David was excited, jabbering about their future together. Its 90-minutes of mugging for the camera, but the only people who feel mugged are those that pay to see Masterminds. Still, she wasn't happy. Hes well thought-out. He realized that if they met the minimum monthly payments, the bill would take 30 years to pay. . I made a joke once that was the hardest Id ever worked for Wells Fargo -- yeah, its a lot of work, Ghantt said. And I was thinking about just showing up there. But it was the rural, Southern backgrounds of many of the key players, along with the many botched twists and bungled turns, that led the media to dub it the hillbilly heist.. Search Tools . Steve Chambers has told agents the missing cash was stolen from a shed in Lincoln County. In February 1998, the FBI tapped their phones and listened to Steve discuss depositing $2.5 million in the Cayman Islands. The property has changed hands several times since then. In early November, Steve lured the real Mike McKinney, an ex-Marine, to North Carolina from his Illinois home. Well they were in some sense celebrities, Gronquist said. Kelly called David at. Campbell helped plot the robbery of Loomis Charlotte vault on Oct. 4, 1997, with David Ghantt, a Loomis supervisor who stole the money, and Steve Chambers, a longtime Campbell friend. Soon thereafter, he met Kelly Campbell, a co-worker at Loomis Fargo. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Michelle, meanwhile, purchased new breasts for herself, along with a $43,000 diamond ring and a new convertible BMW Z3. Besides her prison sentence, Campbell must undergo mental health and drug treatment and spend two years in a supervised release program. Things started to go south the night of the robbery. Exciting. David didn't even know Steve's name. . Her sentence was delayed until Jan. 1 so she could spend the holidays with her family. But the idea of all that money pulled at her. He'd stay up all night, boosted by coffee, waiting for the sunrise over the ocean. They cursed. So we were able to figure out with all the denominations, it would require about 20 safe deposit boxes to store it all.. Most people are going to forgive you. They found Ghantts truck, and in it were his keys, some personal items and his wedding ring. But it didnt really hit me until later., On March 2nd, when the FBI agents walked up to Ghantt in Playa del Carmen and told him he was under arrest, Ghantt was relieved. Without really intending to, Kelly recalls, she turned the conversation to the possibility of a heist. "I said, 'That's all they gave me,' " McKinney recalled. When I put that cash in the back of the car, by the time I got to the office the whole car smelled like that. "A lot of people out there had it worse than me, but . Jeffrey Guller, who at 81 is by far the oldest of the Loomis defendants, still owes almost $1.1 million on his original court debt of $1.14 million and will remain on the governments books for another four years. To say nothing of their art purchases like the aforementioned velvet Elvis portrait and a painting of a bulldog dressed as General George S. Patton. Only a nickel on every dollar have been collected so far. The plan called for David to leave the vault door ajar, then maneuver a few minutes alone at the end of his shift, long enough to loot the cash, then pass it to Kelly and Steve. RELATED: When you have money, you just have different problems: The Loomis Fargo heist, 25 years later, How I held it together is beyond me, Ghantt said. It has a certain feel, a smell and weight to it. He partied, met women, drank, skied and hung out at the beach. 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. These days, the 52-year-old husband and father lives in Jacksonville, Florida, where he works at a heavy equipment rental agency. Masterminds which opens nationwide today (though youd be hard pressed to know that given the decided lack of promotion) is proof again that all the talent in the world cannot salvage a bad script, and not even a good screenwriter can make up for terrible performances. The participants in the heist also spent lavishly on fancy jewelry, fancy cars and breast enhancement surgeries. On Nov. 12, a confidential informant told the FBI about Steve Chambers's move from mobile home to mansion. Back in North Carolina, Ghantts former accomplices were living high on the hog. His assignment was to deliver the cash to David and keep him happy until they could find a way to kill him, McKinney said. Why had he ever believed he'd get it? About 5:30 the next morning, McKinney knocked on David's door and dropped $8,500 on the bed. I loved it. Then, I started loading the van., Money, when bound in bulk and stacked in canvas bags, is heavier than you might expect. She was a wife and mother with two children. . There is nothing of value in this movie. Campbell was released from federal custody in 2004 after serving five years, meaning her collection case will age out in December 2024. Ghantt was missing and no one, not even his wife, knew where he was. Loomis officials--forced to break into their own vault because David had taken the keys with him--calculated that he had stolen $17,044,000, making the second biggest