Some days, the robbery seems like a memory from a different life, a choice made by a different man. Im married, I got one girl, shes 15 going on 30. Although David was in on most of the planning, one discussion between Steve and Kelly was kept a secret. The movie was called Masterminds and stars Zach Galifianakis, Kristen Wiig and Owen Wilson. He didnt even really question me. All of the primary players got fined millions of dollars --for example, Kelly Campbell was hit with more than $4 million, an amount that she will never come close to paying. Twenty-five years ago, a small group of rural North Carolinian amateur bank robbers pulled off the second-largest heist in American history. Then another. The phone rang: Kelly had a problem. As soon as you put that first bag of stolen money in that van, theres no going back. Based on a true story, the premise itself is fascinating, which makes Masterminds all the more a waste. At that same time, Steve was growing sick of the calls to send more money to Ghantt, and was looking for a way to end that issue. Should David be killed after he gave them the money? But in November, money ran low. Except the person he offered $150,000 to mule $2.5 million down to Ghantt in Mexico turned him down and instead went to the FBI. Ghantt and one other employee were the last to leave. They set the date, Oct. 4, a Saturday when David knew he could be alone in the building after his shift. The next day, he was sitting next to FBI agent Mark Rozzi on a US Airways flight to Charlotte. (John D. Simmons/The Charlotte Observer via AP) Twenty people were convicted of roles big and small in the massive 1997 armored-car warehouse heist in west Charlotte. And I said, Hey, man, I got this. In the meantime, the FBI was closing in looking to bust a total of 21 suspected accomplices. I really enjoyed the little scuba diving trip. His collection case, which closes in November 2026, got credit for the couples $540,000 house on Cramer Mountain in Gaston County, Butcher says. He worked fueling airplanes, driving a forklift, and in 1994 he got a job as a vault superintendent at Loomis. Ghantt didnt know the full extent of what was happening back home -- how that lay low plan turned into a flurry of extravagant spending. Driving away, he said he felt a mix of fear, confidence and excitement that he outsmarted the FBI. The participants in the heist also spent lavishly on fancy jewelry, fancy cars and breast enhancement surgeries. By now, you probably know the names -- David Ghantt, Steve Chambers and his wife Michelle, and Kelly Campbell. They put up mauve wallpaper. Its a once-in-a-lifetime thing, and I went down and talked to them, got to meet Zach Galifianakis and the director, Ghantt said. Directed by Jared Hess and written by Chris Bowman, Hubbel Palmer and Emily Spivey, the film stars Zach Galifianakis, Owen Wilson, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones and Jason Sudeikis.. Hes a family man with a wife and daughter. "Love" has four. But the idea of all that money pulled at her. A couple weeks pass, and I call again, Hey, Id like to get some more money. Sweat soaked David's uniform. About 20 ago, Campbell sent him a letter of apology, but he never responded. Kelly, she says now, was thinking about how happy she would be to send this man far away from her. . Despite a mega-watt cast featuring Zach Galifianakis and a handful of some of "Saturday Night Live's" biggest current and former stars, the comedy about Loomis Fargo robbery completely tanked. Records show the government has garnished his Social Security checks. It's one of the biggest jokes at the place. Its everything thats coming north.. Even with several vehicles, they underestimated how much space they would need and they had to leave $3 million behind. Soon thereafter, he met Kelly Campbell, a co-worker at Loomis Fargo. . . David complained it wasn't enough. And robbing a truck was dangerous. But what did that mean? real kelly campbell loomis fargo heist. Not every agent has a case like that, he said. Loomis, then known as Loomis Fargo, experienced two inside jobs in 1997, for $17.3 million and $18.8 million. and "I love money!" Steve also offered $100,000 to his 26-year-old cousin. Or that it was an inheritance. They found Ghantts truck, and in it were his keys, some personal items and his wedding ring. 2022 marks the 25th anniversary of the year that everything happened 1997. Was the temptation too much? Theres some things I want to do., Ghantt planned on traveling from Mexico to the Cayman Islands, bypassing customs along the way. In the first days after the arrests, agents recovered or accounted for all but about $2 million of the stolen money. And going to see the Mayan ruins. It will be some time before she can commune with domestic animals again. . Guller was the attorney for Steven Chambers, who came up with the original idea for the Loomis theft. 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. About six months before the Charlotte theft, on March 29, a total of $18.8 million was taken from Loomis, Fargo in Jacksonville, Fla., in what was believed to be the largest heist in U.S.. Twice a week over the next 12 months, we will take you back to the winter of sheep cloning and the summer of Con Air. 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. . How many people have walked the red carpet at a movie premiere in a case that was yours?. Because lets be brutally honest: Theyre not wrong, okay? 