Since Ghantt was the supervisor, he sent his co-worker home first. Of course the problem was, the money belonged to someone else. 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. It just happened to fall on my desk.. He added that money can be a motivator for anyone. 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. 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. He has a regular life now, but 25 years ago, Ghantt was the mastermind behind the third-largest bank robbery in U.S. history. Guller was the attorney for Steven Chambers, who came up with the original idea for the Loomis theft. The site features a collection of unexplained, strange and odd mysteries. But this time on the phone, Kelly wasn't joking. 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, . Only a nickel on every dollar have been collected so far. Unexplained Mysteries and Strange Things,Cool Interesting stuff has been online since early 2011. That movie, Masterminds, was filmed in 2014. Thirty years! This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. He knew his mother would be traumatized, shocked, and appalled. The FBI heard about the plot and agents knew they could no longer wait. A connection between each suspect began to emerge slowly, and as the intensity of spending grew, suspicion did as well. The plan to rob Loomis Fargo was spawned by Campbell and her friend Steve Chambers, during a casual bonfire at Chambers' home. 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. The Chambers home is now gated, which means Channel 9 crews cant drive up to it like we used to. Then, he proceeded to load 2,800 pounds of cash into a van. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ). Their most important conversation occurred one afternoon in August 1997 after Kelly paged him at work. (LogOut/ 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. The defendants received sentences ranging from probation for several relatives to over 11 years in federal prison for Steve Chambers. Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. These (Loomis) guys, not so much.. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. she asked. Some of that money is just gone. The October 4 shift was lasting longer than expected, due to delays involving pickups and deliveries. 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. Tuesday marked 25 years since a group of buddies pulled off the third-largest money grab in U.S. history -- the Loomis Fargo heist. Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live. Asked the purpose of his visit, Johnson had replied, "To visit friends. And if that gives people out there a little bit of hope, then Ive served my purpose on this earth.. Though Wydra is retired, 25 years ago, he was an agent with the FBI. Some of that money is just gone. ALSO READ: 14-year-old boy robbed at gunpoint while waiting for bus in east. More than 2 million dollars are still missing to this day. The corporation handled armored transportation, ATM maintenance and other cash handling services, and had millions of currency stashed in the vault of the North Carolina branch. 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. We dont have the manpower to track all that (restitution) money down I pay (restitution to) thousands of people, but its in drips and drabs.. His collection case closes in two years. So we were able to figure out with all the denominations, it would require about 20 safe deposit boxes to store it all.. Fourteen defendants were ordered to make restitution payments to Loomis Fargo totaling almost $19 million. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Kristen Wiig plays Kelly, who really wasn't that into David, but convinced him to take a fortune from Loomis Fargo in the fall of '97. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Curiously, Payne had recently paid of his Visa in one payment and had been driving around new and rented vehicles for the past weeks. The Star-Ledger, 06/15/2015On October 4, 1997, an amateurish gang robbed Loomis, Fargo & Co. in Charlotte, NC of $17 million, the second largest heist in U.S. history. He called Kelly to say he was coming and hopped into the driver's seat of the loaded Loomis van. Ms. Campbell worked at Loomis for 11 months, leaving in November 1996, according to court papers. As an adult, he preferred Shakespeare, Tom Clancy, and any book he could find about the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Spunk. In all, agents arrested 24 people in the heist. The figures can be astounding. From there, the money was moved from the armored car to private vehicles. The unsolved crime mystery of Marilyn Sheppard. You can garnish wages. 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. The FBI began to question past and current employees of Loomis Fargo. His collection case closes in two years. One day, Campbell was speaking to an old friend named Steve Chambers. The plan was still on, but David remained steamed. Oh were not going to talk to anybody, theyre not going to be able to convict us, that bravado happens in the beginning and then it often gets worn down by the reality, Gronquist said. I ride motorcycles and fish -- normal guy, Ghantt told Counts. They could talk about anything, even topics he couldn't discuss with his wife. 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. What purpose does that serve other than to denigrate that person into abject poverty?. 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. Punishment needs to be fair and realistic. Youre supposed to get less time for cooperating, a lesser penalty, and instead, you see what she got hit with. Gronquist said. A former FBI agent 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. In one case, the restitution for a Loomis defendant may be a moving target. Theres no way to get it back, Butcher told The Charlotte Observer. 