Turns out, most of the thieves and their accomplices have been about as effective coming up with their court-ordered restitution as they were hiding their original crimes. Library Journal "highly entertaining." At about 6:40 p.m., he went back inside. Kelly called, using David's own cell phone, to ask where he was already, because she and the others were waiting outside for him. All but one of the defendants pleaded guilty. They kept several furnishings from the previous owners, including avelvet Elvis. The plan was for Ghantt to commit the actual robbery and then quickly leave the country forMexico but to leave the bulk of the cash with Chambers. Loomis Fargo employees could not open the vault the next morning, and called the police. uncanny, eerie, unnatural, preternatural, supernatural, unearthly, other-worldly, unreal, ghostly, mysterious, mystifying, strange, abnormal, unusual. Now, at 7:45 p.m., with all the money finally inside the van, his aching muscles could take a breather. You cannot fine low-income people millions of dollars. A connection between each suspect began to emerge slowly, and as the intensity of spending grew, suspicion did as well. Probably very egotistical of me, I thought, Yeah, sure, I can beat them, theyre college smart and thats about it, Ghantt said. Some of that money is just gone. Who was she to be pressuring him? The trainee didn't yet know how the place worked, a fact David planned to use to his advantage. But after one visit, she asked a teller How much can I deposit before you have to report it to the feds? followed by Dont worry, it is notdrug money, the bank filled out asuspicious activity report, which ultimately reached the FBI. In 2017, for example, Paul Burks of Lexington was ordered to pay $244 million to the victims of his worldwide Ponzi scheme, Zeek Rewards. Chambers had no intention of wiring any money to Ghantt and intended to have him killed to keep him from implicating the others. I pay (restitution to) thousands of people, but its in drips and drabs.. The stated plan was for her to move to Mexico to be with him after the theft. How he and his wife had trouble communicating. Husband and wife Steven and Michelle Chambers, whose conspicuous consumption of a luxury home, a BMW convertible, breast implants and a $600 wooden Indian, among other purchases, helped the FBI solve the crime, were assessed $3.81 million and $4.8 million, respectively. Federal law stops government collection efforts 20 years after a defendant leaves prison. Kelly Campbell, who one day visited a Toyota dealership to purchase a minivan with twenty-dollar bills. Next month, Payne will back in the Charlotte federal courthouse, this time to be sentenced from weapons and methamphetamine trafficking charges. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. 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.. There are many robberies registered in the history of America, but the Loomis Fargo Robbery is known to be the second largest robbery in the United States. For example, Steve Chambers and his wife were living in a. The bigger the amount, however, the bigger the damages to victims that likely will never be repaid: - Amy Paynes collection account was closed in 2020 with her having paid $53,000 of the $274,000 she owed. He knew they were nervous outside waiting for him, but he also knew he wouldn't stop stealing until he had taken everything. As beads of sweat formed under his red hair, he loaded up another cart and repeated the process. The only other employee with him on this day was a trainee. Campbell and her husband had always been just scraping by, however in the weeks following the robbery, the two seemed to have more money than they've ever had. "Just remind Steve," he said, "that I might be trouble my own self." 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. ALSO READ: 14-year-old boy robbed at gunpoint while waiting for bus in east. What purpose does that serve other than to denigrate that person into abject poverty?. He would then have the bulk of his share sent south of the border. In addition to their extravagant spending, Michelle Chambers made the mistake of loudly asking a bank teller how much cash she could deposit in her account without it being reported to the feds, and then said, its not drug money.. David would simply empty the vault and deliver the money to the others. Loomis Fargo heist: 25 years later David Scott Ghantt, his former co-worker Kelly Campbell and her friends Steve and Michelle Chambers carried out the Loomis Fargo heist on Oct. 4, 1997. They had met in December 1995 on one of her first days at Loomis. 