A: When you're locked up, you live in an 8-by-10 box and you share that with two other people. The only person not to plead guilty in the case, former Gastonia attorney Jeff Guller, ended up doing eight years for money laundering. He then began loading $17 million in unmarked bills inside a company van before driving away. David Ghantt: I would be really philosophical about this. Ghantt ultimately agreed to the plan, largely, due to a mountain of credit-card debt and in hopes of changing his life for the better. Have a good one y'all," wrote David Ghantt on his Facebook page Tuesday morning. It's the little things like that that gnaw on you. I realized a lot of things that were wrong with me as a person. My face popped up. I learned that I was an a--hole. In 2020, the television show Super Heists portrayed the heist in Episode 3, "Van Full of Dollars". LRM: So tell me on where are you now? Now Playing. Heres How We Fix That. The painful part is that when you get caught, that the part of your brain that was trying to talk to you when you first started the robbery was right, and that's like a dump truck running over you. [1], Steven Chambers finished serving his sentence in November 2006. We talked about the fiction and fact from the movie. When I first got there nobody knew who I was, they just thought I was another producer or something and when they realized they were very gracious and curious. Also famous for (at least with his friends and family) finally getting his first book finished.Current Life: Wooer of the Wife, Drinker of Coffee, Father, Gamer, Photographer, Fisherman, Gentleman, Mastermind of this book ;-). Grants brother, Eric Scott Grant, also was in federal custody but it could not be determined late Monday whether he was charged in the scheme. In real life: False. Despite a mega-watt cast featuring Zach Galifianakis and a handful of some of Saturday Night Lives biggest current and former stars, Masterminds, the comedy about Loomis Fargo robbery completely tanked at the box office in its opening weekend, bowing in sixth place with just $6.6 million. The affidavits also alleged lavish spending by the six, including the Chambers who moved out of a trailer and paid cash for a $635,000 home shortly after the robbery. Authorities found Ghantts unlocked red pickup truck near the Loomis building. ``During the conversation Campbell. Al momento de dar su gran golpe en 1997, un robo de ms de 17 millones de dlares, David Ghantt probablemente pens que su historia terminara en una pelcula. But McKinney never stopped trying to kill Ghantt although, initally, McKinney thought Chambers had paid for the hit over a drug deal gone bad, Diamant said. You can't get barbecue slaw in this hedonistic state (Florida), and there's nowhere to get real ice cream here like Tony's. CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Kelly Campbell, the woman who helped plan the $17 million robbery of armored-car company Loomis, Fargo was sentenced yesterday to nearly six years in prison and ordered to pay back more than $4 million. [citation needed], It was later confirmed by the FBI that more than 88% of the stolen cash had been located or otherwise accounted for. A lot of people ask me, Oh, do you have any regrets? No, not really. 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. 'The Rolling Stones' drummer Charlie Watts holding his young daughter Seraphina as they arrive at London Airport, October 17th 1969. followed by "Don't worry, it is not drug money," the bank filled out a suspicious activity report, which ultimately reached the FBI. Q: North Carolina native Zach Galifianakis portrayed you in "Masterminds." Zach Galifianakas takes on the role of David Ghantt, a small town, backwoods security money truck driver who falls in love with Kristen Wiig's Kelly. Chambers even got breast implants and paid cash for a BMW sports car, the affidavit said. Purchases included a pool table, jewelry (including a $43,000 diamond ring), a minivan, $20,000 worth of cigars, and the 7,000-square-foot home on the side of Cramer Mountain. At the time it was thesecond largest bank heistin U.S. history. 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.". Ghantt, in order to conserve this money, curtailed his spending. An additional tip reached the FBI when Michelle Chambers made a large deposit at a bank. Did you really only go to Mexico with 50k? Officially retired Predators GM David Poile and his wife Elizabeth Poile poses for a portrait inside the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., Monday, Feb. 27, 2023. In real life: False. $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. Ghantt @ChristyGhantt Dec 7, 2022 I just entered the @clxgaming Ra PC Giveaway! While Ghantt spent more than 6 1/2 years in federal prison, he said he usedthat time to"re-invent" himself. She knows Owen Wilson's Steve, the bad apple . Ghantt labeled himself as a jerk who was dissatisfied with his life before stealing the money. The van used to move the money was later located a few miles from the warehouse. On Oct. 4, 1997, former Kings Mountain resident David Scott Ghantt finished his shift as a vault supervisor for Loomis Fargo in Charlotte. She is the diamond of my soul. Updated: Sep 29, 2022 / 03:23 PM CDT. I felt relieved, I knew that things were getting ready to come to an end and getting caught was a stress reliever even if I knew I was going to jail. Authorities say Steve. Soooooo will anyfuckingbody say what the movie is called? 