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. "I'm busy," he said. If we work together, we can all have plenty of pie.. One number is working in Campbells favor. The $17 million was stolen last Oct. 4 from the armored-car company's vault in Charlotte. 2023 Cox Media Group. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. If it didn't work out, he could return to the United States later with a new identity. Next month, Payne will back in the Charlotte federal courthouse, this time to be sentenced from weapons and methamphetamine trafficking charges. But things didnt quite work out that way. About the worst he had done as a teenager was stealing a construction company's Porta-Jon with a friend, tying it to the back of a pickup truck, and driving around for about fifteen minutes. FBI video shows the agency searching that home and finding drawers full of cash. A customs inspector, asking routine questions of bus passengers, focused her attention on him when his answers reminded her of Tommy Flanagan, the pathological-liar character played by Jon Lovitz on Saturday Night Live. Campbell and her husband had always been just scraping by, however in the weeks following the robbery, the two seemed to have more money than they've ever had. By now, you probably know the names -- David Ghantt, Steve Chambers and his wife Michelle, and Kelly Campbell. Later that year, he saw a newspaper ad for a job at Loomis Fargo. He and co-worker Kelly Campbell, 27, had developed a close relationship and were spending time together outside of work. She will never get beyond the debt. Ghantt went to Mexico leaving the money with his cohorts, thinking that he could get his share back when he needed it. The only other employee with him on this day was a trainee. By then, the FBI had become greatly concerned for Ghantts personal safety; they had learned of Chambersmurder for hirescheme. Now and again I run into blog posts that tends to make me want to get started on bloggin myself. The stated plan was for her to move to Mexico to be with him after the theft. He was a hard worker, smart enough, and had graduated from high school. "About fourteen or fifteen million dollars," he said. 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. Pink, Mr. Blue, Mr. Orange, Mr. Blonde. 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. 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. The hillbilly outfit did more that just drop a few breadcrumbs. Four-wheeling. Steve decided to send his cousin, Nathan with money down to Mexico as a ruse, while Mike the bodyguard would follow behind to take care of Ghantt. Ghantt took $50,000 for himself and fled to Cozumel, Mexico. That was taking the long view. The trainee didn't know to check to make sure it was closed. Its in the ether. In Campbells case, Gronquist says his client was buried in court-ordered debt despite the fact that she took responsibility for what she had done and cooperated with prosecutors and the FBI. "Just remind Steve," he said, "that I might be trouble my own self." There are many robberies registered in the history of America, but the Loomis Fargo Robbery is known to be the second largest robbery in the United States. The biggest restitution numbers for victims of financial crimes generally involve Ponzi schemes or sweepstakes fraud, not cash thefts. 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.. Commentary: Denial of racism is coping mechanism, Carteret Community College honors top students during 26th annual Black History Celebration, Peletier board delays action on fine for alleged practice time violation at racetrack, Commentary: State schools are funding corporation tax cuts, EDITORIAL: A paralyzed congress dances on debt limit, Sponsors sought for summer feeding program, LETTER TO THE EDITOR: More of the Truist story, Post-pandemic report shows significant increase in dropouts, crime, suspensions in county schools, Affordable housing construction begins in Beaufort, LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Existing school calendar law deserves our support, Carteret Community College to hold national anthem auditions, Topsail Island panel to lobby for terminal groin funding, LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Water contamination in Atlantic, EDITORIAL: School board resolution ignores tourism impact, Peletier will try to sell steel purchased in 2018 for never-constructed community building, Peletier board tables vegetative waste site ordinance on advice of town attorney, N.C. 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. The FBI became more suspicious after they interviewed Campbell for the third time. He says the Loomis case shows how the criminal justice system and the courts treat lower-income people differently. "I was unhappy with my life. "What would it take to make you do it?". Human nature is a flexible part of life, Gronquist said. Kelly Campbell, 29, a former company employee, entered guilty pleas earlier to bank larceny, money laundering and conspiracy to commit murder charges. Low 46F. He was on a budget for clothes, even for work boots; he had recently needed to check seven stores before finding a pair in his price range. 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. Not every agent has a case like that, he said. Getting restitution, its like pulling teeth.. Their only intimate physical contact had been kissing on a mid-September night when they had driven her pickup truck to a field behind a shooting range in Gaston County to discuss their plans and the theft's chance of success. He tried again to make the back gate rise, to no avail. Criminals dont usually get high-paying jobs after leaving prison. 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. Down in Jacksonville, a Loomis Fargo employee took $18 million from an armored van he was driving. Jim Gronquist was Campbells defense attorney. It should have been easy, but for some reason the gate didn't open for him. In the parking lot, David sat in his pickup truck smoking a cigarette and waving good-bye as the trainee drove home. 