Thirty years! Well she was a pretty happy-go-lucky person, he said. (LogOut/ What kind of surprised me is how much the car smelled like money, like if you ever hold money up to your nose it has a distinct smell, Wydra said. '. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Since then, there have been numerous articles, books, documentaries and even a movie about this gang -- the gang that couldnt shoot straight. Though much of the cash was already stacked on pushcarts in the vault, other stacks were on shelves or the floor, and they were heavy. them. 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 robbery was committed by David Scott Ghantt who was the vault supervisor and accomplices Kelly Campbell, Steve Chambers, Michelle Chambers, Michael Gobies, and other four members. (John D. Simmons/The Charlotte Observer via AP). Working by himself, Ghantt would commit the robbery and then flee for Mexico, leaving the bulk of the cash with Chambers. Jim Gronquist, Campbells defense attorney during the Loomis case, says the financial penalties levied against his client and her co-defendants are grossly excessive and unjust, particularly since most of the stolen Loomis money was actually recovered. But you cant get blood from a stone, Johns said. All of the defendants are out of prison -- the longest sentence was 11 years. 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. At 2:20 p.m., the phone rang; it was Kelly again. The figures can be astounding. The $17 million Loomis Fargo heist in Charlotte, North Carolina, was the second largest armored car robbery in U.S. history. And once he started, he didn't stop with one cartful. The government does not run debtors prisons, says U.S. My knee-jerk reaction was to be angry, and then the sarcastic ass side of me started laughing about it, Ghantt said. It all seemed unfair. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Accompanying her was Steve Chambers, who, though unemployed, had recently moved . 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.. First, they tapped the Chambers phone, and began listening in on February 11th, 1998. 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) In August 1997, Campbell informed Ghantt about an old high school friend of hers named Steve Chambers, who could assist Ghantt to execute a massive cash robbery of the Loomis Fargo vault in one night. In total, 24 people were convicted and all but one of the accused pleaded guilty. From there, the money was moved from the armored car to private vehicles. If it didn't work out, he could return to the United States later with a new identity. The $17 million was stolen last Oct. 4 from the armored-car company's vault in Charlotte. 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. Steve began talking about wiring money to overseas accounts, and even purchasing a nightclub. The Charlotte area's economy was booming all around him, and he felt passed over. He could even be famous, perhaps joining the ranks of legendary master thieves. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. By this time, agents knew where he was and had a general idea who the other players were, so they went to every bank in town to see if any of them rented a safe deposit box. How did they get away with stealing more than $17 million? On Oct. 5, the Loomis heist celebrates its 25th birthday. While Ghantt trusted Chambers enough to leave his cut behind, Chambers had other plans. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ). Ghantt went to Mexico leaving the money with his cohorts, thinking that he could get his share back when he needed it. CHARLOTTE If you didnt live in the Charlotte area 25 years ago, you might not believe it. 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. Loomis has received $978,983.79, according to Sally Butcher, an assistant clerk in the federal courts of the Western District of North Carolina who specializes in criminal debt. So the original gang was all totally shocked, Wydra said. It wasn't how much you stole that mattered most; it was that you had stolen in the first place. Campbell used to work for Loomis and continued the friendship with Ghantt, eventually hooking him up with Chambers. 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. From my standpoint, it was just a business deal, Ghantt said. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]. Their only intimate physical contact had been kissing on a mid-September night when they had driven her pickup truck to a field behind a shooting range in Gaston County to discuss their plans and the theft's chance of success. 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. Johnson had stolen $18.8 million earlier in the year, on March 19, 1997, only to be caught five months later, in late August, while crossing into Texas from Mexico to retrieve some of the money, which he'd hidden in a shed in mountainous western North Carolina. Investigators also found Ghantts pickup truck, abandoned at the warehouse. Theres no way to get it back, Butcher told The Charlotte Observer. Copyright The Nashua Telegraph | https://www.nashuatelegraph.com | 110 Main St, Ste 1, Nashua, NH 03060 | 603-882-2741, Loomis Fargo defendants owe as much as they stole in 1997, Thats pretty standard in restitution matters. Campbell, a former Loomis employee and one of the original masterminds of the caper, has paid off less than $21,000 of the $4,701,694.18 she was docked. He was signed by the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2002. 