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. 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 Ghantt struck up a relationship with fellow Loomis Fargo employee Kelly Campbell, and they continued to maintain contact even after Campbell left the company. A former co-worker told me, "Everybody has screwed up. For a time, it was nicknamed "the hillbilly heist" because nearly all of the major players in the case came from small towns around Charlotte. His wife, they said, got breast implants and used cash to purchase a 1998 BMW Z3 sports car. The Loomis Fargo Bank Robbery was the $17.3 million cash robbery of the Charlotte, North Carolina, regional office vault of Loomis Fargo & Company on the evening of October 4, 1997, by armored car driver and vault supervisor David Scott Ghantt.An FBI criminal investigation (which became international in scope) ultimately resulted in the arrest and conviction of eight people . MASTERMINDS will be available on Blu-ray, DVD and digital download tomorrow. The company reported the theft Oct. 5. Masterminds was a fun movie. What are Jandice and Kelly up to now? Loomis Fargo employees could not open the vault the next morning and called the police. Twenty-one people were charged and convicted in the . Chambers had no intention of following those rules, believing the FBI would never connect him to Ghantt. A: When I first got in, I thought, "What in my life has led me to this?" At one point, the hoodlum shows up and Ghantt is wearing a Jerome Bettis Pittsburgh Steelers jersey; the hoodlums favorite team is the Steelers, and he caves and tells Ghantt that McKinney wants him dead. Im like, You need to understand that, that money has been missing for 20 years. Any truth to that? Just the ability to come and go as I please and walk barefooted in the backyard means so much. All but one of the defendants pleaded guilty. You know as well as I doits Hollywood. Although the history of the predecessor Wells Fargo & Company dates back to 1852, Loomis Fargo & Company was established in 1997 by the consolidation of Wells Fargo Armored Service and Loomis Armored Inc.; the resulting corporation employed 8,500 people and provided armored transportation, cash handling services, and automatic teller machine maintenance. When I interviewed for this job about three years ago, I told (my boss) that I had some dirt in my background, and if he went digging for it, he would find it. Chambers promised to wire him money in Mexico until the investigation blew over and Ghantt could return to . They asked me how I felt about it and I said, Its my story, but its your movie so have at me. This book spotlights all of the topics that make up a well rounded life and is presented in a voice that is down-to-earth, authentic and downright like-able. Chambers did more than 11 years. [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]. Loomis, Fargo offered a $500,000 reward for his arrest and conviction. No idea where it is I only ever had what I took with me and what was sent to me. I got to eat my meal perfectly, but every 5 minutes, someone wanted to shoot a selfie with Zach or an autograph from Zach. Explain: The scary part is that as soon as you put that little bit of money in the van, that there's no going back. I did get to meet him. LRM: Do you still have that well-known fame today after being a free man? One time, he knocked on my door when I was getting ready to go scuba diving. C hristopher David Ghantt Phone Numbers (704) 678-8911. Chambers himself was a former FBI informant who had provided information on a then future Loomis armored car robbery that never happened, court documents stated. This story was originally published October 3, 2016, 9:12 PM. I got no real complaints, not at this point., The heist became the premise for the movie,Masterminds, released in September 2016. I would like to think, in my heart-to-heart, he wasnt going [to kill me]. His accomplices included coworker Kelly Campbell, as well as friends Steve and Michelle Chambers. When I interviewed for this job about three years ago, I told (my boss) that I had some dirt in my background, and if he went digging for it, he would find it. LRM: [Laughter] As for yourself, besides diving, what did you really do in Mexico? With the bandits blowing millions on lavish and ridiculous luxuries, they leave behind a glaring trail of evidence. He was angry a lot. This Wednesday marks the 20th anniversary of the notorious Loomis Fargo heist. ', He explained the glorification and glamour often associated with bank heists and bank robberies in Hollywood films is far from reality. They even made a movie about it, with North Carolina native Zach Galifianakis playing the