The plan was for Ghantt to commit the robbery and then quickly leave the country for Mexico but to leave the bulk of the cash with Chambers. Q: Do you ever think about what your life would be like if you had gotten away with the money? We were two paychecks away from being homeless at any given time.. As Predators' David Poile braces for retirement, his wife reveals their love story. You see, theres a reason Loomis Fargo used armored cars to move large amounts of cash. Its gone! Theres barely a laugh in the entire film, which looks like it was shot entirely in one take while the actors were still working out their characters. Hayley Milliman is a former teacher turned writer who blogs about education, history, and technology. David Ghantt had been a model employee for an armored car company before pulling off the second biggest cash heist in U.S. history, fleeing with more than . The morning after the height, employees of Loomis Fargo realized they couldnt open the vault. Loomis Fargo employees could not open the vault the next morning and called the police. I was working sometimes 75-80 hrs a week for $8.15 an hour, I didnt even have a real home life because I was never there I was working all the time and unhappy which is understandable considering how old I was at the time. Masterminds (2016) - IMDb 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. Said Ghantt, one day life kinda slapped me in the face. Ghantt, who had been with the bank since 1994, was promoted from driver to vault supervisor in 1997, where he earned $360 a week and befriended Kelly Campbell (Wiig), who got Ghantt mixed up in the plans for the heist after she left Loomis. Campbell was another employee at Loomis Fargo and she and Ghantt quickly struck up a relationship, one that Campbell denies was ever romantic though FBI evidence says otherwise, and one that continued after she left the company. [1], Steven Chambers finished serving his sentence in November 2006. Even the outtakes during the credits are bad. CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS FROM MASTERMIND MOVIE. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Our new student and parent forum, at ExpertHub.PrepScholar.com, allow you to interact with your peers and the PrepScholar staff. Its a farce that never farces; a comedy without jokes. David Ghantt normally came home between 6 and 8 p.m., and often he was late, his wife said. Check out our top-rated graduate blogs here: PrepScholar 2013-2018. Too stupid to be true? Five 'Masterminds' missteps that actually happened By Dustin Rowles | Film | September 30, 2016 |. While listening in, they uncovered another more sinister alleged plan to kill Ghantt. Ill never pay it off on my paycheck, Ghantt said. When the rest of the Loomis Fargo employees showed up the next morning and found that they couldnt open the vault, they called the police. But in addition to a wife,. Explain: The scary part is that as soon as you put that little bit of money in the van, that there's no going back. My name is David Scott Ghantt. Ghantt has never explained where that money went. But because he still owes millions to the IRS, he couldnt be paid. Will Mcintyre/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty ImagesMichele Chambers 1998 BMW for sale following the prosecutions of the Loomis Fargo heist conspirators. David Ghantt, who pulled off the Loomis, Fargo & Co. vault robbery in 1997 and was sentenced to seven years in prison for the crime, served as a consultant for the film (in theaters Friday).. Meanwhile, David Ghantt was relaxing on a beach in Cozumel, Mexico. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Whisler said he didn't think those factors should result in a reduced sentence. Within two days, the investigators found the van with $3 million in cash and the security camera tapes inside. We would like to show you a description here but the site won't allow us. Culler acknowledged that she had overheard her husband and co-defendant Kelly Campbell talk about the plan, ``but she thought it was fantasy world.'. dvelopper et amliorer nos produits et services. 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. Investigators considered Ghantt to be the prime suspect almost from the beginning. The defense has finished its closing argument in the murder trial of Alex Murdaugh. A lot of people ask me, Oh, do you have any regrets? No, not really. So he hatched a plan to rob his employers. Ghantts accomplices soon showed up but now they had another problem. The only defendant to not plead guilty, Chambers's attorney Jeff Guller, was found guilty of money laundering and sentenced to eight years in prison. With a cast like this, and Emily Spivey (Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Up All Night) as part of the writing team, Masterminds shouldnt be nearly as obnoxious and dull as it is, but nothing ever clicks. Campbell used to