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. 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. The participants in the heist also spent lavishly on fancy jewelry, fancy cars and breast enhancement surgeries. "Do you know how much there's gonna be?" 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 its one thing to go from up here, thought, to action, he said. Also charged with money laundering were innocent relatives and friends who had co-signed safe deposit boxes. Get an email notification whenever someone contributes to the discussion. 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. Probably very egotistical of me, I thought, Yeah, sure, I can beat them, theyre college smart and thats about it, Ghantt said. As a child, he had preferred reading to playing sports, and he would say, as an adult, that although he couldn't have told you "who was on first," he knew as a kid who the Egyptian god of the dead was. The $17 million Loomis Fargo heist in Charlotte, North Carolina, was the second largest armored car robbery in U.S. history. CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Kelly Campbell, the woman who helped plan the $17 million robbery of armored-car company Loomis, Fargo was sentenced yesterday to nearly six years in prison and ordered to. This was several years before the advent of smartphones and the post-9/11 increase in federal surveillance of electronic communications, and public knowledge about this tracking was less widespread. Ghantts spending in Mexico was extravagant at first. Clerk of Court Frank Johns of Charlotte. Ghantt, who by then was long out of prison, served as a consultant. He waffled on the heist idea three or four times from late August to mid-September. It wasn't how much you stole that mattered most; it was that you had stolen in the first place. By this time, agents knew where he was and had a general idea who the other players were, so they went to every bank in town to see if any of them rented a safe deposit box. 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. LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Is this really about the needs of the poor? You cannot fine low-income people millions of dollars. 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. He wanted to leave his wife for her, and Kelly, who also was married, let him think she wanted the same. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]. She had previously been making frequent small deposits to avert suspicion. Then they returned it. 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.. ", Johnson said, "Yeah, that's it. The supervisor liked him and gave him the job. David and Kelly had driven to Rock Hill, South Carolina, and used the documents to obtain a fake ID that David would also rely on after the theft. A woman by the name of Kelly Campbell had worked there in 1996, and she and Ghantt had become friends in that time. sole discretion of the site administrators and repeat offenders may 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. He ejected the two VCR tapes that he knew had recorded him stealing the money, took them, and prepared to leave. Records show the government has garnished his Social Security checks. LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Remember why you were elected! The reason David didn't know Steve's last name was so they couldn't identify each other to the police or FBI, should cops or G-men ever enter the picture. 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. 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). Yet their lives seemed far easier and better than his. They also bought aBMW Z3with cash and made several large purchases, including a $600 statue of aNative American. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]. That sounds like a lot of money until its compared to the $18,930,201.26 the group was ordered to pay. Federal law stops government collection efforts 20 years after a defendant leaves prison. 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. Some of that money is just gone. The woman on the phone was Kelly Jane Campbell, and David had a mad crush on her. Husband and wife Steven and Michelle Chambers, whose conspicuous consumption of a luxury home, a BMW convertible, breast implants and a $600 wooden Indian, among other purchases, helped the FBI solve the crime, were assessed $3.81 million and $4.8 million, respectively. The friend was Steve Chambers, and Kelly said he knew his way around the world of crime. 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 didnt expect it.. He worked close-by to where the van and over $3 million dollars had been ditched, and was friends with Steve Chambers. 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. Heist! Sunny. For a better shopping experience, please upgrade now. Johnson had stolen $18.8 million earlier in the year, on March 19, 1997, only to be caught five months later, in late August, while crossing into Texas from Mexico to retrieve some of the money, which he'd hidden in a shed in mountainous western North Carolina. 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. But on Oct. 4, 1997, that no longer mattered and Ghantt took off with $17.3 million. In the grand scheme of things, the prison sentence for stealing $20 million wouldn't be much worse than for stealing just $500,000 maybe a few extra years behind bars. If we can sit on the money for a year, maybe two, it could work.". How he felt shorted by life. He allegedly hired a hitman to take Ghantt out, tying up the ultimate loose end. Since then, there have been numerous articles, books, documentaries and even a movie about this gang -- the gang that couldnt shoot straight. 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. VERDICT The first edition of this work was published in 2002.
I Forgot To Take My Prenatal Vitamins For A Week, How To Disable Lightspeed Systems On Chromebook, Examples Of Blind Traditions, Green Leaf Dispensary Menu, Articles L