After marrying Tammy in 1992, he worked fueling airplanes at the airport in Hilton Head, South Carolina. The government does not run debtors prisons, says U.S. But after a year, they cut it down to two agents. Steve and Michelle Chambers, who had lived in a mobile home, bought a mansion in Cramer Mountain. Criminals dont usually get high-paying jobs after leaving prison. He also stole both existing sets of vault keys and hurried into the manager's office, where three TV security screens and two VCRs were visible. If a prank seemed dangerous, David backed out. By now, you probably know the names -- David Ghantt, Steve Chambers and his wife Michelle, and Kelly Campbell. What that says is, We will never forgive you for what youve done.. And after two years, the case is just a file. However, Chambers had no intention of following those rules, believing the FBI would never connect him to Ghantt. Ghantt, his former co-worker Kelly Campbell and her friends Steve and Michelle Chambers carried out the Loomis Fargo heist on Oct. 4, 1997. Not every agent has a case like that, he said. When Ghantt called Campbell asking for more money, a plan was set in motion to take him out. 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. David said he needed Kelly to drive to Loomis before the theft that night to remove a duffel bag from his parked pickup truck. 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 . I actually loved reading through this post. These weren't the hardest of criminals, and though there was logic to not knowing each other's names, they had derived some of their methods from Hollywood depictions of crime. 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.. 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. As it neared its end, David stealthily left the vault door ajar. He would then have the bulk of his share sent south of the border. It was the second-largest. Getting that off his chest calmed him some, and the conversation returned to the plan. Steve had hired a bodyguard named Mike McKinney. Down in Jacksonville, a Loomis Fargo employee took $18 million from an armored van he was driving. Hes a family man with a wife and daughter. The movie was called Masterminds and stars Zach Galifianakis, Kristen Wiig and Owen Wilson. To the community, the Loomis Fargo heist was a big joke -- the largest hillbilly caper of all time. He allegedly hired a hitman to take Ghantt out, tying up the ultimate loose end. He loves his motorcycle and enjoys going fishing and, while hes sorry for the past, hes not ashamed to talk about it. Sunny. 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. true story that has captivated American audiences on the news and now on the big screen in the major motion picture, Masterminds. Its like, me and you sat down, I have access to pie, you like pie, all I want is my share of the pie. Of course the most famous thing inside the home was a velvet Elvis portrait. Instead he became paranoid, especially after Steve Chambers put a contract out on his life. As beads of sweat formed under his red hair, he loaded up another cart and repeated the process. Available on Compatible NOOK Devices and the free NOOK Apps. On Oct. 5, the Loomis heist celebrates its 25th birthday. David was supposed to be showing him the ropes of the job, which included cash pickups and deliveries. 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. It, too, has changed hands several times. How he felt shorted by life. He said at first, they were very proud of what they had been able to do. Join thousands already receiving our daily newsletter. The trainee didn't yet know how the place worked, a fact David planned to use to his advantage. just generally being a jerk. None of the suspects had been in any serious trouble before this. 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. After discussing his job, his marriage, and his everyday struggles, they joked about Loomis and about how easy it would be to steal from the place. Ghantt had struck up a relationship with a fellow Loomis Fargo employee, Kelly Campbell; they continued to maintain contact even after Campbell left the company. The theft at the time the second-largest cash robbery in U.S. history has been the brunt of mocking movies and books, mostly on how the thieves, who had little money to begin with, could not control their spending habits once they did. Theres no way to get it back,, And with Loomis, were looking at only one case. The Loomis defendants face no additional legal jeopardy for not paying off their debts. That movie, Masterminds, was filmed in 2014. The world is full of unexplained events, strange mysteries, and mysterious legends. Butcher says the federal courts in the Western District of North Carolina have never handled a case quite like Loomis. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. The government does not run debtors prisons, says U.S. Investigators considered Ghantt to be the prime suspect almost from the beginning. He added that he would be able to send the trainee home at about 6:00 p.m. and would then need about an hour to load the money from carts, shelves, and the floor into a Loomis company van. be blocked or permanently banned without warning. David and the trainee left the warehouse. You can have your whole career and not have a case like that. 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. "Don't back out on us. Discover the truth behind unexplained ancient mysteries, UFO mysteries, secret locations and paranormal events. How did they get away with stealing more than $17 million? What purpose does that serve other than to denigrate that person into abject poverty?. I was relieved emotionally because I knew there was a good chance my luck might run out, Ghantt said. The affidavit described Chambers as a former FBI informant who had provided information on another Loomis armored car robbery that never materialized. The case had gotten national publicity and was the subject of numerous articles, documentaries and even a movie. One day, the two employees were in the break room and got to talking about the news of the day a massive bank heist that just occurred in Florida by someone at their company. Paying the money back has taken a lot longer, and time is running out for the U.S. government to collect. In this outrageously entertaining book, Jeff Diamant, the Charlotte Observer's lead reporter on the case, offers the definitive inside account of this astonishing. He had stayed in a luxury hotel and paid for expensive food and activities such asscuba divingandparasailing. She had attitude. The trainee didn't know to check to make sure it was closed. Ghantt was working as a vault supervisor for Loomis Fargo in Charlotte in 1997, earning about $8 an hour and tired of his humdrum life. Thats pretty standard in restitution matters. 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. The friend was Steve Chambers, and Kelly said he knew his way around the world of crime. Of course, this would all be a radical departure for him, and thoughts of his wife and parents did give him pause. 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. If it didn't work out, he could return to the United States later with a new identity. Ghantts spending in Mexico was extravagant at first. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. It all went down in Charlotte, North Carolina, and the man at the center of that heist, David Scott Ghantt, now lives in Jacksonville. That first day in prison was scary, Ghantt said. That was taking the long view. For the defendants in the Loomis Fargo heist, its allure was irresistible. But you cant get blood from a stone, Johns said. The bizarre true story of the criminals behind the second-largest bank heist in American history. Now, at 7:45 p.m., with all the money finally inside the van, his aching muscles could take a breather. Campbell, a mother of two, was in the process of divorcing Most people are going to forgive you. One number is working in Campbells favor. Records show the government has garnished his Social Security checks. Many of the lesser players in the conspiracy have been the most effective in paying their debts. There's just one hitch: Ghantt has entrusted the money to an oddball crew of accomplices who had wooed him into committing this massive theft in the first placeand who, he soon learns, are trying to take him out. Friends of Campbell had also begun spending large amounts of cash. In August 1997, Campbell informed Ghantt about an old high school friend of hers named Steve Chambers, who could assist Ghantt to execute a massive cash robbery of the Loomis Fargo vault in one night. He couldn't understand the gap, why he wasn't more successful, why he couldn't at least match the financial stability of his father, who earned a comfortable salary driving a truck. 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. Steve's a serious guy.". 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. In addition, he also rented Mike his own apartment, paid him $400/weekly and bought him a gun. They hadn't slept together or even fooled around much, but he was ready to commit. But being the vault supervisor at Loomis Fargo had one perk -- exposure to tons of 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. Another name the FBI had become very interested in is Eric Payne. she asked. I appreciate your kind words! When you have money, you just have different problems: The Loomis Fargo heist, 25 years later. "Do you know how much there's gonna be?" Another time, the day after a Christmas in the late 1980s, David and some friends planted all the discarded Christmas trees from the area in one neighbor's front yard. In 2017, for example, Paul Burks of Lexington was ordered to pay $244 million to the victims of his worldwide Ponzi scheme, Zeek Rewards. When they hung up, she called his pager and left the code 1-4-3, beeper-speak for "I love you," based on the number of letters in each word. He knew his mother would be traumatized, shocked, and appalled. There are multiples of thousands of these things coming every year. Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. 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. Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. NASCAR. Enabling JavaScript in your browser will allow you to experience all the features of our site. Living with his wife, Tammy, in a mobile home, he had longed for the middle-class lifestyle of his childhood that had come to seem luxurious, a pipe dream for him now. Discover some of the worlds strangest ancient places. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. You Save 23%. 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. He realized his life wouldn't improve unless he did something drastic. OWLS director fired in wake of new board taking over, New rules will require flood history disclosure in real estate, North Carolina recreational spring flounder season canceled for 2023, Supreme Court seems ready to sink student loan forgiveness, Beach commission gets update on search for new sources of sand for beach nourishment. Low 46F. Kelly had approached David with the idea in the summer, knowing he had a crush on her and winning him over with the promise that a shady friend of hers with Mafia ties would help them. He says the Loomis case shows how the criminal justice system and the courts treat lower-income people differently. Pink, Mr. Blue, Mr. Orange, Mr. Blonde. They swept the surrounding counties, locating Kelly Campbell and Eric Payne in their homes. Tuesday marked 25 years since a group of buddies pulled off the third-largest money grab in U.S. history -- the Loomis Fargo heist. The police almost immediately called theFBI, since 95% of the money handled at the facility was owned by banks. At 2:20 p.m., the phone rang; it was Kelly again. Some of that money is just gone. They also bought aBMW Z3with cash and made several large purchases, including a $600 statue of aNative American. 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. Unexplained Mysteries and Strange Things,Cool Interesting stuff has been online since early 2011. 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. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. He was signed by the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2002. While Ghantt waited for the heat from the robbery to die down, Chambers would send Ghantt small amounts of money. Spunk. Next month, Payne will back in the Charlotte federal courthouse, this time to be sentenced from weapons and methamphetamine trafficking charges. Loomis Fargo heist: 25 years later While David Ghantt trusted Steve Chambers enough to leave his cut behind, Chambers had other plans. Twenty people were convicted of roles big and small in the massive 1997 armored-car warehouse heist in west Charlotte. He is a graduate of Yale and has worked for the Connecticut Post, the Associated Press, and the Palm Beach Post. When I put that cash in the back of the car, by the time I got to the office the whole car smelled like that. Seven p.m. came and went, and so did 7:20. Criminals dont usually get high-paying jobs after leaving prison. You can seize property. His collection case closes in two years. He was a hard worker, smart enough, and had graduated from high school. : The $17 Million Loomis Fargo Theft. Campbell was released from federal custody in 2004 after serving five years, meaning her collection case will age out in December 2024. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]. How he and his wife had trouble communicating. In one case, the restitution for a Loomis defendant may be a moving target. Driving away, he said he felt a mix of fear, confidence and excitement that he outsmarted the FBI. So they went to Mexico and arrested Ghantt in order to protect him. It just happened to fall on my desk.. 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. 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. 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. A woman by the name of Kelly Campbell had worked there in 1996, and she and Ghantt had become friends in that time. He deserved better. "Just think about it," she said. The woman on the phone was Kelly Jane Campbell, and David had a mad crush on her. The biggest restitution numbers for victims of financial crimes generally involve Ponzi schemes or sweepstakes fraud, not cash thefts. 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. Former Loomis employee David Scott Ghantt is accused of stealing the money. You can seize property. But this time on the phone, Kelly wasn't joking. She had previously been making frequent small deposits to avert suspicion. Not all of them, but some of them are going to forgive you, theyre going to overlook it., he said. LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Is this really about the needs of the poor? Over 88% of the money has been recovered since the heist. Human nature is a flexible part of life, Gronquist said. The Loomis case is another example where the amount of restitution ordered vs. what is actually paid are two dramatically different numbers.
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