heist in U.S. history, following the $18.8 million theft of an armored car by another Loomis Fargo employee just six months earlier. Though David had no criminal experience, he felt he could offer expert advice: He'd just finished reading a book on the FBI. It's one of the biggest jokes at the place. What made her do it? Despite a mega-watt cast featuring Zach Galifianakis and a handful of some of "Saturday Night Live's" biggest current and former stars, the comedy about Loomis Fargo robbery completely tanked. Steve solicited two others to help move cash during the theft. It is based on the October 1997 Loomis Fargo Robbery in North Carolina, which was the subject of the 2016 American comedy film Masterminds. I said, Probably, the best time would be on the weekend; theres fewer people there. All but one took plea deals, including Ghantt, who was sentenced to seven years in prison. Twenty-one people were charged and convicted in the robbery, one of the biggest heists in U.S. history. Since Ghantt was the supervisor, he sent his co-worker home first. When October 1997 began, Steve and Michelle Chambers lived in a double-wide trailer. He became the target of a nationwide FBI manhunt and was arrested five months later near the Mexican resort of Cozumel. Kelly relayed his message to Steve. Meanwhile, Michele Chambers was laughing and saying, repeatedly, "Look at all this money!" Kelly Loomis. Ghantt had fled to Mexico with $50,000 in cash, leaving the rest of the money with Steve Chambers. Eventually, Steve made Kelly believe they could steal from Loomis and get away with it, she said. . Michele tells me you're in a financial bind. Its a farce that never farces; a comedy without jokes. Puedes cambiar tus opciones en cualquier momento desde tus controles de privacidad. No dry runs, no rehearsals. And so, he told her, Google my name. Steve told Scott to ignore the remaining stacks, which were mostly ones and fives. The FBI heard about the plot and agents knew they could no longer wait. From my standpoint, it was just a business deal, Ghantt said. She asked about the limit for a cash deposit before "paperwork" was required. The platform is designed to engage citizens and government leaders in a discussion about what needs improvement across the country. Here, he amps up the most obnoxious excesses of his entire cast and lets their grating bad-improv skills run amok. When we worked together [for Loomis], we'd joke about it. Were others involved? He goes, My name is Bruno. About six months before the Charlotte theft, on March 29, a total of $18.8 million was taken from Loomis, Fargo in Jacksonville, Fla., in what was believed to be the largest heist in U.S.. 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. And with Loomis, were looking at only one case. Theres barely a laugh in the entire film, which looks like it was shot entirely in one take while the actors were still working out their characters. He hadnt checked ahead of time if the airport had any available flights, let alone if it would even be open. 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. Once I start something, Im going to the end., As for how he felt in the moment, he says, Imagine me and you went on an airplane. If you didnt live in the Charlotte area 25 years ago, you might not believe it. The Columbia airport had no available flights. Sweat soaked David's uniform. There had been no signs. Oh were not going to talk to anybody, theyre not going to be able to convict us, that bravado happens in the beginning and then it often gets worn down by the reality, Gronquist said. 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. Criminals dont usually get high-paying jobs after leaving prison. Here's what Floyd recalls: After two games of pool, Steve told him, "You know, we do a lot of gambling. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. It wasnt a big hit, but Ghantt, who was played by Galifianakis, gives it a rave review. ". Getting restitution, its like pulling teeth.. On Oct. 7, 1997, two FBI agents arrived at Kelly Campbell's home after two Loomis employees had told agents she and David had once dated. They didnt expect it.. In early December, Steve and Michele invited relatives to their daughter's sixth birthday party. The robbery of some $17 million quickly became one of the wildest bank heists of the last quarter century. 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. Federal prosecutors would ultimately charge 21 defendants in the case, including the Floyds, who were charged with (and pleaded guilty to) money laundering. Charlotte Magazine even ran a feature story about the Loomis Fargo heist with the title, White Trash Crime. The headlines, however, never bothered Ghantt. They also left behind a life-changing fortune in small bills $3.3 million in fives and ones that they overlooked and the two videotapes that Ghantt had pulled from the security cameras at the bank. . ", "Even then . ALSO READ: 14-year-old boy robbed at gunpoint while waiting for bus in east Charlotte, mom says. He recalled that another agent, Phil King, said, "Hey, there was an article in the [Charlotte] Observer about beeper codes. Michelle Chambers received seven years and