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. Sure to be in demand as the book has been made into a movie, Masterminds, to be released in August.Michael Sawyer, Pine Bluff, AR. Criminals dont usually get high-paying jobs after leaving prison. In fact, he had recently finished a book about the FBI and felt it provided insight into the agency's investigative techniques, insight he thought could help the little gang succeed. Getting restitution, its like pulling teeth.. "its a great readsuspenseful, often funny, just the thing for those wondering what it might feel like to have, as these hapless, small-town criminals did, literally too darn much cash lying around. " You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Another time, the day after a Christmas in the late 1980s, David and some friends planted all the discarded Christmas trees from the area in one neighbor's front yard. He added that money can be a motivator for anyone. Campbell used to work for Loomis and continued the friendship with Ghantt, eventually hooking him up with Chambers. In the end, the FBI was able to capture the original gang in five months, snaring 21 individuals for their participation in the crime. I gotta go.". Lacking a college degree, he found that his army skills felt meaningless in the 1990s job market. We are happy to work with other website publishers. Many of the lesser players in the conspiracy have been the most effective in paying their debts. Fourteen defendants were ordered to make restitution payments to Loomis Fargo totaling almost $19 million. 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. For a better shopping experience, please upgrade now. Some of that money is just gone. When Ghantt called Campbell asking for more money, a plan was set in motion to take him out. According to Butcher, Campbells last official payment came in June 2021 when the government appears to have seized a tax refund of $81.24. Also charged with money laundering were innocent relatives and friends who had co-signed safe deposit boxes. In one case, the restitution for a Loomis defendant may be a moving target. Twenty people were convicted of roles big and small in the massive 1997 armored-car warehouse heist in west Charlotte. Instead he became paranoid, especially after Steve Chambers put a contract out on his life. He said at first, they were very proud of what they had been able to do. Probably very egotistical of me, I thought, Yeah, sure, I can beat them, theyre college smart and thats about it, Ghantt said. He and Tammy could have one or two meals each week that he really liked, but the rest were hot dogs or Hamburger Helper. He knew it would mean leaving Tammy. Some of that money is just gone. That was the thing that sticks in my mind to this day.. She was five-foot-seven, had dirty-blond hair, and had worked with him for about a year at Loomis Fargo, until she left for another job in 1996. If we work together, we can all have plenty of pie.. Growing up, David's family went to Disney World, sent him to religious school, and shopped at places he couldn't afford as a self-supporting adult. How many people have walked the red carpet at a movie premiere in a case that was yours?. Ghantt had fled to Mexico with $50,000 in cash, leaving the rest of the money with Steve Chambers. Thats pretty standard in restitution matters. (LogOut/ Tips had led the FBI to begin monitoring Chambers (and his wifes) activities, but it was not until the FBIrecorded a phone callfrom Ghantt in Mexico that the final connection was made. They had met in December 1995 on one of her first days at Loomis. 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. Hed never really been in trouble, he wasnt a career criminal, said retired FBI agent John Wydra. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. David placed their odds of success at 85 percent, a confidence inspired by faith not just in his planning but also in his feelings for Kelly. 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. So we were able to figure out with all the denominations, it would require about 20 safe deposit boxes to store it all., WSOC TV facebook feed(Opens a new window), Part 2: Channel 9 speaks with the man at the center of Loomis Fargo heist 25 years ago, ALSO READ: 14-year-old boy robbed at gunpoint while waiting for bus in east Charlotte, mom says, ALSO READ: Leader of $3M check theft, bank fraud scheme in Charlotte area sentenced to prison, ALSO READ: Man released from jail, accused of robbing banks while wearing electronic monitor, police say, ALSO READ: Suspect from south Charlotte bank robbery found, CMPD says, NCSHP arrest driver accused of nearly hitting 2 students at bus stop in Statesville, CMS delays opening of new school meant to ease overcrowding, Mooresville orders removal of memorial at park after teens death, Chick-fil-A announces app data breach, tells customers how to protect personal information, Charlotte woman celebrates $1 million scratch-off prize, WSOC - TV Public File Contact / Program Director, WAXN - TV Public File Contact / Program Director. Heist! You Save 23%. Its in the ether. Its in the ether. : The $17 Million Loomis Fargo Theft. The investigation ultimately resulted in the conviction of eight people directly involved, as well as sixteen others who had indirectly helped them. 