loomis fargo heist kelly campbell

Meanwhile, Ghantt's gang spent wildly and paid their family members and friends to hide money. By then, the FBI had become greatly concerned for Ghantts personal safety; they had learned of Chambersmurder for hirescheme. Also charged with money laundering were innocent relatives and friends who had co-signed safe deposit boxes. And then I realized that a lot of people knew who I was and they had followed the case.. David and Kelly had driven to Rock Hill, South Carolina, and used the documents to obtain a fake ID that David would also rely on after the theft. 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. Seven p.m. came and went, and so did 7:20. He allegedly hired a hitman to take Ghantt out, tying up the ultimate loose end. A woman by the name of Kelly Campbell had worked there in 1996, and she and Ghantt had become friends in that time. And Kelly thought he was funny. Next month, Payne will back in the Charlotte federal courthouse, this time to be sentenced from weapons and methamphetamine trafficking charges. How he felt shorted by life. The affidavit described Chambers as a former FBI informant who had provided information on another Loomis armored car robbery that never materialized. When you have money, you just have different problems: The Loomis Fargo heist, 25 years later. David knew this was important from having followed the recent news about a Florida man who had brazenly committed the biggest heist from an armored-car company in United States history, a loner named Philip Noel Johnson, who also had worked for Loomis. His collection case closes in two years. 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. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. The hillbilly outfit did more that just drop a few breadcrumbs. Next month, Payne will back in the Charlotte federal courthouse, this time to be sentenced from weapons and methamphetamine trafficking charges. Growing up, David had been a nice kid, a decent student who was at worst a minor troublemaker and prankster. Heist! The unsolved mystery of the Van Meter Visitor a winged creature! That was taking the long view. 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. 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. The van used to move the money was later located a few miles from the warehouse. "Just remind Steve," he said, "that I might be trouble my own self." 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. You Save 23%. Steve and Michelle Chambers, who had lived in a mobile home, bought a mansion in Cramer Mountain. Only a nickel on every dollar have been collected so far. 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. (John D. Simmons/The Charlotte Observer via AP). Human nature is a flexible part of life, Gronquist said. - 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. Sun, sand and beaches are all part of why Jacksonville is a popular destination. Its a once-in-a-lifetime thing, and I went down and talked to them, got to meet Zach Galifianakis and the director, Ghantt said. He realized his life wouldn't improve unless he did something drastic. He decided at that moment that if Kelly called again, he would go for it. 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. His collection case, which closes in November 2026, got credit for the couples $540,000 house on Cramer Mountain in Gaston County, Butcher says. "What would it take to convince you to do it?" 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. But after one visit, she asked a teller How much can I deposit before you have to report it to the feds? followed by Dont worry, it is notdrug money, the bank filled out asuspicious activity report, which ultimately reached the FBI. "Do you know how much there's gonna be?" In addition to their extravagant spending, Michelle Chambers made the mistake of loudly asking a bank teller how much cash she could deposit in her account without it being reported to the feds, and then said, its not drug money.. Campbell was released from federal custody in 2004 after serving five years, meaning her collection case will age out in December 2024. 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. '. She had previously been making frequent small deposits to avert suspicion. The Loomis case is another example where the amount of restitution ordered vs. what is actually paid are two dramatically different numbers. The old man me would never survive that, Id have a heart attack.. Its said the current owner now has it in storage in Phoenix, Arizona. They swept the surrounding counties, locating Kelly Campbell and Eric Payne in their homes. Ghantts spending in Mexico was extravagant at first. None of the suspects had been in any serious trouble before this. 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. LETTER TO THE EDITOR: But where will they park? Federal law stops government collection efforts 20 years after a defendant leaves prison. Then they returned it. I made a joke once that was the hardest Id ever worked for Wells Fargo -- yeah, its a lot of work, Ghantt said. Loomis Fargo defendants owe as much as they stole in 1997, Incident raises concerns about LGBTQ safety in Carteret County, Drug deal gone bad claims the life of former Marine, Man charged with DWI after SUV takes out gas pumps, fire hydrant in Morehead City, Norfolk Southern train derails in Lexington No hazmat, no anger, Beaufort Housing Authority to replace public housing apartments, New Gamer's Guildhall looks to build community, comradery, DA: 'A very dangerous individual' from Swansboro has been removed, EDITORIAL: Government derails in response to disasters, EDITORIAL: Traffic growth demands a third bridge addition, Commentary: Close look at family history disturbing, Commentary: Second Amendment subverts democracy, EDITORIAL: Attorney General Stein ignores his constitutional responsibility. The strange story of Mary Reeser Spontaneous Human Combustion. If it didn't work out, he could return to the United States later with a new identity. All but one of the defendants pleaded guilty. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]. He also stole both existing sets of vault keys and hurried into the manager's office, where three TV security screens and two VCRs were visible. Action News Jax facebook feed(Opens a new window), Action News Jax twitter feed(Opens a new window), Action News Jax youtube feed(Opens a new window), JSO K9 escapes kennel, bites three people in Jacksonville neighborhood, To know Nancy was to love Nancy: St. Johns County woman killed in suspected DUI crash, JSO says missing child alert results in deadly drowning, Senator proposes bill giving state emergency jurisdiction over custody of kids with trans parents, Florida woman accused of killing terminally ill husband released from jail. Butcher says the federal courts in the Western District of North Carolina have never handled a case quite like Loomis. 