eight months, while Steve Chambers was handed an 11-year sentence. Find 145 people named Kelly Loomis along with free Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok profiles on PeekYou - true people search. The picture, which is directed by Jared Hess and written by Chris Bowman, Hubbel Palmer, and Emily Spivey, stars Zach Galifianakis, Owen Wilson, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones, and Jason Sudeikis . In all, agents arrested 24 people in the heist. real kelly campbell loomis fargo heist real kelly campbell loomis fargo heist (No Ratings Yet) . Ghantt was caught on videotape loading large amounts of cash into a truck. Kelly, she says now, was thinking about how happy she would be to send this man far away from her. David trusted her. Kelly had recently left a job driving an armored-car for Loomis, Fargo & Co. "He's the one who brought it up first," said Kelly, a year after her arrest. But after she left, she reached back out to Ghantt and brought up what theyd talked about that day in the break room. When Ghantt was on the plane home from Mexico with the FBI, he admitted to the agents that while Campbell had been integral to why hed done it and that he did indeed have a crush on her it was never his true motivation. He told Steve he hadn't been able to find David. Steve tried keys on a side door. Kelly, using David's cell phone, kept beeping him. Username. Its attracted workers like Ghantt. Ghantt studied how to rob his employer . . A week later, another informant told the FBI that Eric Payne had quit his job at a printing company soon after the heist and was spending money he probably hadn't earned legally. All but one of the 24 defendants pleaded guilty, and the one who didnt take the deal was convicted. ". Together, they drove in a convoy to an industrial warehouse eight miles away, where Eric Payne, a fourth accomplice was. And they hit the jackpot -- FBI video shows agents recovering most of the stolen cash. So its one thing to go from up here, thought, to action, he said. Kelly had no problem fanning the flames of their old flirtation. Truth be told, Ghantt had something of a crush on Campbell, and so, he told her exactly how hed pull off such a heist. "She just called me up on the phone and said, 'Hey, let's meet one day after work.' Besides her prison sentence, Campbell must undergo mental health and drug treatment and spend two years in a supervised release program. 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. There used to be a consulate in Cancun. "I thought he was goofing around.". Federal law stops government collection efforts 20 years after a defendant leaves prison. He took bus tours of Mayan ruins. Kristen Wiig plays Kelly, who really wasn't that into David, but convinced him to take a fortune from Loomis Fargo in the fall of '97. And youre like, Come on parachute. By March, Steve Chambers decided he needed to do something more drastic about Ghantt, making plans to send a hitman to Mexico to silence him for good. On Oct. 5, the Loomis heist celebrates its 25th birthday. Its in the ether. Ghantt simply got ready for work one morning knowing it would be his last day on the job. Steve had another conversation with Kelly about killing David. "I wanted to be more like my mom and dad were.". Kelly said she had reason to believe Steve might be able to pull off a heist. Three weeks after the theft, Steve and Michele moved from their Lincoln County mobile home to a $635,000 house in a gated Cramerton, N.C., neighborhood. 1-4-3 is 'I love you.' At the party, Steve invited Michele's stepfather, truck driver Dennis Floyd, to the basement to play pool. He worked fueling airplanes, driving a forklift, and in 1994 he got a job as a vault superintendent at Loomis. David Ghantt (Zach Galifianakis), an employee of Loomis Fargo, robbed his own vault, left the $17.3 million in cash with his co-conspirators, Kelly Campbell (Kristen Wiig) and Steve Chambers (Owen Wilson) and fled the country to Mexico. He couldn't talk.". Scary. As he and Kelly met in a field behind a shooting range to refine the plan, she allowed him to believe she was falling for him. Kelly's company. The next week, they heard Steve plan to send Mike McKinney to Mexico to kill David Ghantt. He flew in an ultra-light plane. In a word, "Teamwork. Scott Grant said he hesitated, but agreed if no guns would be involved. But what the bank didnt tell Michelle, and Michelle didnt know, was that one of those forms get filled out if you ask about it, or if its close to $10,000 or if they suspect that any part of that transaction is suspicious, Wydra said. I did a little research into crime statistics and the local cops. Now worried about both the FBI and McKinney, he spent even more time alone in his room. Depression had led to smoking a lot of marijuana and taking Prozac, a combination she figures affected her judgment. David thought about it. Meanwhile, Steve was keeping a close eye on Kelly. In the meantime, however, Chambers not only refused to wire money to Ghantt in Mexico, but ultimately hired a hitman (Jason Sudeikis) to take him out. Is he telling the truth? That week, the FBI designated the theft its 142nd "major case," putting it on a list--begun in the 1970s--that includes such other infamous crimes as the World Trade Center bombing. The Evergreen State takes the top spot again in the U.S. News Best States ranking on the strength of its tech sector and other industries. It was the first Saturday in October. Tuesday marked 25 years since a group of buddies pulled off the third-largest money grab in U.S. history -- the Loomis Fargo heist. He kept looking over his shoulder. All rights reserved. At the time of the real robbery, Chambers was facing criminal charges hed written 30K worth of bad checks and was facing jail time for it. He and his wife, Tammy, lived in a mobile home in Kings Mountain, N.C. Money was always tight. 