role of Ghantt in the comedy "Masterminds.". Good question , Oddly most employers are very understanding as long as you are honest with them up front . Please click here if you want to opt-out. Now, here we are, two years later. At first, David Ghantt said, "I didn't take her seriously. Although the FBI investigation was able to quickly connect Ghantt to Campbell, connecting Ghantt to Chambers was a more difficult task. Quizs imagin al protagonista. | TCR, Mando S3E1: The Apostate Review Fun Without Meaning, Design Without Thought, Disney+s Peter Pan & Wendy Teaser Trailer Showcases Familiar Characters, Creed III Black Carpet Interviews with Cast and Guests, Kogonada Rumored To Direct Episodes Of Star Wars: The Acolyte | Barside Buzz, Both Blade And Deadpool 3 Set To Begin Filming May This Year | Barside Buzz, Mandalorian Exec Producers Discuss Moving On Without Cara Dune, DC Spotlight February 28, 2023: The Comic Source Podcast, Arnold Schwarzenegger Stars In Netflixs FUBAR, His First Television Project, LRM Exclusive Interview: David Ghantt, Real Life Thief Who Inspired MASTERMINDS. On the non-philosophical side, it probably be much better off if I done everything by myself. Philip Noel Johnson, 33, was arrested in August while crossing into the United States from Mexico. Inequality is Weakening Social Security. In October of 1997, I was a vault supervisor for armored truck company Loomis Fargo, when I made off with $17.3 million. She had previously been making frequent small deposits to avert suspicion. David Harbour with Lily Allen. Honestly, it got spent and no one noticed. Dont come to me for a treasure map, Ill put it to you that way., Michael Sainatos writing has appeared in the Guardian, Miami Herald, Baltimore Sun, Denver Post, Buffalo News, the Hill, Alternet, and several other publications . Alert: Obviously, spoilers abound. Campbell, 29, had pleaded guilty to charges of bank larceny, money laundering and conspiracy to commit murder. All of us will be looking forward to your story by watching the movie on Blu-ray or DVD. People did ask questions or they wanted to chat. shes now Miss USA. Chambers got 11 years. The Loomis Fargo Bank Robbery was a robbery of $17.3 million in cash from the Charlotte, North Carolina, regional office vault of Loomis, Fargo & Co. on the evening of October 4, 1997, by vault supervisor David Scott Ghantt, his married girlfriend Kelly Campbell (a former Loomis co-worker), Steve Chambers, his wife Michelle Chambers, Michael Gobbies and four other co-conspirators. I work for a small construction company. I live down here in Jacksonville, Florida. Ms. Campbell worked at Loomis for 11 months, leaving in November 1996, according to court papers. After the movie [premiered in theaters], my Facebook account exploded. A movie based on the heist starring Zach Galifianakis, Kristen Wiig, Owen Wilson, Jason Sudeikis, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones and directed by Jared Hess (the guy who made Napoleon Dynamite) is out now on Blu-ray and DVD. I had more than 700 message requests. David Ghantt talks to us about his part in the robbery of Loomis Fargo where he stole over 17 Million Dollars & the events that transpired soon after.Like u. Here's whatGhantt says now about the heist that madethe "Cramer Mountain Hillbillies" famous and changed him forever. Yep, yesterday, February 28, at the end of the TODAY show's 8 am ET hour, Sheinelle Jones offered the following update: "By the way, it has been an interesting morning for us. I cut out a lot of partying and stuff that wastes my spending. But even though he worked for a company that regularly moved millions of dollars, David Ghantt himself was underpaid. In real life: True. The odds of you actually getting away with something these days is pretty damn slim. So what exactly did you do for this production? Then you end up in a eight by ten cube and youre going to share that cube with two other people. David Ghantt talks to us about his part in the robbery of Loomis Fargo where he stole over 17 Million Dollars \u0026 the events that transpired soon after.Like us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/crimeandentertainment/Follow us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/crimenentertainment/Listen on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4T67Bs5kksA7HP22LoKzt4Listen on Apple Music - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crime-entertainment/id1573321645Listen on Stitcher - https://www.stitcher.com/show/crime-entertainmentListen on Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5idXp6c3Byb3V0LmNvbS8xMjcxNTQzLnJzcw==Listen on Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9cdb3854-414d-4b69-8022-4479e01dad44/crime-entertainment?ref=dm_sh_OVZBcFDuxatVNE3y3mD1HHBtm David Ghantt normally came home between 6 and 8 p.m., and often he was late, his wife said. One of them went into a bank and asked, How much money can I deposit before you call the IRS? Its things like that. David Ghantt: Oh, yeah. David Harbour and Lily Allen are currently together. David Ghantt: Since the movie