They kept several furnishings from the previous owners, including a painting of Elvis Presley on black velvet. The chief running joke in Masterminds is the Prince Valiant 'do gamely sported by Galifianakis as David Ghantt, . 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. [3][4] Its Charlotte office would be the victim of David Scott Ghantt and his confederates later that year. In addition to her work for PrepScholar, Hayley is the author of Museum Hack's Guide to History's Fiercest Females. 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. When Ghantt called Chambers to have the latter wire him more money, Chambers sent just a few thousand dollars. 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. In February 2009 the Associated Press reported that Chambers had chosen to describe himself as "changed". They took a lot of liberty with the story here and there. Custom Content. The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 4+ ACT Points, How to Get a Perfect 36 ACT, by a Perfect Scorer. He made it across the border just as his deception was discovered. Steve Chambers and his wife (Mary Elizabeth Ellis) were a little more difficult to connect to the heist. Her sentence would've been ``substantially' less if she hadn't kept it, officials said. Instead, the bandits just started throwing as much money as they could into the van until they couldnt fit anymore. Get the latest articles and test prep tips! CREATIVE. Chambers, his wife, and several of their accomplices were arrested the next day. 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). Prosecutors also resisted Culler's efforts to downplay Michele Chambers' role in the theft. 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. All but one of the indicted pleaded guilty. As Predators' David Poile braces for retirement, his wife reveals their love story. Campbell knew theyd need the help of the warehouses vault supervisor, who just happened to have a crush on her, and she called Ghantt to ask for his help. Our new student and parent forum, at ExpertHub.PrepScholar.com, allow you to interact with your peers and the PrepScholar staff. The problem with the movie, however, is that the talented cast had no idea what the hell they were trying to do. ``There are many people with those factors who don't resort to crime,' he said. On the night of October 4, the plan went into action. Former Cramerton Police Chief David Young soon got wind of the Chambers excessive spending spree and reached out to the FBI. Chambers had broached the possibility of a robbery to Campbell earlier in the summer. The move bought him a little extra time to make his escape. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. To find out more about how the thieves got caught and how long they landed behind bars, tune in the Super Heists on CNBC on Monday at 10 p.m. ET/PT. Coverage of the latest true crime stories and famous cases explained, as well as the best TV shows, movies and podcasts in the genre. David Ghantt on stealing 17 million dollars from Loomis Fargo (Crime 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. WIFE, FAMILY OF HEIST SUSPECT CLING TO HOPE - Greensboro News and Record Masterminds (2016) - IMDb Youre better at planning bank heists than David Ghantt. Its heavy. Across the border in Mexico, Ghantt was also living it up. ", The much-faster-than-expected economic recovery thats followed the easing of the coronavirus pandemic has produced several encouraging develo. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). Wyatt Redd is a freelance writer from Nashville, Tennessee. Its gone! 2023 www.gastongazette.com. As a vault supervisor for Loomis Fargo, David had access to the vaults and all the cash within. There was also no dramatic showdown between Chambers and Ghantt as the movie suggests. David Ghantt on stealing 17 million dollars from Loomis Fargo (Crime & Entertainment Full Interview) Crime & Entertainment 3.77K subscribers Subscribe 4.8K views 1 year ago David Ghantt. Chambers promised to wire him money in Mexico until the investigation blew over and Ghantt could return to North Carolina. Ghantt and seven others eventually pleaded guilty in federal court to charges directly related to one of the largest cash heists in history while more than a dozen other family members, friends and associates of those involved in the theft were found guilty of related charges, including money laundering. A: Zach and I have a runningtext conversation going, but he's very busy. ``This defendant was second to Steve Chambers in (benefiting) from the crime,' he said. The judge said he would recommend that Michele Chambers be given mental health treatment in prison. On March 1, 1988, Mexican police arrested Ghantt at Playa del Carmen. I got no real complaints, not at this point., The heist became the premise for the movie,Masterminds, released in September 2016. In October of 1997, I was a vault supervisor for armored truck company Loomis Fargo, when I made off with $17.3 million. He had never been in trouble with the law. Most high schools offer a variety of history classes, so make sure youre taking the right ones for you. If I hadnt of done that, Id probably still be in North Carolina and I would not have got to meet a lot of the interesting people that Ive got to meet. Sarah Hartsfield: Brother of David Bragg killed by Chambers County 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. In 2020, the television show Super Heists portrayed the heist in Episode 3, "Van Full of Dollars". 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. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Whisler said he didn't think those factors should result in a reduced sentence. I wanted to make a drastic change and I went for it, Ghantt remembered later to the Gaston Gazette. Separating the Red and Blue. Thats going to be your life for quite some time, typically. 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. Q: Do you appreciate your normal life now more than you would if you hadn't spent years in prison? twitter.com So he hatched a plan to rob his employers. David Ghantt struck up a relationship with fellow Loomis Fargo employee Kelly Campbell, and they continued to maintain contact even after Campbell left the company. mesurer votre utilisation de nos sites et applications. I'd probably be that infamous gringo living in Belize, kicked back on the beach, fishing and bored out of my mind. They would then load as much cash as they could carry into a van. The two struck up a friendship during work that would continue after Campbell left the company. 