw the house. So Im like, Can you get a move on with my money? After a couple of weeks passed, I get a phone call from Kelly: Okay, Brunos coming to you, blah, blah, blah. So I get a phone call from this guy, and I tell him where to meet me. Kelly, she says now, was thinking about how happy she would be to send this man far away from her. I've got a good woman.". It all went down in Charlotte, North Carolina, and the man at the center of that heist, David Scott Ghantt, now lives in Jacksonville. Clerk of Court Frank Johns of Charlotte. How did they get away with stealing more than $17 million? ', "He asked me if I'd mind holding some money for him. There used to be a consulate in Cancun. The modern company was formed in 1997 by the consolidation of two armoured security concerns, Wells Fargo Armored Service and Loomis Armored Inc. Their international network covers over 200 operating locations in the US and eleven western European countries. Copyright 2022 TheAssociated Press. The problem with the movie, however, is that the talented cast had no idea what the hell they were trying to do. She was the group's only contact with David, and she was smoking marijuana "like other people smoke cigarettes," she said. "Think of how many women would have stood by. 1-4-3 is 'I love you.' Ghantt said he believes in redemption, and that his mistake 25 years ago brought him all the things that are important in his life today. I mentioned it to Kelly. Puedes cambiar tus opciones en cualquier momento desde tus controles de privacidad. When did you conclude Yeah, Im actually going to do this? Counts asked. But you cant get blood from a stone, Johns 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 . "I've learned that I'm a fortunate man," he said. And I think that makes it all the more funny, because it really offends my co-defendants. In all, agents arrested 24 people in the heist. Its hilarious. He covers culture, politics, race, and other perplexing mysteries for MEL. Kelly had recently left a job driving an armored-car for Loomis, Fargo & Co. "He's the one who brought it up first," said Kelly, a year after her arrest. Until, that is, he decided to hell with it he was going to pull-off the second largest heist in U.S. history. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]. I thought, Okay, if I get out of that bubble because the cops depend on that, even the feds my chances to get away go way up.. real kelly campbell loomis fargo heist real kelly campbell loomis fargo heist (No Ratings Yet) . Or that it was an inheritance. Warning! No dry runs, no rehearsals. Its kind of like that. And then I could hear her laughing. Though David had no criminal experience, he felt he could offer expert advice: He'd just finished reading a book on the FBI. Time passed, and Campbell eventually quit her job at Loomis Fargo. "Every time my conscience would start bothering me," Kelly recalled, "I'd smoke another joint and forget about it.". He comes to my door, and hes got a brown paper bag in his hand. You're an idiot.'". 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), Florida Senator proposes bill to cancel Democratic Party in state, Georgia star Jalen Carter charged with racing in fatal wreck, FHP: Man dies after FDOT Road Ranger rear-ends truck, pushes him over edge of Buckman Bridge, Bartram Trail High School girls lacrosse player denied NIL opportunity, Contest: Win tickets to the AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville. Was that really what it was about? An officer rang the doorbell. The old man me would never survive that, Id have a heart attack.. Steve had already paid McKinney $50,000 for the use of his ID. About the same time, Kelly and McKinney received phone calls from agents who told them to open their doors. "Love" has four. 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. But things didnt quite work out that way. Steve Chambers has told agents the missing cash was stolen from a shed in Lincoln County. Ghantt would go on to spend six and a half years in federal prison. David Ghantt (Zach Galifianakis), an employee of Loomis Fargo, robbed his own vault, left the $17.3 million in cash with his co-conspirators, Kelly Campbell (Kristen Wiig) and Steve Chambers (Owen Wilson) and fled the country to Mexico. Ghantt didn't actually meet Chambers until the night of the heist, though, according to Diamant, who would go on to write a book about it.The reason Ghantt got involved was always the . And if that gives people out there a little bit of hope, then Ive served my purpose on this earth.. Steve and Michele invited everyone back for a Christmas party, where they gave Michele's stepfather a special gift--the pickup truck he'd always wanted. But after a year, they'll cut it down to two agents. Name. They discussed it further, and Campbell asked him when they should do it. 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). David Ghantt (Zach Galifianakis), an employee of Loomis Fargo, robbed his own vault, left the $17.3 million in cash with his co-conspirators, Kelly Campbell (Kristen Wiig) and Steve Chambers (Owen Wilson) and fled the country to Mexico. After years of reflection and time in prison to work on himself, Ghantt was able to find a way to a better version of himself. Keep supporting great journalism by turning off your ad blocker. About 10 frantic minutes later, Scott found the right key. Now that Kelly believes she has found Jesus, she has become more analytical about her past. At first, David Ghantt said, "I didn't take her seriously. But being the vault supervisor at Loomis Fargo had one perk -- exposure to tons of cash. . You may email him here, follow him on Twitter, or listen to his weekly TV podcast, Podjiba. But if you did, youll never forget it. "I'd been told all my life, money will not make you happy," Kelly said. The FBI says Chambers hired a hitman to tie up the ultimate loose end -- Ghantt. As it turned out, Ghantt was zipping up his scuba suit in Mexico. 