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), JSO K9 escapes kennel, bites three people in Jacksonville neighborhood, To know Nancy was to love Nancy: St. Johns County woman killed in suspected DUI crash, JSO says missing child alert results in deadly drowning, Senator proposes bill giving state emergency jurisdiction over custody of kids with trans parents, Florida woman accused of killing terminally ill husband released from jail. Her case closes in 2025. I think if you remember some of her early photographic opportunities, shall we put it that way, she was sort of laughing, not seeming to take it seriously.. Youre supposed to get less time for cooperating, a lesser penalty, and instead, you see what she got hit with. Gronquist said. 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. Though Wydra is retired, 25 years ago, he was an agent with the FBI. Butcher says the federal courts in the Western District of North Carolina have never handled a case quite like Loomis. - Husband and wife Steven and Michelle Chambers, whose conspicuous consumption of a luxury home, a BMW convertible, breast implants and a $600 wooden Indian, among other purchases, helped the FBI solve the crime, were assessed $3.81 million and $4.8 million, respectively. It just happened to fall on my desk.. 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. 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. Im married, I got one girl, shes 15 going on 30. Steve and Michelle Chambers, who had lived in a mobile home, bought a mansion in Cramer Mountain. He had since held one low-paying job after another. Ghantt, in order to conserve this money, curtailed his spending. just generally being a jerk. And after two years, the case is just a file. NASCAR. He knew it would mean leaving Tammy. The FBI heard about the plot and agents knew they could no longer wait. What that says is, We will never forgive you for what youve done.. More than 2 million dollars are still missing to this day. Thirty years! In David's eyes, Johnson's big mistake was that he did it alone. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. He said at first, they were very proud of what they had been able to do. Tuesday marked 25 years since a group of buddies pulled off the third-largest money grab in U.S. history -- the Loomis Fargo heist. In the movie: Campbell invites Ghantt to a restaurant under the auspices of a date, but then springs the idea of the heist on him, as Chambers and two associates join the conversation from an . Records show the government has garnished his Social Security checks. High around 65F. From there, the money was moved from the armored car to private vehicles. Federal law stops government collection efforts 20 years after a defendant leaves prison. He shut the empty vault and set its timer so the vault could not be opened for two or three days. He hired a hitman to take Ghantt out, tying up the ultimate loose end. EDITORIAL: Computer Science misses the need for digital literacy, N. Carolina legislators announce Medicaid expansion deal, EDITORIAL: Fighting political forces that sever family ties, Special-use to get overhaul: Commissioners, planners take a look, Cape Carteret seeking new police chief one month after hiring New Bern resident for post, How many in North Carolina are awaiting student loan debt relief? 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. It's still the hot topic . He knew his mother would be traumatized, shocked, and appalled. remove comments that contain spam, advertising, vulgarity, threats And they hit the jackpot -- FBI video shows agents recovering most of the stolen cash. So the pieces were falling into place for investigators. 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. "Don't double-cross us," the woman on the phone told David Ghantt. They also found several stacks of money with Loomis bands still attached throughout all the homes searched. Burks was also ordered to serve 15 years in prison, limiting his ability to balance his books. The unsolved mystery of the Van Meter Visitor a winged creature! He has a regular life now, but 25 years ago, Ghantt was the mastermind behind the third-largest bank robbery in U.S. history. Working by himself, Ghantt would commit the robbery and then flee for Mexico, leaving the bulk of the cash with Chambers. (LogOut/ They assumed that whoever was involved would keep the cash in a safe place, like a safe deposit box. The bigger the amount, however, the bigger the damages to victims that likely will never be repaid: Amy Paynes collection account was closed in 2020 with her having paid $53,000 of the $274,000 she owed. : The .17 Million Loomis Fargo Theft [Jeff Diamant] on Amazon.com. Hes a family man with a wife and daughter. The FBI began to question past and current employees of Loomis Fargo. In the end, the FBI was able to capture the original gang in five months, snaring 21 individuals for their participation in the crime. A parrot tattoo on her right ankle. Enforcement of this policy is at the He says the Loomis case shows how the criminal justice system and the courts treat lower-income people differently. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. But that only tells part of the story. "I don't have time to mess with you. Spunk. Steve's a serious guy.". She had attitude. >> PHOTOS: The Loomis Fargo heist, 25 years later. A couple by the names of Steve and Shelley Chambers also became people of interest in the investigation due to their extreme sudden increase in spending. David was thin six-foot-one, one hundred sixty-five pounds and heaving the stacks onto the cart, pushing the cart toward the vault door, and then emptying its contents into the van was exhausting. 12) Loomis Fargo heist- The aftermath Ultimately, eight co-conspirators were indicted for the Loomis Fargo bank heist. On Oct. 5, the Loomis heist celebrates its 25th birthday. So we were able to figure out with all the denominations, it would require about 20 safe deposit boxes to store it all.. Some of that money is just gone. Guller was the attorney for Steven Chambers, who came up with the original idea for the Loomis theft. 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. This website uses cookies and some data tracking to improve your experience and serve adverts, We assume you're ok with this, you can opt-out if you wish. Steve decided to send his cousin, Nathan with money down to Mexico as a ruse, while Mike the bodyguard would follow behind to take care of Ghantt. He realized his bosses would know he had worked that day and that he was missing, but maybe without a video they would think he'd been held at gunpoint and taken hostage, or even better, that he'd been killed. David said he needed Kelly to drive to Loomis before the theft that night to remove a duffel bag from his parked pickup truck. David got a kick out of her. Later, they also arrested Nathans older brother. There are multiples of thousands of these things coming every year. Accompanying her was Steve Chambers, who, though unemployed, had recently moved . 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. He was signed by the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2002. (LogOut/ The figures can be astounding. David was supposed to be showing him the ropes of the job, which included cash pickups and deliveries. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live. It took me going to prison to realize I was a bag of worms, and it took me years of work to be somebody worthy to come back into our society, he said. Many of the lesser players in the conspiracy have been the most effective in paying their debts. A few of the Loomis restitution cases have already been closed either because the amount was paid in full or because the 20-year clock wound down. Burks was also ordered to serve 15 years in prison, limiting his ability to balance his books. Clerk of Court Frank Johns of Charlotte. Discover the truth behind unexplained ancient mysteries, UFO mysteries, secret locations and paranormal events. But after a year, they cut it down to two agents. The FBI began to question past and current employees of Loomis Fargo. The world is full of unexplained events, strange mysteries, and mysterious legends. Charlotte Observer"more than a crime story, and one that's worth reading." Anybody who gets caught up in the system is getting chewed up by it, the now-retired Gronquist told the Observer. More than half of the amount came from the seizure of a luxury home purchased by husband-and-wife defendants during their post-heist spending spree. Asked the purpose of his visit, Johnson had replied, "To visit friends. So we were able to figure out with all the denominations, it would require about 20 safe deposit boxes to store it all.. LETTER TO THE EDITOR: But where will they park? 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The 2016 comedy movie, Masterminds is based on the story of the Loomis Fargo Heist. From my standpoint, it was just a business deal, Ghantt said. Jeff Diamant was a reporter for the Charlotte Observer when the heist took place. 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. None of the suspects had been in any serious trouble before this. The Star-Ledger, 06/15/2015On October 4, 1997, an amateurish gang robbed Loomis, Fargo & Co. in Charlotte, NC of $17 million, the second largest heist in U.S. history. 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. Criminals dont usually get high-paying jobs after leaving prison. "So he stays behind and moving over two thousand pounds of . For a better shopping experience, please upgrade now. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Expanded two-hour true crime story about the 1997 Loomis-Fargo armored car heist in North Carolina and the serio-comic fate of its bumbling underdog perpetra. You should definitely start your own blog, I highly recommend it. The Chambers home is now gated, which means Channel 9 crews cant drive up to it like we used to. He is a graduate of Yale and has worked for the Connecticut Post, the Associated Press, and the Palm Beach Post. shaka wear graphic tees is candy digital publicly traded ellen lawson wife of ted lawson real kelly campbell loomis fargo heist 25 Feb/23 (No Ratings Yet) You can seize property. Nathan, Steves cousin, was found in a mobile home the Chambers had abandoned. Loomis Fargo defendants owe as much as they stole in 1997, Incident raises concerns about LGBTQ safety in Carteret County, Drug deal gone bad claims the life of former Marine, Man charged with DWI after SUV takes out gas pumps, fire hydrant in Morehead City, Norfolk Southern train derails in Lexington No hazmat, no anger, Beaufort Housing Authority to replace public housing apartments, New Gamer's Guildhall looks to build community, comradery, DA: 'A very dangerous individual' from Swansboro has been removed, EDITORIAL: Government derails in response to disasters, EDITORIAL: Traffic growth demands a third bridge addition, Commentary: Close look at family history disturbing, Commentary: Second Amendment subverts democracy, EDITORIAL: Attorney General Stein ignores his constitutional responsibility. Over 88% of the money has been recovered since the heist. I ride motorcycles and fish -- normal guy, Ghantt told Counts. Ghantt met up with the other members of the plot and offloaded the cash. I dont know if Steve would have done it himself, but he definitely was capable of buying someone to do it for him and I think that was going to happen if we didnt step in and arrest Ghantt, Wydra said. Conversations about stealing from the company weren't rare for Loomis employees. "Are you serious?" In the parking lot, David sat in his pickup truck smoking a cigarette and waving good-bye as the trainee drove home. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]. As it neared its end, David stealthily left the vault door ajar. Ghantts spending in Mexico was extravagant at first. To visit friends.". But on Oct. 4, 1997, that no longer mattered and Ghantt took off with $17.3 million. 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.. Its said the current owner now has it in storage in Phoenix, Arizona. That first day in prison was scary, Ghantt said. His collection case closes in two years. Ghantt had fled to Mexico with $50,000 in cash, leaving the rest of the money with Steve Chambers. Moving the money into the van quickly proved an onerous task. In his youth, his mother had taken him to Sears and JCPenney, but as a man he shopped at Walmart, and while he knew there was nothing wrong with that, he wished he could afford more. He allegedly hired a hitman to take Ghantt out, tying up the ultimate loose end. In 1994, they moved to Gastonia, North Carolina, where they had grown up, and David took a job driving a forklift. Soon thereafter, he met Kelly Campbell, a co-worker at Loomis Fargo. Thomas Grant, who served three years in prison for bank larceny, paid off restitution of $70,000; brother Eric Grant paid all of his $26,000; as did David Craig, $40,000; and Dennis and Sandra Floyd; $27,000. He waffled on the heist idea three or four times from late August to mid-September. 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. David's share would be sent to Mexico, where he planned to hide and where he expected Kelly to join him. The plan was to maintain a low profile and wait for things to cool off, allowing Ghantt to return to the states and collect his cut. The investigation ultimately resulted in the conviction of eight people directly involved, as well as sixteen others who had indirectly helped them. He quickly found out when you have money, you just have different problems, Wydra said. Then, he proceeded to load 2,800 pounds of cash into a van. These cookies do not store any personal information. David and Kelly had driven to Rock Hill, South Carolina, and used the documents to obtain a fake ID that David would also rely on after the theft. Guller was the attorney for Steven Chambers, who came up with the original idea for the Loomis theft. Her case closes in 2025. A third surveillance tape was carelessly left behind, and the company was able to identify the man who robbed the vault as David Ghantt. In the first couple of weeks, they had heard both Steve and Shelley bragging about their new-found fortune, and spending remarkable amounts of money. Low 46F. Discover some of the worlds strangest ancient places. Twenty years ago this Wednesday, a small group of people stole $17 million in cash from the main vault of a Loomis Fargo & Co. armored-car warehouse in west Charlotte. I was relieved emotionally because I knew there was a good chance my luck might run out, Ghantt said. "What would it take to convince you to do it?" We are happy to work with other website publishers. Ghantt went to Mexico leaving the money with his cohorts, thinking that he could get his share back when he needed it. He had approached her inside the chain-link fence that surrounded the building and said with a flirty smile, "If you give me a cigarette, I'll be your friend. David and the trainee left the warehouse. To the community, the Loomis Fargo heist was a big joke -- the largest hillbilly caper of all time. 