came out, I probably say I would have more now. MASTERMINDS is available on Blu-ray, DVD and digital download tomorrow. David Ghantt : [voice-over] Steve was a petty thief, mostly known for stealing tiny wheelchairs from pediatric hospitals. Ghantt had worked with the branch since 1994, and had been promoted from a driver to the vault supervisor. Ghantt was scheduled to work a shift at the armored car company Oct. 4. A: I hate to think about what I'd be doing if I hadn't gotten caught. He is an uncomplicated man stuck in a monotonous life. You look nothing like Zach? She denied ever being romantically involved with Ghantt, although she ``expressed her love to him during their last intercepted conversation last Monday, according to the affidavit. There are also a bit of comedy and some tragedy. Then you have the huge velvet Elvis. 2023 www.gastongazette.com. Cathy Biles, who handled the purchase of the Chambers house in Cramerton, told WSOC-TV in Charlotte that the cash deal aroused her suspicions. She was a graduate of Ashley High School and attended Gaston Co Thats going to be your life for quite some time, typically. Everybody thinks being famous and being an actor is stupendous, and the money is fantastic, but they kind of live in afish bowl. There was no sign of forced entry into the building, but surveillance tapes and photographs showed a man believed by authorities to be Ghantt putting bags of money onto a cart in the vault at Loomis, Fargos offices in Charlotte, and then into the company van. 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. Thats the big thing. CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- A man caught on videotape looting an armored car company vault of $17 million -- one of the biggest thefts of its kind in U.S. history -- has been sentenced to 7 1/2 years in federal prison. Outside the building, Ghantt met up with Campbell, Chambers, and others who were involved in the plot, and drove off to a printing business called Reynolds & Reynolds in northwest Charlotte. Fried chicken, cornbread and cake what brings you back to this Charlotte restaurant. Has this affected your ability to get a job? 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. Its comedy. Wichita Eagle, Thursday, June 29, 1995 Bullock, David N., 63, retired Beech Aircraft Corp. sheet metal worker, died Tuesday, June 27, 1995. They obviously werent trying to get it right they were putting together what they believe is a better story, said Diamant. I gave him the short synopsis. Campbell used part of her share of the money to buy a Toyota Sienna minivan in two cash installments. Everything changes when he meets Kelly Campbell (Kristen Wiig), a new employee at his bank, Loomis Fargo. I think Zachs a hell of an actor. 33. Q: Do you appreciate your normal life now more than you would if you hadn't spent years in prison? David Ghantt: I think its a great story. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. 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. At the. A: I like the 47-year-old David Ghantt more than I did the 20-something David Ghantt. "A former co-worker told me, "Everybody has screwed up. The Chambers moved from a trailer into a mansion, which alerted the FBI to their newfound wealth. Glad you like the movie. More than 2 million dollars is still missing to this day. Check your inbox for a confirmation email with instructions to finish signing up. 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. They bought a huge diamond and paid with cash for it. The company reported the theft Oct. 5. He and his wife, Michelle, moved from their mobile home in Lincoln County to a luxury house in the wealthy Cramer Mountain section of Cramerton. . The contents were missing. Service 11 a.m. Saturday . You did something else instead. Lessons Not Learned From the Pentagon Papers, The US Navy is More Than Just Broken, Careerism is Tearing It Apart, Sensitivity Rewrites: The Cultural Purging of Roald Dahl, The Biden National Security Team Must Get SmarterSooner, Building Direct Democracy in an Atlanta Forest, Truth, No Matter What: Why Watering Down Palestinian Reality is a Crime, How Howard Schultz Made Starbucks the Poster Child of Corporate Abuse, Letter from London: Meeting at Maison Bertaux, Why Much of the Global South Isnt Automatically Supporting the West in Ukraine. Man accused of planting explosive at Grandfather Mountain Highland Games pleads not guilty, Falcon 9 launches Crew-6 from Cape Canaveral, Flight attendants to get 10 hours rest between shifts under new US rule, Loretta Lynn, coal miner's daughter and country queen, dies, National Taco Day 2022 | Deals and offers. David Ghantt: Well, my compatriots did lock themselves out of the van. 