Where ever it was, it is long gone now. Her sentence would've been ``substantially' less if she hadn't kept it, officials said. 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. They got to work planning the straightforward heist that would rely on Ghantts existing access to the vault, fewer staff at the warehouse on the weekends, and the ability to use one of the companys armored trucks to make the successful getaway. Ghantt was joking in the breakroom with fellow Loomis Fargo employee Kelly Campbell. On March 1, 1988, Mexican police arrested Ghantt at Playa del Carmen. 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 figured it had to be me. I didnt even have a real home life because I was never there. How? David GhanttRetweeted Iraqveteran8888 @Iraqveteran8888 Dec 9, 2022 Elect me President and I'll fire everyone, free Julian Assange, and pardon Edward Snowden. Im like, You need to understand that, that money has been missing for 20 years. 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. dvelopper et amliorer nos produits et services. I realized a lot of things that were wrong with me as a person. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. I knew that if we could stay off the radar for about a year, we could basically live a vacation life, Ghantt said. Working by himself, Ghantt would commit the robbery and then flee for Mexico, leaving the bulk of the cash with Chambers. Naturally, Ghantt started to run out of cash and turned to Chambers, who was annoyed by his requests for more money. You'd be amazed at how much stress you can relieve yourself from in your life by just taking 20 or so minutes a day for yourself and just letting the world go. Q: Do you ever think about what your life would be like if you had gotten away with the money? Zach Galifianakis played David Scott Ghantt, with other roles played byOwen Wilson, Jason Sudeikis, Leslie Jones, Kristen Wiig and Kate McKinnon. 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. [1], This robbery was the second-largest cash robbery on U.S. soil at the time, as only seven months earlier, on March 29, 1997 in Jacksonville, Florida, Philip Noel Johnson stole $18.8 million from the Loomis Fargo armored vehicle he was driving.[2]. While listening in, they uncovered another more sinister alleged plan to kill Ghantt. Investigators considered Ghantt to be the prime suspect almost from the beginning. So Chambers decided to solve the problem by putting a hit on Ghantt. Three of the 21 defendants in the case haven't been sentenced. Will Mcintyre/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images. Ghantt, a U.S. Army veteran, was living a relatively "boring" life working as the vault superintendent at a Loomis Fargo armored car warehouse just outside Charlotte, North Carolina making a relatively meager paycheck, when he crossed paths with Kelly Campbell. Some people screw up big like you, some people screw up small.". Galifianakis will play the armored car driver, David, who evades authorities, will be searching for his co-conspirators who betrayed him, Kelly (Kristen Wiig) and Steve (Owen Wilson). Two days after the heist, the FBI found the missing van with $3.3 million of cash left in it. Si vous souhaitez personnaliser vos choix, cliquez sur Grer les paramtres de confidentialit. When she was a teacher, Hayley's students regularly scored in the 99th percentile thanks to her passion for making topics digestible and accessible. They had initially agreed to control their spending for a year or two, in the belief that the government would vigorously track the spending habits of any and all suspects for at least a year before relenting. Guess what? A: People are very forgiving if you're open and honest right from the start. Unfortunately, he failed to disable the third camera. 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. Will Mcintyre/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty ImagesMichele Chambers 1998 BMW for sale following the prosecutions of the Loomis Fargo heist conspirators. Just the ability to come and go as I please and walk barefooted in the backyard means so much. David Ghantt was the vault supervisor for Loomis, Fargo & Co. armored cars, which managed the transportation of large sums of cash between banks in North Carolina. BBC Motion Gallery. In addition to her work for PrepScholar, Hayley is the author of Museum Hack's Guide to History's Fiercest Females. Defense attorney Jim Griffin laid out his team's side of the case to the jury for more than two hours, arguing . Q: Your troubles were self-inflicted, but you seem happy. 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. 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. The Proposed TikTok Ban Goes Too Far. Victoria Beckham's family were on hand as she debuted her latest collection at Paris Fashion Week on March 3, including her and husband David Beckham's oldest child, Brooklyn Beckham . 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Too bad it was so poorly planned. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. When the cheerleading coach broke the news to Katrina Kohel that she was the only one left on the cheer squad, Kohel was determined to compete anyway. David Ghantt spent 11 years in the military and now works as a film consultant on the side. You see, theres a reason Loomis Fargo used armored cars to move large amounts of cash. But because he still owes millions to the IRS, he couldnt be paid. hbspt.cta.load(360031, '4efd5fbd-40d7-4b12-8674-6c4f312edd05', {}); Have any questions about this article or other topics? Ghantts wife was reportedly nothing like the bizarre, robotic fiance character in the film, for instance. They would then load as much cash as they could carry into a van. Investigators also found Ghantt's pickup truck, abandoned at the warehouse. He told me they were in the dirt business, so he didn't have to worry too much about me. Kelly Campbell is scheduled to be sentenced in October. Jimmy Carter is a Liberal Saint Now, Was a War Criminal Then. David Bragg . 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. Going to prison helped me grow up as a human being. Day in and day out, he drives an armored vehicle,. 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. However, the fact that a man who formerly lived in a mobile home was lavishly spending money on a luxury home ($635,000 in cash), expensive cars, and a ring ($42,000 in cash) eventually made it easy to connect the dots. 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 CNBCs Super Heists, airing Monday at 10 p.m. Ghantt, a U.S. Army veteran, was living a relatively boring life working as the vault superintendent at a Loomis Fargo armored car warehouse just outside Charlotte, North Carolina making a relatively meager paycheck, when he crossed paths with Kelly Campbell. 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. VIDEO. Her reaction seems so far away now, all these years and a Hall of Fame career later. By Dustin Rowles | Film | September 30, 2016 |. 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. The move bought him a little extra time to make his escape. The police then called the FBI because most of the money handled at the facility belonged to banks, which technically made it a bank robbery a federal offense.[5]. Its easy to get somebody to do something if you know that they are that infatuated with you.. 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. Ghantt and his compatriots, it turns out, had underestimated how bulky money is. I mean, thats pretty much why I did it. On Oct. 4, 1997, former Kings Mountain resident David Scott Ghantt finished his shift as a vault supervisor for Loomis Fargo in Charlotte. Theyre meant to be trailer-park trash, but they come off as character experiments on a bad night at the Groundlings. 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 only defendant to not plead guilty, Chambers's attorney Jeff Guller, was found guilty of money laundering and sentenced to eight years in prison. On March 12, a Charlotte grand jury indicted the eight co-conspirators for bank larceny and money laundering; the latter offense was included because of how they spent the stolen money. Here's whatGhantt says now about the heist that madethe "Cramer Mountain Hillbillies" famous and changed him forever. Separating the Red and Blue. Authorities began to hone in on the group and put a wire tap on Campbell's phones. ``I'm glad she didn't get nine years,' said Sandra Floyd, her mother. Across the border in Mexico, Ghantt was also living it up. On the night of October 4, the plan went into action. Meanwhile, David Ghantt was relaxing on a beach in Cozumel, Mexico. Lindy Hop: The Dance That Defined The Golden Age of Jazz, Inside The Unsolved Disappearance Of Jennifer Kesse, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch, David Ghantt attends the 2016 after party for the Hollywood premiere of. He worked fueling airplanes, driving a forklift, and in 1994 he got a job as a vault superintendent at Loomis. 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. He was angry a lot. At the time it was the second largest cash robbery ever to happen on US soil. After his release, Ghantt took a job as a construction worker and was eventually brought on as a consultant for the 2016 movie Masterminds, based on the Loomis Fargo Heist. Michele Chambers 1998 BMW for sale following the prosecutions of the Loomis Fargo heist conspirators. Follow him on twitter: @MSainat1, 20 Years Later: Masterminds of One of the Largest Bank Heists in U.S. History, The CIAs Changing Take on the Climate Emergency, Emancipation, Hollywoods Best Civil War Film Ever. Then check out another bank robber who inspired a movie, John Wojtowicz. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. I got no real complaints, not at this point., The heist became the premise for the movie,Masterminds, released in September 2016. The pair were both from the United States but had lived in the Peloponnese region of Greece for the past few years. An FBI criminal investigation ultimately resulted in the arrest and conviction of eight people directly involved in the heist, as well as sixteen others who had indirectly helped them, and the recovery of approximately 88% of the stolen money. But in addition to a wife,. ``I wish she'd gotten less. Campbell was receptive and brought the idea up to Ghantt. He made his own self miserable. Generally, the events of the film are fairly close to reality when they follow the broad details of the case. Did you know that the SAT offers subject exams, too? When Seymour Hersh Strained to Keep Up With CounterPunch, Nichole Stephens, Administrative Assistant. Two of them, Mike