work for Loomis and continued the friendship with Ghantt, eventually . Masterminds | On-set visit with Zach Galifianakis 'David Ghantt' Eventually, Ghantt called in from Mexico, seeking more money, and the FBI officially recognized Chambers as a co-conspirator. A comedy film called Masterminds, based on the Loomis Fargo heist and starring Zach Galifianakis, Kristen Wiig, Owen Wilson, and Jason Sudeikis, was released in 2016. They also bought a BMW Z3 with cash and made several large purchases, including a $600 cigar store Indian. Kate. The pair were both from the United States but had lived in the Peloponnese region of Greece for the past few years. I didnt even have a real home life because I was never there. Instead, the bandits just started throwing as much money as they could into the van until they couldnt fit anymore. The judge said he doubted she would be able to pay the $4.8 million restitution, but said federal law required him to impose it. Going to prison helped me grow up as a human being. Its kind of out of sight, out of mind, she said of the reasoning. The pair began to daydream about whether they could really pull off the heist. One of the best ways to learn more about U.S. history is to make sure youre taking history classes. The Thieves Who Couldn'T Cope With $17 Million The jokes between Ghantt and Campbell about their disgruntlement with their jobs took on a more serious note when Campbell introduced Ghantt to an old high school classmate of hers named Steve Chambers. Philosophically, now looking back I wouldnt be who I am now if I hadnt gone through all that, said David Scott Ghantt in an interview with the Observer. Ghantt, now 29, was a tall, decorated Persian Gulf War veteran whom early newspaper reports likened to Huckleberry Finn. Investigators also found Ghantt's pickup truck, abandoned at the warehouse. If you're trying to make yourself better today, that's all most people care about. By now, you probably know the names -- David Ghantt, Steve Chambers and his wife Michelle, and Kelly Campbell. Just the ability to come and go as I please and walk barefooted in the backyard means so much. Loomis Fargo employee David Ghantt and his partners nearly pulled off the perfect crime, but it would be their lavish spending, and an alleged murder plot, that would be their undoing. Thats the big thing. 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. Now, here we are, two years later. Did you know that the SAT offers subject exams, too? In addition to her work for PrepScholar, Hayley is the author of Museum Hack's Guide to History's Fiercest Females. AI Chatbots are Even Scarier Than You Think, DeSantiss Educational Policies Come Right Out of the Fascist Playbook, Erase the Memory to Erase a People? You can't get barbecue slaw in this hedonistic state (Florida), and there's nowhere to get real ice cream here like Tony's. Victoria Beckham's Family Including Brooklyn and Wife Nicola 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. The problem with the movie, however, is that the talented cast had no idea what the hell they were trying to do. What Happened to Steve Chambers After Prison Fitness Center? The connection to Chambers took more time. While she made small deposits at first, she became more reckless, eventually making a deposit of thousands of dollars in cash, telling the teller not to worry: Its not drug money.. They took a lot of liberty with the story here and there. The Current TikTok Ban Doesnt Go Far Enough. EDITORIAL. Having only brought $50,000 in cash, however, Ghantt soon found himself short on funds. Nous, Yahoo, faisons partie de la famille de marques Yahoo. Retro CharlotteFBI security footage of David Ghantt in the midst of the Loomis Fargo heist. "Wells Fargo and Loomis forming armored car company", Last edited on 21 February 2023, at 16:45, Learn how and when to remove this template message, painting of Elvis Presley on black velvet, "FindACase | United States of America v. Steven Eugene Chambers", "The Unperfect Crime | New Dominion Pictures", "Sunday Evening/Late Night September 9, 2001", "Loomis Fargo heist: Q&A with guy who stole $17 million", "MASTERMINDS - Movie Production NotesCinemaReview.com", Ghantt and other gang members arrested in March 1998, Steven Chambers released from prison; announces he is a "retired criminal", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=October_1997_Loomis_Fargo_robbery&oldid=1140756292, Overcoming the mindset that led to the part David Ghantt played in the Loomis robbery and how he started on a new path was the subject of the book, Within days of the robbery, the case was depicted on the television criminal reporting show, An expanded two-hour special episode of the crime documentary series. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. I think Zachs a hell of an actor. I stole $17 million, and Zach Galifianakis played me in a movie. Once the hitman Chambers had hired arrived in Mexico, he found that he couldnt bring himself to kill Ghantt. Steven Chambers, left, and David Scott Ghantt leave federal court. Chambers was a small-time crook who suggested to Campbell that they rob Loomis Fargo. At the. Whisler told the judge that the couple had searched for a new house before the theft, and that Michele Chambers bought rubber bands from Wal-Mart to count the money the night of the crime. In fact, David Ghantt was about to commit the heist of a lifetime. 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. But it was Ghantt, now 47 and living with his wife and daughter in Jacksonville, Florida,who actually took more than 2,000 pounds of cash and just drove away from his job. The missing couple were identified as David Harrison Robinson and his wife Lucretia Robinson. However, the FBI knew immediately who robbed the vault (Ghant was seen on video camera), and it didnt take long for the FBI to loop in Kelly Campbell. What SAT Target Score Should You Be Aiming For? If you can see the obvious flaw in this plan, namely that Chambers would have no reason whatsoever to actually wire Ghantt any money, then congratulations. At the time it was thesecond largest bank heistin U.S. history. They called the police, who brought in the FBI, classifying the heist as a bank robbery. When I interviewed for this job about three years ago, I told (my boss) that I had some dirt in my background, and if he went digging for it, he would find it. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Generally, the events of the film are fairly close to reality when they follow the broad details of the case. Elizabeth Poile was in 10th . 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. But last Oct. 4, when he still hadn't gotten home by 2:30 a.m., she called his parents in. ``There are many people with those factors who don't resort to crime,' he said. Over the next months, Ghantt, Campbell, and Chambers developed a plan. The real story behind the second largest bank heist in history, which In 2020, the television show Super Heists portrayed the heist in Episode 3, "Van Full of Dollars". In October of 1997, I was a vault supervisor for armored truck company Loomis Fargo, when I made off with $17.3 million. LRM Exclusive Interview: David Ghantt, Real Life Thief Who Inspired [15], "David Ghantt" redirects here. FBI security footage of David Ghantt in the midst of the Loomis Fargo heist. How Did A Model Employee Manage To Steal More Than $17 Million - Yahoo! Harper Beckham and her dad David Beckham dressed in matching black outfits as they headed to a Paris Fashion Week event being thrown by Harper's mom and David's wife Victoria . For the New York State assemblyman, see. Separating the Red and Blue. Question: Which do you regret more, stealing the money or getting caught? Channel 9 speaks with the man at the center of Loomis Fargo heist 25 From there, the money was moved from the company vehicle to private vehicles. $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. Guess what? I wanted to make a drastic change and I went for it, Ghantt remembered later to the Gaston Gazette. Once the heat was off, Ghantt would return and they would split the haul evenly. According to Campbell, Chambers could help Ghantt execute a massive cash robbery of the vault at Loomis Fargo in one night. I knew that if we could stay off the radar for about a year, we could basically live a vacation life, Ghantt said. Learning about US history? And Ghantt hadnt really thought about the physical challenge of moving such a large sum of money. Naturally, Ghantt started to run out of cash and turned to Chambers, who was annoyed by his requests for more money. Until it's gone, you don't appreciate it. In August 1997, Campbell informed Ghantt of an old high school friend of hers, Steve Chambers, who could assist Ghantt in executing a massive cash robbery of the Loomis Fargo vault in one night. After this look at David Ghantt and the Loomis Fargo heist, read about a more successful robbery, the Antwerp diamond heist. This page was last edited on 21 February 2023, at 16:45. Will California Save the Iconic Joshua Tree? The Election, U.S. Foreign Policy, And Harold Pinter's 2005 Nobel Lecture, Nate Parker on Rape Allegations: 'I Don't Feel Guilty'. Everybody thinks being famous and being an actor is stupendous, and the money is fantastic, but they kind of live in afish bowl. David Ghantt, a Gulf War veteran, had never been in trouble with the law. But Ghantt has been open about what he did and how he believes it changed him for the better. Campbell was receptive and brought the idea up to Ghantt. He then proceeded to load about $17.3 million in cash (approximately $11 million of which was in $20 bills) into the back of a company van. START or Stop: Do Nuclear Weapons Treaties Matter? The true crime behind Asheville-based Galifianakis film