I had more than 700 message requests. His accomplices included coworker Kelly Campbell, as well as friends Steve and Michelle Chambers. Butcher says the federal courts in the Western District of North Carolina have never handled a case quite like Loomis. . Kelly, she says now, was thinking about how happy she would be to About 5:45 a.m., he got into his pickup and began the 45-minute drive to work in Charlotte. While Ghantt waited for the heat from the robbery to die down, Chambers would send Ghantt small amounts of money. 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. .component--type-recirculation .item:nth-child(5) { I was like, Okay.. "I said, 'That's all they gave me,' " McKinney recalled. "Don't back out on us. But you cant get blood from a stone,, Criminals dont usually get high-paying jobs after leaving prison. Project #ShowUs. Web29 David Ghantt Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images. Fact check: Is there much truth to the new Masterminds movie? With the bandits blowing millions on lavish and ridiculous luxuries, they leave behind a glaring trail of evidence. He hated his job, with its 12-hour shifts. She'd heard his stories of other successful schemes, like getting refunds on phony tax returns, or operating a loan shark business. WOMAN GETS TIME IN LOOMIS HEIST - Greensboro News "For the first year after a crime," he told her, "they're all over you, with six to ten agents. "What would it take to make you do it?". #inline-recirc-item--id-91a2c54e-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d ~ .item:nth-child(5) { She had attitude. The affidavit also cited telephone conversations between Steve Chambers and McKinney that indicated they may have been plotting Ghantt's murder in Mexico only days ago. No attempted murder charges had been filed. David Ghantt: Since the movie came out, I probably say I would have more now. In this outrageously entertaining book, Jeff Diamant, the Charlotte Observer's lead reporter on the case, offers the definitive inside account of this astonishing. If they could just sit on the money until then, he said, they'd be fine. About 200 keys dangled from it. Many of the lesser players in the conspiracy have been the most effective in paying their debts. They didn't know it, but they were leaving $3.3 million behind. }, First published on March 2, 1998 / 2:20 PM. Learning about US history? 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 They decorated their 6,000-square-foot stucco house with antiques, paintings and statues, including a six-foot wooden Indian that Michele had bought for $600. Ten days later, the group was indicted for bank larceny and money laundering. The CEO and co-founder of the company that is responsible for Arkane Studios. Hes a family man with a wife and daughter. "You" has three. When you have money, you just have different problems: The Sure enough, she called a few days later, around September 16. By now, you probably know the names -- David Ghantt, Steve Chambers and his wife Michelle, and Kelly Campbell. David Scott Ghantt. The FBI says Chambers hired a hitman to tie up the ultimate loose end -- Ghantt. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Steve had another conversation with Kelly about killing David. "I felt that if I didn't do something, I was going to snap," David said. When he was done, the man drove off to a nearby printing press, where the money was distributed into private vehicles amongst a handful of people. ". 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. They are Steve and Michelle Chambers; Kelly Jane Campbell, a former Loomis employee and Ghantts alleged love interest; Michael McKinney; Thomas Grant; his brother, Eric Grant; and Eric Payne. He said he put that amount of money in a storage building. While Ghantt waited for the heat from the robbery to die down, Chambers would send Ghantt small amounts of money. Chambers wife, Michelle, bought a minivan in cash and began taking frequent trips to the bank to make deposits. 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. It's one of the biggest jokes at the place. Chambers had told Campbell to do whatever she needed to do to get Ghantt to commit the robbery. After the movie [premiered in theaters], my Facebook account exploded. We are happy to work with other website publishers. David Ghantt: I was very sure they [were looking for me]. I'd probably change jobs. Steve, who had sworn Kelly, Eric and Scott to secrecy the night of the theft, named them all to the FBI. On Oct. 5, the Loomis heist celebrates its 25th birthday. grassroots elite basketball ; why does ted lasso have a southern accent . ; Chambers had broached the possibility of a robbery to Campbell earlier in the summer. 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. Zach Galifianakis played David Scott Ghantt, with other roles played by Owen Wilson, Jason Sudeikis, Leslie Jones, Kristen Wiig and Kate McKinnon. I have to say, I thought I had a pretty good idea of who the Visionaries were in the first place. Or purchase a subscription for unlimited access to real news you can count on. The next day, Kelly drove back to Steve's mobile home to watch the news with Steve and Michele. 