and Kim Goodman, are scheduled to be sentenced today. My name is David Scott Ghantt. Chambers promised to wire him money in Mexico until the investigation blew over and Ghantt could return to North Carolina. Get the latest articles and test prep tips! Bubbling under the surface, however, was a deep frustration at the way he was treated. After years of working hard, the realisation hit . Chambers also promised to join Ghantt in Mexico as soon as she could, but she admitted to Super Heists she never had any intention of actually making the trip. The thieves had simply abandoned whatever they couldnt carry away. But of course, then they had to decorate that spectacular new space and so they spent tens of thousands of dollars on things like cigar store Indians, paintings of Elvis, and a bulldog dressed up like George Patton. Ghantt has never explained where that money went. The next day, Steve and Michelle Chambers, Kelly Campbell, and four others were arrested.[6]. Als u uw keuzes wilt aanpassen, klik dan op 'Privacyinstellingen beheren'. 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. The plan to rob Loomis Fargo was spawned by Campbell and her friend Steve Chambers, during a casual bonfire at Chambers home. Nous, Yahoo, faisons partie de la famille de marques Yahoo. At the time it was thesecond largest bank heistin U.S. history. Ten days later, the group was indicted for bank larceny and money laundering. David Ghantt discovers the true meaning of adventure far beyond his wildest dreams. He completed his prison sentence in November 2006. Chambers wife, Michelle, bought a minivan in cash and began taking frequent trips to the bank to make deposits. I stole $17 million, and Zach Galifianakis played me in a movie. There was also no dramatic showdown between Chambers and Ghantt as the movie suggests. Ghantt reported to Chambers that his supply of money was running low, but Chambers sent Ghantt just $8,000. He then began loading $17 million in unmarked bills inside a company van before driving away. 20 years ago,on the night ofOctober 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. Not only was Ghantt the only unaccounted for employee the morning after the heist, there was also footage of Ghantt moving the cash into the back of the Loomis Fargo van. Authorities had the receipt and had known it was missing. Both were involved in the second-largest cash heist in U.S. history, in which a group of people stole $17 million from the. After this look at David Ghantt and the Loomis Fargo heist, read about a more successful robbery, the Antwerp diamond heist. Some of the friends and family members received parole, while Ghantt was sentenced to seven and a half 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. David Ghantt (@DavidGhantt) is a man that still holds the record for the second largest bank heist on American Soil. 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. A former co-worker told me, "Everybody has screwed up. Within two days, the investigators found the van with $3 million in cash and the security camera tapes inside. The plan went off with few problems, but after Ghantt was safely in Mexico, his partners were left storing large amounts of cash. Michele Chambers declined to make a statement at the hearing. The judge said he would recommend that Michele Chambers be given mental health treatment in prison. Officers responded just after 5 a.m. Wednesday to an area near the intersection of Martin Luther King Drive and Carolyn Coleman Way and found , "The Wall Street Journal just so happened to have a supportive op-ed ready to publish within hours of the meeting. The missing couple were identified as David Harrison Robinson and his wife Lucretia Robinson. Q: How do you tell prospective employers you once stole $17 million? While Ghantt waited for the heat from the robbery to die down, Chambers would send Ghantt small amounts of money. 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. The defense has finished its closing argument in the murder trial of Alex Murdaugh. Our new student and parent forum, at ExpertHub.PrepScholar.com, allow you to interact with your peers and the PrepScholar staff. Hes way smarter than youd think he would be because he tends to play Bozos. Meanwhile, Ghantt would take $50,000, as much as could legally be carried across the border without questions, and flee to Mexico. Her husband, Steve Chambers, whom prosecutors have called the main defendant, began serving an 11-year sentence earlier this year. Instead, the two started hanging out on the beach together and became friends. On Oct. 4, Ghantt sent home the employee he was training and disabled two security cameras near the vault in preparation for the heist. Chambers served 11 years before being released. Project #ShowUs. In spite of Chambers assurance that the money was, you know, totally not illegally acquired, the teller remained suspicious, especially because the stacks of cash still had Loomis Fargo wrappers on them. What ACT target score should you be aiming for? Wij, Yahoo, maken deel uit van de Yahoo-merkenfamilie. ACT Writing: 15 Tips to Raise Your Essay Score, How to Get Into Harvard and the Ivy League, Is the ACT easier than the SAT? They also bought a BMW Z3 with cash and made several large purchases, including a $600 cigar store Indian. Ghantt added, I really enjoyed the movie.