Ghantts wife was reportedly nothing like the bizarre, robotic fiance character in the film, for instance. Ghantt, in order to conserve this money, curtailed his spending. Then you end up in a eight by ten cube and youre going to share that cube with two other people. A: People are very forgiving if you're open and honest right from the start. He was insecure. Chambers had broached the possibility of a robbery to Campbell earlier in the summer. A movie based on the heist starring Zach Galifianakis, Kristen Wiig, Owen Wilson, Jason Sudeikis, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones and directed by Jared Hess (the guy who made Napoleon Dynamite) is out now on Blu-ray and DVD. He also took various measures to change his appearance, such as shaving, after a patron at a restaurant pointed out to him that he "looked like the man who robbed a bank of $20 million. Too bad it was so poorly planned. Chambers, it turned out, became the biggest source of evidence for the FBI. That suspicion was immediately confirmed by a quick glance at the security camera footage that showed Ghantt doing a little dance after loading all the cash into the van. Once Ghantt loaded the large haul from the vaultwhich could have been close to $20 millioninto a truck, he planned to drive to a second location, then head straight to the airport and fly to Mexico. Over the years many of his social . Meanwhile, Ghantt would take $50,000, as much as could legally be carried across the border without questions, and flee to Mexico. Q: Your troubles were self-inflicted, but you seem happy. All of the defendants except for one pleaded guilty and accepted their sentences. But before thehit could be carried out, the FBI swooped in and arrested Ghantt and the others. [citation needed], The defendants were the targets of many barbed jokes in Charlotte and across the country, in part because of their extravagant spending. Ghantt's spending in Mexico was extravagant at first. Because Ghantt was the only employee who wasnt there that morning, he became the obvious suspect. Playing upon David's obvious feelings for her, Kelly is the . I didnt even know about it and overlooked it, he said. Afterward, outside the courthouse, her parents said the length was about what she had expected. It's been 20 years since the Loomis Fargo heist. - Charlotte Observer Ask below and we'll reply! The painful part is that when you get caught, that the part of your brain that was trying to talk to you when you first started the robbery was right, and that's like a dump truck running over you. When Seymour Hersh Strained to Keep Up With CounterPunch, Nichole Stephens, Administrative Assistant. Michele Chambers' sentence was two months longer than that given to David Scott Ghantt, the Loomis employee who removed the money from the company vault on Oct. 4, 1997. David Ghantt was a nuisance to Steve Chambers and Kelly Campbell, John Wydra, a retired FBI agent who handled the case, told Super Heists.. Ghantt believed the new employee would make a good replacement for his wife, but the feelings were not necessarily reciprocated. A Comprehensive Guide. While Ghantt waited for the heat from the robbery to die down, Chambers would send Ghantt small amounts of money. During the next few months they bought a BMW-Z3 roadster and tens of thousands of dollars in antiques, furniture and decorations. He had never been in trouble with the law. Masterminds is an atrociously bad comedy, and absolutely everyone is to blame. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! mesurer votre utilisation de nos sites et applications. She had previously been making frequent small deposits to avert suspicion. Based on a true story, the premise itself is fascinating, which makes Masterminds all the more a waste. While Ghantt spent more than 6 1/2 years in federal prison, he said he usedthat time to"re-invent" himself. Hes a great person. An additional tip reached the FBI when Michelle Chambers made a large deposit at a bank. He made it across the border just as his deception was discovered. David Ghantt And The Loomis Fargo Heist: The Outrageous True Story But even though he worked for a company that regularly moved millions of dollars, David Ghantt himself was underpaid. Als u uw keuzes wilt aanpassen, klik dan op 'Privacyinstellingen beheren'. But thanks in part to the film, the outlandish story of David Ghannt and the Loomis Fargo heist will surely live on for years to come. The two struck up a friendship during work that would continue after Campbell left the company. . Authorities had the receipt and had known it was missing. afficher des publicits et des contenus personnaliss en fonction de vos profils de centres dintrt; mesurer lefficacit des publicits et contenus personnaliss; et. But even though he worked for a company that regularly moved millions of dollars, David Ghantt himself was underpaid. Q: Do you appreciate your normal life now more than you would if you hadn't spent years in prison? Before he decided to steal $17 million from the bank, Ghantt had worked for years as a relatively taciturn and compliant employee. They would then load as much cash as they could carry into a van. Chambers and his wife also made some cash payments on a few cars. Here, he amps up the most obnoxious excesses of his entire cast and lets their grating bad-improv skills run amok. 