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., Anybody who gets caught up in the system is getting chewed up by it,, You can garnish wages. . . Seven Charged In $17M Heist - CBS News ". Also the Author of The Book of Dave: A New Path After a $17 Million Misstep https://t.co/qBMUgcNZ4F They bought a huge diamond and paid with cash for it. Available on iTunes, Hulu. Figure in Loomis Heist Gets Prison | AP News WebPlot David Ghantt is a simple man that lives a very dull life. But the idea of all that money pulled at her. People did come up to me and asked me for my autograph. Her husband gave her a brown teddy bear. LRM: True. October was "a blast," he said. Money does weird things to people. Pocketing $50,000 for himself, that man, named David Ghantt, hopped into a car of his own and headed towards Mexico. She could walk under the trees, with the chickens and goats and dogs that live around her mobile home. Charlotte this past October. "It probably should bother me," he said. In 1994, they moved to Gastonia, North Carolina, where they had grown up, and David took a job driving a forklift. Meanwhile, Steve was keeping a close eye on Kelly. 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. ". 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. My name is David Scott Ghantt. More agents waited outside to arrest them. LRM: Oh, that is an interesting question. David didn't even know Steve's name. Accompanying her was Steve Chambers, who, though unemployed, had recently moved . He was also married. She came from a blue-collar background, a high school dropout who had grown tired of working in a mill and gotten an equivalency diploma. In early November, Steve lured the real Mike McKinney, an ex-Marine, to North Carolina from his Illinois home. Six other people also were arrested, including a couple who suddenly moved from a trailer to a $635,000 house. Most high schools offer a variety of history classes, so make sure youre taking the right ones for you. The crew was led by David Ghantt, a Loomis Fargo employee that drove the armored truck that transported cash to different locations. Within a few months, they were arrested. Sweat soaked David's uniform. Each week, Michele deposited thousands of dollars in cash. About 10 frantic minutes later, Scott found the right key. Ghantt believed the new employee would make a good replacement for his wife, but the feelings were not necessarily reciprocated. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. What purpose does that serve other than to denigrate that person into abject poverty?. People dont seem to understand human nature. David Ghantt received a sentence of over seven years. Inside the Mazda, Steve told Scott Grant to get out and help David. The affidavit described Chambers as a former FBI informant who had provided information on another Loomis armored car robbery that never materialized. The connection to Chambers took more time. The same applies to trolling, the use of multiple aliases, or 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. These cookies do not store any personal information. I even helped them design the set, where he breaks into the vault. I didnt even have a real home life because I was never there. Davids crush and former co-worker, Kelly Campbell (Kristen Wiig), approaches David about robbing the very company that he works for.Despite the lack of "I've got a friend," she said, "who can hook you up with a new ID.". Michele tells me you're in a financial bind. Despite being caught on camera wheeling the money from the vault to the getaway van, David Ghantt makes off to Mexico before the FBI can blink. Burks was also ordered to serve 15 years in prison, limiting his ability to balance his books. Three weeks after the theft, Steve and Michele moved from their Lincoln County mobile home to a $635,000 house in a gated Cramerton, N.C., neighborhood. One of the best ways to learn more about U.S. history is to make sure youre taking history classes. Here's how. He told Steve he hadn't been able to find David. Kelly found herself standing beside David while they waited together for a bond hearing. David Ghantt: Mostly, it concerned for Zach [Galifianakis] to have the right shirt and carrying the right pistol. The van door opened. A report by the General Accounting Office found that as of budget year 2016, $110 billion in restitution ordered by the federal courts was outstanding and that more than 90% of the amount had been classified as uncollectible.. Before the robber left Loomis Fargo, he made a trip to the managers office to remove two surveillance tapes in order to conceal his identity. In all, agents arrested 24 people in the heist. A third tape he didn't know about kept recording. At first, David Ghantt said, "I didn't take her seriously. Ask questions; get answers. Masterminds In addition to her work for PrepScholar, Hayley is the author of Museum Hack's Guide to History's Fiercest Females. If I hadnt done on what I did and how everything unfolded like it didI wouldnt have my daughter today. On March 1, David Ghantt left his hotel to do some laundry. she asked. There, Scott and Eric paced the floor as Steve tried to calm them down. On the non-philosophical side, it probably be much better off if I done everything by myself. I run the heavy equipment. Creative Insights. 