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. It was released in 2016 and Wydra was invited to the premiere. That movie, Masterminds, was filmed in 2014. They also purchased tanning beds, a pool table, a Harley-Davidson Road King motorcycle and all kinds of expensive furniture. Ghantt simply got ready for work one morning knowing it would be his last day on the job. Things went from bad to worse when, in November, Michelle strolled into a bank with a briefcase filled with 200 grand and asked the manager, How much can I deposit without the bank reporting the transaction? When she showed the bank manager that she really had the money to invest, the cash was still bound in Loomis Fargo wrappers. "We had David Ghantt and Kelly Campbell tied together, and we had Steven Chambers and Eric Payne with unexplained wealth, but we didn't have a tie between them," Agent John Wydra said. Scott Grant and Steve pulled up next to her in a Mazda. So we were able to figure out with all the denominations, it would require about 20 safe deposit boxes to store it all.. About 5:45 a.m., he got into his pickup and began the 45-minute drive to work in Charlotte. . I hear her typing. Steve Chambers has told agents the missing cash was stolen from a shed in Lincoln County. Down in Jacksonville, a Loomis Fargo employee took $18 million from an armored van he was driving. Puedes cambiar tus opciones en cualquier momento desde tus controles de privacidad. Of course the most famous thing inside the home was a velvet Elvis portrait. He drove to the edge of the Loomis compound, which was surrounded by a chain-link fence. You might as well go all the way now.". They assumed that whoever was involved would keep the cash in a safe place, like a safe deposit box. It changes you. The cash was covered with dog food. Steve and Michelle Chambers, who had lived in a mobile home, bought a mansion in Cramer Mountain. Kelly called David at. Scott Grant said he hesitated, but agreed if no guns would be involved. . To that end, Campbell brought in her childhood friend Steve Chambers, who was characterized in the local press as a small-time drug dealer and a local fence for stolen goods, to lead the team. Theres no management around. Now that Kelly believes she has found Jesus, she has become more analytical about her past. You can garnish wages. That first day in prison was scary, Ghantt said. "She just called me up on the phone and said, 'Hey, let's meet one day after work.' Haz clic en Gestionar ajustes para obtener ms informacin y gestionar tus opciones. He says the Loomis case shows how the criminal justice system and the courts treat lower-income people differently. Scott Grant and Steve pulled up next to her in a Mazda. Money. He added that money can be a motivator for anyone. He would pay McKinney $250,000, half upfront. Steve had already paid McKinney $50,000 for the use of his ID. his keys and wedding ring. You've violated that trust. On Oct. 5, the Loomis heist celebrates its 25th birthday. He quickly found out when you have money, you just have different problems, Wydra said. For example, 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. Its attracted workers like Ghantt. 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. Ive never taken offense to anything like that, he tells me. In the meantime, however, Chambers not only refused to wire money to Ghantt in Mexico, but ultimately hired a hitman (Jason Sudeikis) to take him out. Back then, it was one of the hotspots for hiding money. Ghantt planned to live off the interest for the rest of his life. She declined to take a lie-detector test. Where was Ghantt? The plan to rob Loomis Fargo was spawned by Campbell and her friend Steve Chambers, during a casual bonfire at Chambers' home. It premiered in Los Angeles on September 26, 2016 and was theatrically released in the . There, Scott and Eric paced the floor as Steve tried to calm them down. Username. Clerk of Court Frank Johns of Charlotte. In all, agents arrested 24 people in the heist. Since Ghantt was the supervisor, he sent his co-worker home first. Chambers promised to wire him money in Mexico until the investigation blew over and Ghantt could return to North Carolina. . I made a joke once that was the hardest Id ever worked for Wells Fargo -- yeah, its a lot of work, Ghantt said. Where I was going was right there near the Cayman Islands. While Ghantt trusted Chambers enough to leave his cut behind, Chambers had other plans. Going south, nobody really looks at what youre shipping. Agents noticed it two months later when it flowed to them through official channels, along with hundreds of similar reports involving other people. Youre supposed to get less time for cooperating, a lesser penalty, and instead, you see what she got hit with. Gronquist 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), Florida Senator proposes bill to cancel Democratic Party in state, Georgia star Jalen Carter charged with racing in fatal wreck, FHP: Man dies after FDOT Road Ranger rear-ends truck, pushes him over edge of Buckman Bridge, Bartram Trail High School girls lacrosse player denied NIL opportunity, Contest: Win tickets to the AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville. Or as he tells me, How many people in the United States havent thought about robbing a bank? Me, how many people in the heist rural North Carolinian amateur bank robbers pulled off the interest for Loomis. Or as he tells me, how many people in the heist, okay Michelle Chambers, who lived. Attorney for Steven Chambers, who had lived in a case like,., scott and Eric paced the floor as Steve tried to calm them down box... 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