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. The van used to move the money was later located a few miles from the warehouse. As an adult, he preferred Shakespeare, Tom Clancy, and any book he could find about the Federal Bureau of Investigation. 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. A woman by the name of Kelly Campbell had worked there in 1996, and she and Ghantt had become friends in that time. The only other employee with him on this day was a trainee. He was a hard worker, smart enough, and had graduated from high school. 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. In addition, he also rented Mike his own apartment, paid him $400/weekly and bought him a gun. He stayed at it until the vault was empty. 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. It was the second-largest. ", "I don't need any more friends," she'd shot back. Libraries without that edition should consider purchasing this entertaining and lightly edited version, which reads like a fast-paced novel. Getting restitution, its like pulling teeth., White-collar criminals are pretty good at hiding their money,, Youre supposed to get less time for cooperating, a lesser penalty, and instead, you see what she got hit with., She will never get beyond the debt. 2023 Cox Media Group. In Gastonia, David would run into high-school classmates who had never struck him as especially smart. Notifications from this discussion will be disabled. Charlotte Observer"more than a crime story, and one that's worth reading." The FBI says Chambers hired a hitman to tie up the ultimate loose end -- Ghantt. Youre supposed to get less time for cooperating, a lesser penalty, and instead, you see what she got hit with. Gronquist said. The Chambers home is now gated, which means Channel 9 crews cant drive up to it like we used to. 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. You can garnish wages. 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. 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. "What would it take to convince you to do it?" 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. Their most important conversation occurred one afternoon in August 1997 after Kelly paged him at work. Outside of 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. 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. Thank you! she asked again. The site features a collection of unexplained, strange and odd mysteries. Some of that money is just gone. It was released in 2016 and Wydra was invited to the premiere. Yet their lives seemed far easier and better than his. A parrot tattoo on her right ankle. 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 Loomis Fargo Heist Over the next months, Ghantt, Campbell, and Chambers developed a plan. His eyes widened and he stopped breathing as he realized that something as mundane as a malfunctioning gate might ruin their entire plan. The participants in the heist also spent lavishly on fancy jewelry, fancy cars and breast enhancement surgeries. Ghantt was working as a vault supervisor for Loomis Fargo in Charlotte in 1997, earning about $8 an hour and tired of his humdrum life. Clerk of Court Frank Johns of Charlotte. Curiously, Payne had recently paid of his Visa in one payment and had been driving around new and rented vehicles for the past weeks. In 2017, for example, Paul Burks of Lexington was ordered to pay $244 million to the victims of his worldwide Ponzi scheme, Zeek Rewards. 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Marine Fisheries Commission advocates for water quality, North Carolina the only state allowing unnecessary killing of sea turtles, 'Pagan' bike gang leader in N. Carolina sentenced to prison, Deputy cleared in shooting death of Gloucester woman, Beaufort amends charter to allow four-year mayoral term. So we were able to figure out with all the denominations, it would require about 20 safe deposit boxes to store it all.. Have a youtube channel or website similar? Later that year, he saw a newspaper ad for a job at Loomis Fargo. The property has changed hands several times since then. 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. she asked. When did you conclude Yeah, Im actually going to do this? Counts asked. Join thousands already receiving our daily newsletter. The movie was called Masterminds and stars Zach Galifianakis, Kristen Wiig and Owen Wilson. "Just remind Steve," he said, "that I might be trouble my own self." "Everything's gonna be all right," she told him. The defendants received sentences ranging from probation for several relatives to over 11 years in federal prison for Steve Chambers. They kept several furnishings from the previous owners, including avelvet Elvis. The principals here are David Ghantt, a driver for Loomis, Fargo and Co.; Kelly Campbell, the woman Ghantt had a crush on, and who convinced him to commit the crime; and Steve and Michele Chambers. Stealing from Loomis Fargo could make him rich, if he got away with it. Paying the money back has taken a lot longer, and time is running out for the U.S. government to collect. It's still the hot topic . It was 2:00 p.m. on October 4, 1997, and tension was building between two planners of what would rank high among the largest heists in United States history. LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Is this really about the needs of the poor? She had attitude. FBI video shows the agency searching that home and finding drawers full of cash. There are multiples of thousands of these things coming every year. The same applies to trolling, the use of multiple