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. It was an open-and-shut case and all authorities had to do now was to find the culprit and identify Ghantts accomplices. The judge said he would recommend that Michele Chambers be given mental health treatment in prison. The FBI quickly connected Ghantt to Campbell, who was a former Loomis Fargo employee. Ghantt, Chambers, and Campbell came up with the following plan: Ghantt would remain in the vault after his shift on the night of the heist, Oct. 4, 1997, and let his co-conspirators into the vault. [7][8], Rocket Science, a 1998 double-disc album by Charlotte-based radio personalities John Boy & Billy, includes a track ("Marvin: The Loomis Caper") mocking the defendants. A: I like the 47-year-old David Ghantt more than I did the 20-something David Ghantt. his wife-to-be. Wij, Yahoo, maken deel uit van de Yahoo-merkenfamilie. David Ghantt was portrayed by Zackary Hatfield. Dont come to me for a treasure map, Ill put it to you that way., Michael Sainatos writing has appeared in the Guardian, Miami Herald, Baltimore Sun, Denver Post, Buffalo News, the Hill, Alternet, and several other publications . Unfortunately, he failed to disable the third camera. CREATIVE. Across the border in Mexico, Ghantt was also living it up. Si vous ne souhaitez pas que nos partenaires et nousmmes utilisions des cookies et vos donnes personnelles pour ces motifs supplmentaires, cliquez sur Refuser tout. David Ghantt : I had a hard time liftin' it up. The chief running joke in Masterminds is the Prince Valiant 'do gamely sported by Galifianakis as David Ghantt, . The Loomis Fargo heist became something of a media lightning rod. ``I wish she'd gotten less. Chambers would hold on to most of the remaining cash and wire it to Ghantt as needed. On Oct. 5, 1997, Ghantt carried out the heist during his regular shift after sending another employee home, stealing more than $17 million from the bank vault. Jared Hess directed Masterminds, and god bless the guy, but if Gentlemen Broncos and Nacho Libre were not proof enough that Napoleon Dynamite was a fluke, Masterminds should seal the deal. All rights reserved. He was like OK, yeah, we can do that, she recalled. We caught up with David Ghantt about life after his $17m heist, hanging out with Zach Galifianakis and the accuracy of Masterminds, a new movie based on. While making only eight dollars an hour in his role as supervisor, Ghantt decided it was time to do something: I was unhappy with my life. When Ghantt called Chambers to have the latter wire him more money, Chambers sent just a few thousand dollars. Michele Chambers' sentence was two months longer than that given to David Scott Ghantt, the Loomis employee who removed the money from the company vault on Oct. 4, 1997. In addition to his phone calls with Ghantt, Chambers began extravagantly spending the money, even though the co-conspirators had agreed to lay low for a year or two. 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. Chambers, his wife, and several of their accomplices were arrested the next day. David Ghantt And The Loomis Fargo Heist: The Outrageous True Story. Both were involved in the second-largest cash heist in U.S. history, in which a group of people stole $17 million from the. 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. The brother of a man killed by a woman now charged with murder in Chambers County said he sees similarities in his brother's case and the case of woman's latest husband's death. By then, the FBI had become greatly concerned for Ghantt's personal safety; they had learned that Chambers had plotted to have Ghantt killed in a murder for hire scheme using a "hit man" named Michael McKinney. Then Michele made a trip to the bank. You can reach Kevin Ellis at 704-869-1823 or www.Twitter.com/TheGazetteKevin. This Wednesday marks the 20th anniversary of the notorious Loomis Fargo heist. Campbell left her job in the summer of 1997, but she would later use Ghantts feelings for her to her own advantage to get him to agree to carry out the multi-million-dollar heist. Degrowth or Debunk: Do Degrowth proponents have a strategy? As a vault supervisor for Loomis Fargo, David had access to the vaults and all the cash within. How? As the FBI listened in to Chambers calls, they discovered that he was also planning to have Ghantt assassinated, hoping to keep all the money for himself.
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