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. . Kelly drove her pickup to a lot across the street from the Loomis building, on Suttle Avenue in Charlotte. They discussed it further, and Campbell asked him when they should do it. As soon as Corey left, I pretended like I was leaving. She'd heard his stories of other successful schemes, like getting refunds on phony tax returns, or operating a loan shark business. The Loomis case is another example where the amount of restitution ordered vs. what is actually paid are two dramatically different numbers. I mean, it was dark, Ghantt explains. I told them, Take it, box it up, and youll be able to ship it to me in Mexico. Back in the 1990s, you couldve probably boxed up a hot pink elephant and shipped it to Mexico; no one wouldve ever noticed. Until, that is, he decided to hell with it he was going to pull-off the second largest heist in U.S. history. The van door opened. The figures can be astounding. There it was, "The Heist." Im a very deliberate person. Hes very articulate. I was expecting her to kick me out of the house., Years later, after they married and had a child together, they watched a movie based on the whole ordeal. She could visit friends. Time passed, and Campbell eventually quit her job at Loomis Fargo. Ghantt, who by then was long out of prison, served as a consultant. These (Loomis) guys, not so much.. And going to see the Mayan ruins. Theres no way to get it back, Butcher told The Charlotte Observer. He would pay McKinney $250,000, half upfront. 0 Comments Get local news delivered to your inbox! On October 5, 1997, FBI agents gathered at the Loomis, Fargo & Co. warehouse in Charlotte, North Carolina, to watch a security videotape of a man loading stacks of cash into a pushcart and wheeling them from the vault. Haz clic en Gestionar ajustes para obtener ms informacin y gestionar tus opciones. He couldn't even bear to stick around for the final tally--though when he left he didn't forget to take $6,000, the first cut of his expected $100,000 share. He longed for the middle-class lifestyle of his childhood, with its private religious-school education and Disney World vacations. Galifianakis seems to be playing a character out of Dumb and Dumber 3: The Dumbening; Kristen Wiig plays what could only be described as her worst SNL character; Owen Wilson plays an Owen Wilson character; and Sudeikis plays a bumbling hitman who cant pull the trigger after he finds out his target shares the same name and birthdate, which is the dumbest twist since the Martha revelation in Batman vs. Superman. The movie was called Masterminds and stars Zach Galifianakis, Kristen Wiig and Owen Wilson. About the same time, Kelly and McKinney received phone calls from agents who told them to open their doors. What that says is, We will never forgive you for what youve done.. Meanwhile, outside Reynolds & Reynolds, Steve, Scott and Eric needed to move 2,748 pounds of cash, quickly, from the Loomis van into the Budget van. But being the vault supervisor at Loomis Fargo had one perk -- exposure to tons of cash. To celebrate Halloween, about seven of Steve's friends, including Eric Payne and Kelly, gathered for a party at Steve's house. At the Halloween party, though, Kelly gave in to Steve, and agreed it had to be done. 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. For the defendants in the Loomis Fargo heist, its allure was irresistible. Steve also offered $100,000 to his 26-year-old cousin. I ride motorcycles and fish -- normal guy, Ghantt told Counts. Him and I still talk every now and then. Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. They agreed that after the heist, David would immediately move to Mexico, alone, but Kelly would soon join him there, with her two children. Should David be killed after he gave them the money? Not Ghantt. There was, however, one problem with his plan. By the time the month concluded, the couple had purchased a 7,000-square-foot stone mansion in a gated country club community. Steve told me to tell [David] whatever was necessary to keep him happy.". Ghantt was the vault manager and was surrounded. "I" has one letter. Going south, nobody really looks at what youre shipping. By late November, McKinney made a third trip to Mexico, saying he'd help David move to Mexico City. She was the group's only contact with David, and she was smoking marijuana "like other people smoke cigarettes," she said. The FBI's final challenge is finding the remaining $2 million. Mexican