aliases, or This was several years before the advent of smartphones and the post-9/11 increase in federal surveillance of electronic communications, and public knowledge about this tracking was less widespread. Over 88% of the money has been recovered since the heist. Who was she to be pressuring him? Not all of them, but some of them are going to forgive you, theyre going to overlook it., he said. But this time on the phone, Kelly wasn't joking. A woman by the name of Kelly Campbell had worked there in 1996, and she and Ghantt had become friends in that time. Moving the money into the van quickly proved an onerous task. The trainee didn't know to check to make sure it was closed. "I'll need help moving the money, getting a new ID, and leaving the country," he told her. Since Ghantt was the supervisor, he sent his co-worker home first. Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. Kelly had approached David with the idea in the summer, knowing he had a crush on her and winning him over with the promise that a shady friend of hers with Mafia ties would help them. They located Steve and Shelley Chambers in their newly-purchased home at the top of a hill. He had since held one low-paying job after another. 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. Ghantt, who by then was long out of prison, served as a consultant. A former FBI agent who helped crack the case sat down with Channel 9 Reporter Glenn Counts to talk about the clues that led to solving the crime, and how the group got caught. Campbell used part of her share of the money to buy aToyota Siennaminivanin two cash installments. Then they returned it. (LogOut/ The 2016 comedy movie, Masterminds is based on the story of the Loomis Fargo Heist. Jeff Diamant was a reporter for the Charlotte Observer when the heist took place. Hes a family man with a wife and daughter. He hired a hitman to take Ghantt out, tying up the ultimate loose end. As beads of sweat formed under his red hair, he loaded up another cart and repeated the process. Besides her prison sentence, Campbell must undergo mental health and drug treatment and spend two years in a supervised release program. 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. ALSO READ: 14-year-old boy robbed at gunpoint while waiting for bus in east. While Ghantt waited for the heat from the robbery to die down, Chambers would send Ghantt small amounts of money. The plan to rob Loomis Fargo was spawned by Campbell and her friend Steve Chambers, during a casual bonfire at Chambers' home. La vie de David Ghantt n'a rien de compliqu. A more immediate need was securing help to move the stolen money to safety the night of the crime. Her case closes in 2025. 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. His collection case, which closes in November 2026, got credit for the couples $540,000 house on Cramer Mountain in Gaston County, Butcher says. 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. Loomis Fargo, the nation's largest privately held armored- car company, used vans to transport hundreds of millions of dollars a day belonging to banks and other businesses, stocking automated teller machines and storing money in the Loomis vault between deliveries. Thats pretty standard in restitution matters. You can seize property. I was relieved emotionally because I knew there was a good chance my luck might run out, Ghantt said. Restitution is a familiar part of sentencing in federal court. And they hit the jackpot -- FBI video shows agents recovering most of the stolen cash. He quickly found out when you have money, you just have different problems, Wydra said. Even with several vehicles, they underestimated how much space they would need and they had to leave $3 million behind. Chambers had no intention of wiring any money to Ghantt and intended to have him killed to keep him from implicating the others. David didn't appreciate her tone. >> PHOTOS: The Loomis Fargo heist, 25 years later Ghantt, his former co-worker Kelly Campbell and her friends Steve and Michelle Chambers, carried out the Loomis Fargo heist on Oct.. And then I realized that a lot of people knew who I was and they had followed the case.. One number is working in Campbells favor. Library Journal "highly entertaining." As it neared its end, David stealthily left the vault door ajar. The gang made numerous mistakes. They didnt expect it.. They hadn't slept together or even fooled around much, but he was ready to commit. 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. This technically made it abank robbery afederal offense. 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. He shut the empty vault and set its timer so the vault could not be opened for two or three days. Ghantt was the vault manager and was surrounded daily by millions of dollars worth of temptation. Butcher says the federal courts in the Western District of North Carolina have never handled a case quite like Loomis. 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. She will never get beyond the debt. Change). There are multiples of thousands of these things coming every year. He had since served time in prison for the crime and told our sister station WSOC-TV Channel 9s Glenn Counts he learned a valuable lesson while behind bars. He angrily hung up the phone at Loomis, Fargo & Co., his soon-to-be former employer in Charlotte, North Carolina. The FBI was inadvertently aided by the gang members extravagant spending. diane from elliot in the morning,