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 . Saffron Burrows plays . They received sentences and probation ranging from several years to 11 years and three months in federal prison for Steve Chambers, who was also fined more than $3,500,000. After years of working hard, the realisation hit . They kept several furnishings from the previous owners, including a painting of Elvis Presley on black velvet. I did do a lot of diving down in Mexico, which is a great diving spot. Q: Your troubles were self-inflicted, but you seem happy. (Source: People) Click here to sign up for the daily Wake Up Charlotte newsletter. Why did this Charlotte engineer leave her job? The British spy group MI5 is interested in a safety deposit box in this highly fictionalized version of an actual London robbery. He then proceeded to load about $17.3 million in cash (approximately $11 million of which was in $20 bills) into the back of a company van. The film stars Zach Galifianakis, Kristen Wiig, Owen Wilson, Kate McKinnon and Jason Sudeikis. [7][8], Rocket Science, a 1998 double-disc album by Charlotte-based radio personalities John Boy & Billy, includes a track ("Marvin: The Loomis Caper") mocking the defendants. Q: You say your time in federal prison changed you. What was it like to have a movie based on your story? #CLXGaming#CLXRa#evokethegods 1 2 From Oct. 6 through Feb. 20, the couple made 47 deposits totaling $271,500 at a Belmont bank, and at. I wanted to change my life. Ghantt was apprehended in Mexico and returned to the United States in custody. All rights reserved. . David Bowie 's widow recently took to Instagram to post selfies, while promoting both her makeup brand and fashion line. And, with the help of several others David made off with $17.3 million dollars, 11 million of which was in 20's. In November 1990, David married Margaret in San Diego, California. [1] Tips had led the FBI to begin monitoring Chambers's (and his wife's) activities, but it was not until the FBI recorded a phone call from Ghantt in Mexico that the final connection was made. Day in and day out, he drives an armored vehicle,. Shelly Miscavige, David's wife, has not been seen in public for 15 years. 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. Charlotte hotel chef who serves with a smile recognized as outstanding ambassador, Eritrean, Ethiopian restaurant owner was a big brother and father to many in Charlotte, Home tours: This wired-up Weddington smart home has a pool big enough for the neighborhood. The Book of Dave A New Path After a $17 Million Misstep, Name: David Scott GhanttBorn: October 20,1969Infamous for: When he literally drove off with $17+ Million one day after work (admit it, youve all thought about it, lol)Famous for (at time of writing): Being an inspiration for the character David Ghantt in the major motion picture comedy- Masterminds. David Scott Ghantt Ghantt, his former co-worker Kelly Campbell and her friends Steve and Michelle Chambers carried out the Loomis Fargo heist on Oct. 4, 1997. Anyways, David, I appreciate this conversation. David Scott Ghantt, 28, was arrested Sunday on an island off the Mexican coast, near the resort city of Cozumel, FBI spokesman William Perry said today. I run the heavy equipment. The FBI, in fact, obtained the evidence they needed to bring down the major players, including Chambers, after catching them talking about the murder plot on the telephone via wiretap. 44:28. Search warrants also were executed at Ghantts home in North Carolina, federal officials said. Were you offended that they portrayed you as an idiot being so easily manipulated? David Ghantt, a Gulf War veteran, was finishing his shift as a vault supervisor for Loomis Fargo when he loaded $17 million into a company van and drove away. David Ghantt: Awesome. Because surprise! Mary E. Ghantt, 38, died Tuesday in Scranton after a lifelong battle with cystic fibrosis. Chambers declines to comment on the events that made him notorious. "Twenty-five years ago today. David GhanttRetweeted Iraqveteran8888 @Iraqveteran8888 Dec 9, 2022 Elect me President and I'll fire everyone, free Julian Assange, and pardon Edward Snowden. The Radical Senate: James Abourezk of South Dakota, America is Not a Racist Country: How Nikki Haley Became Israels Candidate for the White House, Three Reasons (Other Than Age) Why Joe Biden Should Not Run Again For President, The Global South Refuses Pressure to Side With the West on Russia, The 20th Anniversary of the Sociocide of Iraq by Bush/Cheney. I'll take the live one. I was shocked. I've read that once the FBI actually closed in on you, you were relieved because you were fearing for your life at that point. I was also made myself available on set in case if someone wanted to talk to me. They put some elements of the real thing into the movie. Just lounging around. I loved it that she is part of my life now, because of all this. David Ghantt worked as a vault supervisor for the armoured cash vehicles at the Charlotte, North Carolina branch of Loomis, Fargo & Co. Ironically even though he worked for a company that moved millions of dollars every day, he was relatively underpaid. $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. Thats some of my work. Thats nearly $11 million less than former Kings Mountain resident David Ghantt (played by Galifianakis in the film) helped steal from the vault where he worked in Charlotte back in October 1997. I really don't miss that guy.