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. It was released in 2016 and Wydra was invited to the premiere. >> PHOTOS: The Loomis Fargo heist, 25 years later. "I've got a friend," she said, "who can hook you up with a new ID.". 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. 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. They could talk about anything, even topics he couldn't discuss with his wife. Burks was also ordered to serve 15 years in prison, limiting his ability to balance his books. When they hung up, she called his pager and left the code 1-4-3, beeper-speak for "I love you," based on the number of letters in each word. More calls between the two men, and also between Steve and Kelly Campbell, made it clear that the group was starting to turn on David Ghantt. 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. The bizarre true story of the criminals behind the second-largest bank heist in American history. 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. The gang made numerous mistakes. On the evening ofOctober 4, 1997, the Loomis Fargo & Co branch in Charlotte, North Carolina was in the process of being plundered. White-collar criminals are pretty good at hiding their money, she said. They located Steve and Shelley Chambers in their newly-purchased home at the top of a hill. A third surveillance tape was carelessly left behind, and the company was able to identify the man who robbed the vault as David Ghantt. The trainee didn't yet know how the place worked, a fact David planned to use to his advantage. Not all of them, but some of them are going to forgive you, theyre going to overlook it., he said. VERDICT The first edition of this work was published in 2002. 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. Unexplained Mysteries - owned by Aliens since 2011. All but one of the 24 defendants pleaded guilty, and the one who didnt take the deal was convicted. Now one of the most wanted men in America with the FBI hot on his heels, Ghantt must figure out how to get his money, get away from a hit man, and get even. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Soon thereafter, he met Kelly Campbell, a co-worker at Loomis Fargo. I ride motorcycles and fish -- normal guy, Ghantt told Counts. The 2016 comedy movie, Masterminds is based on the story of the Loomis Fargo Heist. He would then have the bulk of his share sent south of the border. Who all wanted a Rambo movie which explored his time training as a green beret and his time serving in Vietnam as a prequel to first blood WATCH Antebellum 2020 FULL MOVIE. "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. " The participants in the heist also spent lavishly on fancy jewelry, fancy cars and breast enhancement surgeries. David was thin six-foot-one, one hundred sixty-five pounds and heaving the stacks onto the cart, pushing the cart toward the vault door, and then emptying its contents into the van was exhausting. Later, they also arrested Nathans older brother. 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. The Loomis Fargo heist: 25 years later We went on a mission to calculate exactly how much size-wise the money was, $11.3 million in $20 bills, and it weighed over 2,000 pounds, former FBI agent John Wydra said. Inside the truck, they found Ghantts ring and surmised this as a sign of Ghantts intention to end his relationship with his wife. remove comments that contain spam, advertising, vulgarity, threats You can garnish wages. Holding her hands behind her back, Michele Chambers was sentenced Tuesday to seven years and eight months in prison for her role in the $17 million heist from Loomis, Fargo & Co. She was also. An additional tip reached the FBI when Michelle Chambers made a large deposit at a bank. One night in a small North Carolina town, a down-on-his-luck guard at Loomis Fargo manages to steal $17 millionliterally more than one ton of cash. Her case closes in 2025. He said at first, they were very proud of what they had been able to do. However, Chambers had no intention of following those rules, believing the FBI would never connect him to Ghantt. uncanny, eerie, unnatural, preternatural, supernatural, unearthly, other-worldly, unreal, ghostly, mysterious, mystifying, strange, abnormal, unusual. He added that he would be able to send the trainee home at about 6:00 p.m. and would then need about an hour to load the money from carts, shelves, and the floor into a Loomis company van. More than 2 million dollars are still missing to this day. The unfairness gnawed at him, stirred by Kelly's questions. Current price is $11.49, Original price is $14.99. The corporation handled armored transportation, ATM maintenance and other cash handling services, and had millions of currency stashed in the vault of the North Carolina branch. He added that money can be a motivator for anyone. Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. He knew they were nervous outside waiting for him, but he also knew he wouldn't stop stealing until he had taken everything. "I was unhappy with my life. They also bought aBMW Z3with cash and made several large purchases, including a $600 statue of aNative American. 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. You cannot fine low-income people millions of dollars. If we can sit on the money for a year, maybe two, it could work.". What purpose does that serve other than to denigrate that person into abject poverty?. 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. He and co-worker Kelly Campbell, 27, had developed a close relationship and were spending time together outside of work. true story that has captivated American audiences on the news and now on the big screen in the major motion picture, Masterminds. Then we went on a mission to calculate exactly how much size-wise the money was, $11.3 million in $20 bills, and it weighed over 2,000 pounds, Wydra said. They kept several furnishings from the previous owners, including avelvet Elvis. So its one thing to go from up here, thought, to action, he said. Steve was a serious guy? You can have your whole career and not have a case like that.

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