1 employee killed, 2 injured at Tennessee Volkswagen plant The bash had a Cinderella theme, with a three-tiered cake that looked like a castle. Masterminds Quotes Yes, *that* David Ghantt, lol. But neither of those things would matter after he met Kelly Campbell. I might even have more these days. For a better shopping experience, please upgrade now. What was the number one question? WebRepresentative Daryl Campbell Representative Michael Caruso Representative Jennifer Canady Representative Michelle Salzman Representative Allison Tant Representative Dana Trabulsy Representative Chase Tramont Representative Marie Woodson House Higher Education / Senate Education Representative Jason Shoaf, House Chair Representative I wasnt attracted to him or anything, but he was a nice guy, Campbell said. Probably very egotistical of me, I thought, Yeah, sure, I can beat them, theyre college smart and thats about it, Ghantt said. Scott didn't want to, but then he remembered the hundred-grand payday. The details of the heist itself, coupled with the missteps the crew made after stealing the money, attracted the attention of writers and movie producers. Across the border in Mexico, Ghantt was also living it up. Everything changes when he meets Kelly Campbell (Kristen Wiig), a new employee at his bank, Loomis Fargo. Afterward, everything became comical. I was also made myself available on set in case if someone wanted to talk to me. Loomis, Fargo offered a $500,000 reward after the theft. WebMasterminds is a 2016 comedy starring Zach Galifianakis as David Scott Ghantt, an armored car guard who decides to pull off a heist of some bank money he is transporting. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. "We're not the type that questions everything people tell us," Floyd said. The FBI's final challenge is finding the remaining $2 million. That week, the FBI designated the theft its 142nd "major case," putting it on a list--begun in the 1970s--that includes such other infamous crimes as the World Trade Center bombing. She never really worried about the moral end of it--she was focused only on getting what she wanted out of life, what so many others seemed to have in this booming part of the South. Tell us on what was actually real from that movie. CREATIVE. It was his goodbye. "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. He discovers that it's pretty boring stuff, and he often fantasizes about getting robbed. Ghantt added, I really enjoyed the movie. It will be some time before she can commune with domestic animals again. That first day in prison was scary, Ghantt said. Another surveillance videotape shows the man loading the bags into a company van. Several cars and nine safety deposit boxes were seized, authorities said. Then Steve pushed Scott inside, and he began throwing plastic-wrapped bundles of tens, twenties, fifties and hundreds to Eric and Steve, who placed them in three blue 55-gallon barrels. I was working sometimes 75-80 hours a week at $8.15 an hour. At the party, Steve invited Michele's stepfather, truck driver Dennis Floyd, to the basement to play pool. DUMB & - The Washington Post . But neither of those things would matter after he met Kelly Campbell. Then FBI agent Wydra watched Steve's wife, Michele, deposit about $8,000 at a Gaston County, N.C., bank. The teller, who hadn't asked, filed a "suspicious activity report." Creative Insights. What Happened to Steve Chambers After Prison Fitness Center? He and his wife, Tammy, lived in a mobile home in Kings Mountain, N.C. Money was always tight. After a Gulf War stint in the Army, David got married in 1992. She also assured the teller her cash wasn't drug money. Javascript is not enabled in your browser. He had even scheduled a follow-up appointment at the dentist. 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. In 2017, for example, Paul Burks of Lexington was ordered to pay $244 million to the victims of his worldwide Ponzi scheme, Zeek Rewards. He was also married. 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. "Do you know how much there's gonna be?" He didn't want to abandon his parents. LRM: Did you like the portrayal of yourself in the movie? LRM: [Laughter] As for yourself, besides diving, what did you really do in Mexico? . Six were charged with aiding, abetting and counseling the commission of a bank larceny, being accessories after the fact and hindering He is an uncomplicated man stuck in a monotonous life. I wanted to change my life. Every day he drives an armored car, transporting millions with no escape in sight. Now he offered to pay him to carry cash to David--Steve said he was a friend hiding out after a bad drug deal, McKinney recalled. The Columbia airport had no available flights. By now, you probably know the names -- David Ghantt, Steve Chambers and his wife Michelle, and Kelly Campbell. Then one day I met Miss Kelly Campbell. When we worked together [for Loomis], we'd joke about it. I've got a good woman.". Criminals dont usually get high-paying jobs after leaving prison. 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. David Ghantt: My standard answer now is [to say] that the person I was thenI am certainly not that person now.