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. Guided by federal sentencing rules, prosecutors had requested a sentence of nine years for Michele Chambers. Fed up, exhausted, and seeing a way out, Ghantt agreed. I'll take the live one. The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 160+ SAT Points, How to Get a Perfect 1600, by a Perfect Scorer, Free Complete Official SAT Practice Tests. We caught up with David Ghantt about - The Gaston Gazette | Facebook Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. A Comprehensive Guide. Harper Beckham Attends Paris Fashion Week & Looks So Grown Up He stayed at a luxury hotel and took scuba diving lesson. Ghantt believed the new employee would make a good replacement for his wife, but the feelings were not necessarily reciprocated. Instead, the two started hanging out on the beach together and became friends. Until it's gone, you don't appreciate it. From the beginning, the FBIs prime suspect was David Ghantt. David Scott Ghantt was the vault supervisor at the regional branch of Loomis, Fargo & Co. in Charlotte, North Carolina. 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? All rights reserved. $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. Culler acknowledged that she had overheard her husband and co-defendant Kelly Campbell talk about the plan, ``but she thought it was fantasy world.'. Did you know that the SAT offers subject exams, too? [citation needed], It was later confirmed by the FBI that more than 88% of the stolen cash had been located or otherwise accounted for. his wife-to-be. But before thehit could be carried out, the FBI swooped in and arrested Ghantt and the others. An additional tip reached the FBI when Michelle Chambers made a large deposit at a bank. [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 works as a heavy machine operator in the construction industry.). 4 million images and real time event coverage from coast to coast , ImageCollect is the only celebrity photo site you'll ever need. So Chambers decided to solve the problem by putting a hit on Ghantt. The Proposed TikTok Ban Goes Too Far. 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. "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. 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. I knew it was over then, Ghantt said. All but one of the defendants pleaded guilty. What SAT Target Score Should You Be Aiming For? SAT is a registered trademark of the College Entrance Examination BoardTM. Will California Save the Iconic Joshua Tree? Once the hitman Chambers had hired arrived in Mexico, he found that he couldnt bring himself to kill Ghantt. If I could get far enough away in a very short amount of time, my odds of getting away with it were pretty high, Ghantt said. Please subscribe to keep reading. David Ghantt : [voice-over] Steve was a petty thief, mostly known for stealing tiny wheelchairs from pediatric hospitals. The FBI quickly connected Ghantt to Campbell, who was a former Loomis Fargo employee. A: I'm in dire need for some RO's barbecue and some Tony's Ice Cream. Robbing the 7-Eleven and getting $40 bucks and a pack of Marlboros was not for me. October 1997 Loomis Fargo robbery - Wikipedia He was released in 2006. People still laugh when they think of the "velvet Elvis" Chambershad in his Cramer Mountain mansion, or how his former wife showed upat a local bankto deposit wads of cash that she assured the teller was not "drug money.". At the time it was the second largest cash robbery ever to happen on US soil. Steven Chambers, left, and David Scott Ghantt leave federal court. 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. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. At the time it was thesecond largest bank heistin U.S. history. Both were involved in the second-largest cash heist in U.S. history, in which a group of people stole $17 million from the. Retro CharlotteFBI security footage of David Ghantt in the midst of the Loomis Fargo heist. Going to prison helped me grow up as a human being. Within two days, the investigators found the van with $3 million in cash and the security camera tapes inside. A lot of people ask me, Oh, do you have any regrets? No, not really. As he later recalled about his life before the 1997 heist that changed his life forever: Prior to, I would have never even considered it but one day life kinda slapped me in the face. 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. Thats the big thing. Holding her hands behind her back, Michele Chambers was sentenced Tuesday to seven years and eight months in prison for her role in the $17 million heist from Loomis, Fargo & Co. She was also ordered to pay $4.8 million in restitution.It was the fourth-most severe sentence given in the case, which has 21 defendants. It was over. Just days after agreeing to the plan, the group set a day to carry out the robbery. He was angry a lot. 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. 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 . He was like OK, yeah, we can do that, she recalled. The Army veteran and Hunter Huss High graduate was captured in Mexico five months later when one of the others involved in the theft, Steve Chambers, decided he needed to tie up loose ends by having Ghantt killed. The real story behind the second largest bank heist in history, which You have permission to edit this article. He told me they were in the dirt business, so he didn't have to worry too much about me. This article will teach you more about the SAT subject tests. Ghantt @ChristyGhantt Dec 7, 2022 I just entered the @clxgaming Ra PC Giveaway! By comparison, Ghantt served seven years in prison and was fined $26,000. Ghantt was already married when he took part in the heist, to a woman named Tammy - who author Diamant described as "very nice." It is true, however, that she had no idea about the plot and that. 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. In total, 24 people were convicted. In fact, David Ghantt was about to commit the heist of a lifetime. Investigators also found Ghantt's pickup truck, abandoned at the warehouse. If so,check out some of these books on our AP History Exam reading list. 33. They left behind the cash they couldnt fit in their cars. Then check out another bank robber who inspired a movie, John Wojtowicz. One of the best ways to learn more about U.S. history is to make sure youre taking history classes. VIDEO. Campbell was receptive and brought the idea up to Ghantt. I wasnt attracted to him or anything, but he was a nice guy, Campbell said. The additions come as KFC recently removed some menu items, including wings, popcorn chicken and cookies, to make room for new additions. Of course, the FBI was already aware of Chambers and his free-spending ways, and the murder plot helped federal agents find Ghantt south of the border. David GhanttRetweeted Iraqveteran8888 @Iraqveteran8888 Dec 9, 2022 Elect me President and I'll fire everyone, free Julian Assange, and pardon Edward Snowden. I was working sometimes 75-80 hours a week at $8.15 an hour. Ghantt plead guilty to his charges andserved six years in prison, along with21 other defendantswho received chargesrangingfrom money laundering to bank larceny.
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