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. She was a wife and mother with two children. That led to better jobs, like the one at Loomis. The platform is designed to engage citizens and government leaders in a discussion about what needs improvement across the country. Reach our Customer Contact Center by calling 877.877.0560 from 6:30 AM to 11:30 PM CT every day or by completing the provided form. Ghantt, his former co-worker Kelly Campbell and her friends Steve and Michelle Chambers carried out the Loomis Fargo heist on Oct. 4, 1997. Before David left for the airport, he had handed Scott an eight-inch key ring. By Dustin Rowles | Film | September 30, 2016 |. So the original gang was all totally shocked, Wydra said. Eventually, Steve made Kelly believe they could steal from Loomis and get away with it, she said. That was the thing that sticks in my mind to this day., ALSO READ: Man released from jail, accused of robbing banks while wearing electronic monitor, police say. On the evening of October 4, 1997, one man loaded $17.3 million in cash from the vaults of Loomis, Fargo & Co. into the back of a van. . Ghantt was missing and no one, not even his wife, knew where he was. He and his wife, Tammy, lived in a mobile home in Kings Mountain, N.C. Money was always tight. Some family members hid money in bank deposit boxes, other friends were asked to mule cash to the Cayman Islands. I mean, cause greed is a funny animal. Theyre meant to be trailer-park trash, but they come off as character experiments on a bad night at the Groundlings. But it wasnt. And youre like, Come on parachute. David Ghantt was just an average Joe with an average low-wage job. Without really intending to, Kelly recalls, she turned the conversation to the possibility of a heist. Steve bought a truck, a Rolex and a motorboat. It just happened to fall on my desk.. All the while, Ghantt prepared himself for the task at hand. At 6-1 and 220 pounds, Steve was stocky and imposing, a fast talker with a brown goatee. Thanksgiving and Christmas were difficult. Then, I started loading the van., Money, when bound in bulk and stacked in canvas bags, is heavier than you might expect. Working together, they got the gate open, then drove in a caravan to the Reynolds & Reynolds parking lot. ". "I was trying to figure out a way to [leave my husband] and take care of my kids without having to depend on him or any other man," Kelly said. You can have your whole career and not have a case like that. ". You cannot fine low-income people millions of dollars. Kelly had no problem fanning the flames of their old flirtation. David thought about it. What that says is, We will never forgive you for what youve done.. They placed a bust of Caesar in the dining room. Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. Thats where they feel comfortable., This piece of information would become critical to his getaway plan. The audacity of the act was breathtaking. At the time, it was the largest cash heist in history. The property has changed hands several times since then. By now, you probably know the names -- David Ghantt, Steve Chambers and his wife Michelle, and Kelly Campbell. They loaded the wine cellar with Pabst Blue Ribbon, and Steve hung a velvet portrait of Elvis Presley in the basement. But few could have guessed how spectacularly the heist would go wrong after the criminals initially got away with it. Though David had said earlier he thought there was $15 million in the vault, the sight of that much cash held them spellbound. Ghantt was working a late shift, and just after 6:30 p.m., his coworkers were packing up and heading for home. On Nov. 12, a confidential informant told the FBI about Steve Chambers's move from mobile home to mansion. His mobile home was nicely furnished, on eight acres with a stream in the back. Even with several vehicles, they underestimated how much space they would need and they had to leave $3 million behind. The Evergreen State takes the top spot again in the U.S. News Best States ranking on the strength of its tech sector and other industries. Campbell was released from federal custody in 2004 after serving five years, meaning her collection case will age out in December 2024. www.loomis.com. Theres no management around. Back then, it was one of the hotspots for hiding money. Ghantt planned to live off the interest for the rest of his life. . She could walk under the trees, with the chickens and goats and dogs that live around her mobile home. On Oct. 7, 1997, two FBI agents arrived at Kelly Campbell's home after two Loomis employees had told agents she and David had once dated. He pocketed the money and told Chambers and Campbell to send him his cut in Mexico. Ghantt met up with the other members of the plot and offloaded the cash. It premiered in Los Angeles on September 26, 2016 and was theatrically released in the . He'd stay up all night, boosted by coffee, waiting for the sunrise over the ocean. Dustin is the founder and co-owner of Pajiba. Although David was in on most of the planning, one discussion between Steve and Kelly was kept a secret. On the radio, the "John Boy and Billy" show played the song "Take the Money and Run. I pay (restitution to) thousands of people, but its in drips and drabs.. "For the first year, they're all over you. "He was in tears. "We're not the type that questions everything people tell us," Floyd said. Theres less security. The bigger the amount, however, the bigger the damages to victims that likely will never be repaid: Amy Paynes collection account was closed in 2020 with her having paid $53,000 of the $274,000 she owed. How many women would have stood by listen to his getaway plan Scott found right. 2024. www.loomis.com conversation to the possibility of a heist Reynolds parking lot past! 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