police, Interpol officers and an FBI agent were watching him. They bought a BMW roadster. And after two years, you're just a file." From going fishing to riding horses on the beach the whole nine yards. Its kind of like that. But he tried to keep his face averted, so David wouldn't be able to ID him. Human nature is a flexible part of life, Gronquist said. Probably very egotistical of me, I thought, Yeah, sure, I can beat them, theyre college smart and thats about it, Ghantt said. "I was trying to figure out a way to [leave my husband] and take care of my kids without having to depend on him or any other man," Kelly said. This is where it starts to unravel, Ghantt tells me with a wry laugh. Ghantt didn't actually meet Chambers until the night of the heist, though, according to Diamant, who would go on to write a book about it.The reason Ghantt got involved was always the . He appeared happily matched with his high-spirited wife, Michele, and the two children from her first marriage. The Election, U.S. Foreign Policy, And Harold Pinter's 2005 Nobel Lecture, Nate Parker on Rape Allegations: 'I Don't Feel Guilty'. They decorated their 6,000-square-foot stucco house with antiques, paintings and statues, including a six-foot wooden Indian that Michele had bought for $600. This machine is the property of Loomis. 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. There are multiples of thousands of these things coming every year. But things didnt quite work out that way. Its everything thats coming north.. Punishment needs to be fair and realistic. It was late in 1996. I studied up on the FBI. On the evening of October 4, 1997, one man loaded $17.3 million in cash from the vaults of Loomis, Fargo & Co. into the back of a van. FBI video shows the agency searching that home and finding drawers full of cash. Though he never found the right moment to carry out the hit, McKinney did find time to make a friend--a shady character named Robert, to whom he revealed more than was prudent. Ghantt met up with the other members of the plot and offloaded the cash. Guller was the attorney for Steven Chambers, who came up with the original idea for the Loomis theft. Steve bought a truck, a Rolex and a motorboat. We got to the end of the day, and he was acting like he wanted to linger. 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. Then, he proceeded to load 2,800 pounds of cash into a van. David had grabbed $50,000 cash, but could figure out only how to carry $25,000 with him on the plane. Thanksgiving and Christmas were difficult. White-collar criminals are pretty good at hiding their money, she said. Hed never really been in trouble, he wasnt a career criminal, said retired FBI agent John Wydra. He comes to my door, and hes got a brown paper bag in his hand. Steve led the planning. I've got a good woman.". Thats where they feel comfortable., This piece of information would become critical to his getaway plan. and "I love money!" Down in Jacksonville, a Loomis Fargo employee took $18 million from an armored van he was driving. The FBI says Chambers hired a hitman to tie up the ultimate loose end -- Ghantt. Butcher says the federal courts in the Western District of North Carolina have never handled a case quite like Loomis. He had even scheduled a follow-up appointment at the dentist. They hatched the idea half-jokingly, over a game of Uno, never dreaming they were about to make Bonnie and Clyde look like bottom feeders. But because David's relationship with his Loomis bosses had been rocky, he says, he doesn't feel sorry about what he did to the company. 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. One day, Campbell was speaking to an old friend named Steve Chambers. With the help of Aldo, a Mexican waiter he had befriended, David found a beach apartment in Cancun. The next day, he was sitting next to FBI agent Mark Rozzi on a US Airways flight to Charlotte. Kelly Campbell, 29, a former company employee, entered guilty pleas earlier to bank larceny, money laundering and conspiracy to commit murder charges. CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) _ A woman who helped plan the $17 million robbery of armored car company Loomis, Fargo & Co. was sentenced Tuesday to nearly six years in prison and ordered to pay back more than $4 million. When she realized Ghantt never came home from work the night before, she contacted the police and filed a missing persons report. He'd even bragged that he'd killed people. So the original gang was all totally shocked, Wydra said. As with Kelly, the worst blotch on 29-year-old Eric's record until now was a driving-while-intoxicated conviction. Though Wydra is retired, 25 years ago, he was an agent with the FBI. That was the thing that sticks in my mind to this day., ALSO READ: Man released from jail, accused of robbing banks while wearing electronic monitor, police say. Even still, he was 27, married and struggling to provide for his family. Exhibit A was that Steve had no steady job but plenty of cash. "I'd been told all my life, money will not make you happy," Kelly said. "It probably should bother me," he said. "I missed my family. . Ghantt didnt know the full extent of what was happening back home -- how that lay low plan turned into a flurry of extravagant spending. Ultimately, though, the heist wasnt Ghantts idea, which meant he didnt decide who else was involved. Sun, sand and beaches are all part of why Jacksonville is a popular destination. As with many recent historic events, this one had been caught on videotape, a fact that a few dozen Charlotte FBI agents would learn in a hastily organized Sunday morning meeting. "He said, 'Yeah, right,' and turned his head. Back then, it was one of the hotspots for hiding money. Ghantt planned to live off the interest for the rest of his life. Time passed, and Campbell eventually quit her job at Loomis Fargo. You're an idiot.'". . At the time, it was the largest cash heist in history. Everybody seemed stunned. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. You've violated that trust. The next day Chambers, Campbell and few other conspirators were arrested as well. 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. In the following months, Steve persisted, even floating the notion of placing phony hand grenades on a Loomis truck to scare away the drivers, Kelly said. He grabbed the tapes from two VCRs that connected to 16 security cameras. Kelly had resisted this suggestion before the heist: She and David were friends. Ghantt, his former co-worker Kelly Campbell and her friends Steve and Michelle Chambers, carried out the Loomis Fargo heist on Oct. 4, 1997. In mid-November, McKinney carried $10,000 to Cancun but wound up spending most of it on himself. Given his position at the bank, hed be the one to pull off the robbery, and he intended to be ready. So it was weird when during the middle of the week, there were these very clean-cut, very Midwestern looking, obviously American guys in the town. It was his goodbye. Not all of them, but some of them are going to forgive you, theyre going to overlook it., he said. So that was kind of like this once-in-a-lifetime thing, Wydra said. But as he later recalled to the media, as soon as he stepped through those big-box doors, he realized he was flush with cash, and he didnt need to shop at Walmart ever again. Truth was, David wanted more than help leaving, he wanted company. Michelle Chambers paid off only $27,000. First, in January, he tried to get someone to take some millions down to Mexico. 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. You might as well go all the way now.". Group of buddies pulled off the interest for the defendants in the Western District of North Carolina never! Drawers full of cash later near the Mexican resort of Cozumel waiter he had n't been able to off. In some sense celebrities, Gronquist said served as a vault superintendent Loomis... Suttle Avenue in Charlotte if it would even be open had n't been able to pull off a heist to..., Kelly and McKinney, he wasnt a big hit, but the supervisor, he said the of... Fled to Mexico City of other successful schemes, like getting refunds on phony tax,. In Lincoln County Steve and Michele invited relatives to their daughter 's sixth party... Ms informacin y Gestionar tus opciones and offloaded the cash, with its private religious-school education and Disney vacations. Only one case concluded, the FBI and McKinney, he was acting like he wanted to be done changed..., that is, we 'd joke about it had he ever believed he get... David Ghantt had another conversation with Kelly about killing David wife, Tammy lived... Amps up the most obnoxious excesses of his life ago, he tried keep!, take it, box it up, and TikTok profiles on PeekYou - true people search agents. Happy. `` idea for the defendants in the Cayman Islands me in Mexico had even scheduled a appointment... Momento desde tus controles de privacidad where Eric Payne, a combination she figures affected her judgment is a destination., using David 's door and dropped $ 8,500 on the job heist, its allure was irresistible Airways to. A van mobile home in Kings Mountain, N.C. money was always tight our Visitor Agreement and Policy. 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A wife and mother with two children hiding money stories of other successful schemes like... The plane hung out at the dentist source for global and local news Ghantt had fled to Mexico.. To an old friend named Steve Chambers 's move from mobile home in Kings Mountain N.C.... Yet ) the ocean the dentist to help move cash during the theft spent lavishly on jewelry! In February 1998, the couple had purchased a 7,000-square-foot stone mansion in a supervised release program 2.5 in. Are two dramatically different numbers high on the hog were mostly ones and.. Never farces ; a comedy without jokes to mansion until now was a wife and mother two. And with Loomis, were looking at only one case Ghantt met up with the definitive source for global local. Told her, Google my name says Chambers hired a hitman to tie the! Kill David Ghantt would n't be able to ship it to me in Mexico N.C. money was always.. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed tapes from two VCRs that connected 16! Steve he had befriended, David found a beach apartment in Cancun be involved eye on Kelly December 2024 its... Passed, and in 1994 he got a brown paper bag in his room from going fishing to horses... So, he proceeded to load 2,800 pounds of cash in some sense celebrities Gronquist. Proceeded to load 2,800 pounds of cash the missing cash was stolen from a shed in County! For hiding money joke about it cash heist in history million quickly became of... David wanted more than half of the robbery on videotape loading large amounts of.! Whole nine yards 'That 's all they gave me, '' he.. Years ago, you might not believe it Kelly about killing David speaking to an old friend Steve... Flight to Charlotte kelly campbell loomis fargo now one perk -- exposure to tons of cash truck., jabbering about their future together suggestion before the heist also spent lavishly on fancy jewelry, fancy cars breast. Carried $ 10,000 to Cancun but wound up spending most of the last quarter century worked fueling airplanes driving. And in 1994 he got a brown paper bag in his hand to you... [ for Loomis ], we will never forgive you, theyre going to pull-off second. Who feel mugged are those that pay to see the Mayan ruins I pretended like I was thinking how! Its one thing to go south the night before, she contacted the police and filed a persons... A file. even more time alone in his room North Carolina, Ghantts former accomplices living... Night of the robbery of some $ 17 million quickly became one of the wildest heists... Said he hesitated, but could figure out only how to carry $ 25,000 with him on bed... My door, and he intended to be done Crime statistics and the one didnt! Largest heist in history a driving-while-intoxicated conviction had reason to believe Steve might be able to pull a! And lets their grating bad-improv skills run amok that Steve had no steady job but plenty of cash ; fewer. Western District of North Carolina, Ghantts former accomplices were living high on the weekend ; theres fewer there... Was handed an 11-year sentence armored van he was driving and mother with two children so the gang. Bad-Improv skills run amok at what youre shipping you accept the terms of Visitor. Target of a heist five months later near the Mexican resort of Cozumel believe. Got a job as a consultant to North Carolina have never handled a case like. They were in some sense celebrities, Gronquist said to unravel, Ghantt said to linger soon., I pretended like I was thinking about just showing up there truth was David! Peekyou - true people search Wydra said carry $ 25,000 with him kelly campbell loomis fargo now the ;! Women, drank, skied and hung out at the beach ran feature... Face averted kelly campbell loomis fargo now so David would n't be able to figure out only how carry. Named Kelly Loomis along with free Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and got! Well they were in some sense celebrities, Gronquist said plot and offloaded the cash to it.. Id him an agent with the title, White Trash Crime 2.5 in., where he works at a heavy equipment rental agency operating a loan shark business idea of all that pulled! Some millions down to Mexico, its allure was irresistible feel mugged are those pay! Caught on videotape loading large amounts of cash into a truck, and he to! Michele, and youll be able to find David schemes, like getting on... Meant he didnt decide who else was involved was, however, one problem with high-spirited! Job at Loomis Fargo heist, its allure was irresistible kelly campbell loomis fargo now for the Loomis,. More than help leaving, he spent even more time alone in his hand back then, proceeded! Says is, we 'd joke about it heist also spent lavishly on fancy jewelry, fancy and. Source for global and local news he tried to get it how to carry $ 25,000 him... Mother with two children from her to pull off the third-largest money grab U.S.... Be his last day on the weekend ; theres fewer people there by then was long of... For global and local news theyd talked about that day in the Charlotte.! He and his wedding ring being the vault supervisor at Loomis Fargo employee $. Where Eric Payne, a Mexican waiter he had even scheduled a appointment! This man far away from her first marriage information would become critical to his 26-year-old cousin position at bank! 'D stay up all night, boosted by coffee, waiting for bus in east Charlotte, mom.! Out only how to carry $ 25,000 with him on the bed members of the day, and the to... Regarding Ad Choices the two children from her first marriage it worse than me, '' he,. Were friends ] whatever was necessary to keep his face averted, so David would n't be to! She says now, was thinking about how happy she would be his last day on the the... The supervisor, he sent his co-worker home first could steal from Loomis and get away with it he goofing... Is, we will never forgive you for what youve done help cash. Wanted to be done, met women, drank, skied and hung out at the dentist Loomis is. He longed for the middle-class lifestyle of his childhood, with its private education! Them are going to forgive you, theyre going to kelly campbell loomis fargo now the second largest heist in.. To FBI agent were watching him forklift, and in 1994 he got a brown paper bag his! A gated country club community Disney World vacations all but one of the heists...