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. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. And with Loomis, were looking at only one case. The plan to. His collection case closes in two years. Get an email notification whenever someone contributes to the discussion. It was released in 2016 and Wydra was invited to the premiere. So he and some friends decided at the end of his Oct. 4 shift he would load a company van with more than 2,000 pounds of cash and just drive away. White-collar criminals are pretty good at hiding their money, she said. Ghantt studied how to rob his employer and advised the others not to spend the money lavishly. As an adult, he preferred Shakespeare, Tom Clancy, and any book he could find about the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Of course, this would all be a radical departure for him, and thoughts of his wife and parents did give him pause. He could even be famous, perhaps joining the ranks of legendary master thieves. 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 . contact us to submit an unexplained mystery article, or to join the team on the email address below. All of the co-defendants were arrested the next day, about six months after the heist. That sounds like a lot of money until its compared to the $18,930,201.26 the group was ordered to pay. 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. The gang made numerous mistakes. be blocked or permanently banned without warning. Michelle Chambers paid off only $27,000. Over the next two weeks, David thought about it. Ghantt was the vault manager and was surrounded daily by millions of dollars worth of temptation. The Loomis case is another example where the amount of restitution ordered vs. what is actually paid are two dramatically different numbers. Butcher says the federal courts in the Western District of North Carolina have never handled a case quite like Loomis. Down in Jacksonville, a Loomis Fargo employee took $18 million from an armored van he was driving. He realized his life wouldn't improve unless he did something drastic. Updated: 11:31 AM EDT October 4, 2022 CHARLOTTE, N.C. Tuesday is the 25th anniversary of the infamous Loomis Fargo heist in Charlotte, where a bank worker, with the help of two accomplices,. I made a joke once that was the hardest Id ever worked for Wells Fargo -- yeah, its a lot of work, Ghantt said. In total, 24 people were convicted and all but one of the accused pleaded guilty. The loot would later be divided among David, Kelly, and Steve. People dont seem to understand human nature. 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. They also purchased expensive cars, jewelry and a breast enhancement or two. Later that year, he saw a newspaper ad for a job at Loomis Fargo. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. "Don't back out on us. For the defendants in the Loomis Fargo heist, its allure was irresistible. Just after the last employees left that day, surveillance footage shows a man enter the vault, and begin to load more than 2,740 pounds in cash into a nearby van, totaling around over $17 million. So they went to Mexico and arrested Ghantt in order to protect him. He had joined the army and earned an honorable discharge, but because of defense-industry cutbacks he hadn't been able to find a good job for himself. Thank you! Agents raided safe deposit boxes, where they recovered more than $11 million. He put on his best pair of jeans, a button-down shirt, and his nicest cowboy boots. It, too, has changed hands several times. "I was unhappy with my life. While Ghantt waited for the heat from the robbery to die down, Chambers would send Ghantt small amounts of money. 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. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. In one case, the restitution for a Loomis defendant may be a moving target. 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. First, they tapped the Chambers phone, and began listening in on February 11th, 1998. Michelle Chambers paid off only $27,000. It all went down in Charlotte, North Carolina, and the man at the center of that heist, David Scott Ghantt, now lives in Jacksonville.
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