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. He said at first, they were very proud of what they had been able to do. (John D. Simmons/The Charlotte Observer via AP) They had to be extremely careful not to tip off the group, as they could lose potential conspirators or more information important to a conviction. There was no reason to leave anything, he felt. Heist! She'd left Loomis in November 1996 to take a job elsewhere as a security guard. Youre supposed to get less time for cooperating, a lesser penalty, and instead, you see what she got hit with. Gronquist said. There was a book published in 2002 as well, by author Jeff Diamant called,Heist! Later that year, he saw a newspaper ad for a job at Loomis Fargo. Next month, Payne will back in the Charlotte federal courthouse, this time to be sentenced from weapons and methamphetamine trafficking charges. 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. 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. Yet their lives seemed far easier and better than his. The old man me would never survive that, Id have a heart attack.. The government does not run debtors prisons, says U.S. Down in Jacksonville, a Loomis Fargo employee took $18 million from an armored van he was driving. Campbell, a mother of two, was in the process of divorcing All but one of the defendants pleaded guilty. People dont seem to understand human nature. 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. 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. Afterward, everything became comical. He tried again to make the back gate rise, to no avail. Chambers had broached the possibility of a robbery to Campbell earlier in the summer. (John D. Simmons/The Charlotte Observer via AP). While Ghantt waited for the heat from the robbery to die down, Chambers would send Ghantt small amounts of money. However, Chambers had no intention of following those rules, believing the FBI would never connect him to Ghantt. The figures can be astounding. It wasn't how much you stole that mattered most; it was that you had stolen in the first place. He has been a staff writer for the Star-Ledger in New Jersey since 2000. David's share would be sent to Mexico, where he planned to hide and where he expected Kelly to join him. Join thousands already receiving our daily newsletter. OWLS director fired in wake of new board taking over, New rules will require flood history disclosure in real estate, North Carolina recreational spring flounder season canceled for 2023, Supreme Court seems ready to sink student loan forgiveness, Beach commission gets update on search for new sources of sand for beach nourishment. The figures can be astounding. I made a joke once that was the hardest Id ever worked for Wells Fargo -- yeah, its a lot of work, Ghantt said. In one case, the restitution for a Loomis defendant may be a moving target. If the American Dream involved being better off as adults than your parents were, David was experiencing a version of the American Nightmare. "Don't double-cross us," the woman on the phone told David Ghantt. The walk-in vault was a fortified gray room, more wide than long, with shelves, cabinets, desks, and multiple pushcarts stocked with shrink-wrapped cash. You can have your whole career and not have a case like that. One day, Campbell was speaking to an old friend named Steve Chambers. : The .17 Million Loomis Fargo Theft [Jeff Diamant] on Amazon.com. sole discretion of the site administrators and repeat offenders may 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. The next day, before Mike was able to leave the country, the FBI arrested him in his hotel room. 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. He loves his motorcycle and enjoys going fishing and, while hes sorry for the past, hes not ashamed to talk about it. 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. Burks was also ordered to serve 15 years in prison, limiting his ability to balance his books. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. 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. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Her case closes in 2025. What that says is, We will never forgive you for what youve done. 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 theyve ever had. He and Tammy could have one or two meals each week that he really liked, but the rest were hot dogs or Hamburger Helper. 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) document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ). EDITORIAL: Computer Science misses the need for digital literacy, N. Carolina legislators announce Medicaid expansion deal, EDITORIAL: Fighting political forces that sever family ties, Special-use to get overhaul: Commissioners, planners take a look, Cape Carteret seeking new police chief one month after hiring New Bern resident for post, How many in North Carolina are awaiting student loan debt relief? "But you can still have a cigarette.". 12) Loomis Fargo heist- The aftermath Ultimately, eight co-conspirators were indicted for the Loomis Fargo bank heist. In the end, the FBI was able to capture the original gang in five months, snaring 21 individuals for their participation in the crime. And they hit the jackpot -- FBI video shows agents recovering most of the stolen cash. Then they returned it. contact us to submit an unexplained mystery article, or to join the team on the email address below. Authorities were notified of the robbery in the morning, when employees couldnt open the vault. On the evening ofOctober 4, 1997, the Loomis Fargo & Co branch in Charlotte, North Carolina was in the process of being plundered. They swept the surrounding counties, locating Kelly Campbell and Eric Payne in their homes. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. That sounds like a lot of money until its compared to the $18,930,201.26 the group was ordered to pay. 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. >> PHOTOS: The Loomis Fargo heist, 25 years later. Was the temptation too much? The plan to. But that only tells part of the story. So we were able to figure out with all the denominations, it would require about 20 safe deposit boxes to store it all.. 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. How many people have walked the red carpet at a movie premiere in a case that was yours?. Steve and Michelle Chambers, who had lived in a mobile home, bought a mansion in Cramer Mountain. Thats pretty standard in restitution matters. It took me going to prison to realize I was a bag of worms, and it took me years of work to be somebody worthy to come back into our society, he said. The FBI says Chambers hired a hitman to tie up the ultimate loose end -- Ghantt. They kept several furnishings from the previous owners, including avelvet Elvis. 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. ALSO READ: 14-year-old boy robbed at gunpoint while waiting for bus in east. Im married, I got one girl, shes 15 going on 30. Spunk. of violence, racism, anti-Semitism, or ", "I don't need any more friends," she'd shot back. A third surveillance tape was carelessly left behind, and the company was able to identify the man who robbed the vault as David Ghantt. - 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. The gang made numerous mistakes. Eric Payne got out of prison in 2006 for his role in the heist and has since paid $11,357 on his $292,000 debt. Although the FBI investigation was able to quickly connect Ghantt to Campbell, connecting Ghantt to Chambers was a more difficult task. 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. "Just think about it," she said. All but one of the 24 defendants pleaded guilty, and the one who didnt take the deal was convicted. Despite being caught on camera wheeling the money from the vault to the getaway van, David Ghantt makes off to Mexico before the FBI can blink. 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. They assumed that whoever was involved would keep the cash in a safe place, like a safe deposit box. You can seize property. These weren't the hardest of criminals, and though there was logic to not knowing each other's names, they had derived some of their methods from Hollywood depictions of crime. Notifications from this discussion will be disabled. Getting restitution, its like pulling teeth.. The $17 million Loomis Fargo heist in Charlotte, North Carolina, was the second largest armored car robbery in U.S. history. Enabling JavaScript in your browser will allow you to experience all the features of our site. Thats pretty standard in restitution matters. David and the trainee left the warehouse. Clerk of Court Frank Johns of Charlotte. He could even be famous, perhaps joining the ranks of legendary master thieves. 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. There are multiples of thousands of these things coming every year. So the original gang was all totally shocked, Wydra said. Its in the ether. Its attracted workers like Ghantt. Ghantt was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison. But you cant get blood from a stone, Johns said. Ghantts spending in Mexico was extravagant at first. That sounds like a lot of money until its compared to the $18,930,201.26 the group was ordered to pay. The supervisor liked him and gave him the job. Its said the current owner now has it in storage in Phoenix, Arizona. But on Oct. 4, 1997, that no longer mattered and Ghantt took off with $17.3 million. He couldn't understand the gap, why he wasn't more successful, why he couldn't at least match the financial stability of his father, who earned a comfortable salary driving a truck. He is a graduate of Yale and has worked for the Connecticut Post, the Associated Press, and the Palm Beach Post. You can garnish wages. 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. For people earning $8.15 an hour David's salary the jokes came naturally. 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. Each cart, holding about $2 million, was taking David seven or eight minutes to stack, push, and empty into the van, and there were about eight cartloads' worth in the vault. First, they tapped the Chambers phone, and began listening in on February 11th, 1998. His collection case closes in two years. Current price is $11.49, Original price is $14.99. 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.. Probably very egotistical of me, I thought, Yeah, sure, I can beat them, theyre college smart and thats about it, Ghantt said. He hated his job and his bosses, he'd lost hope in his marriage, he wasn't going to advance at Loomis, and he couldn't afford to quit to enroll in college. You can garnish wages. 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. : The $17 Million Loomis Fargo Theft. I think if you remember some of her early photographic opportunities, shall we put it that way, she was sort of laughing, not seeming to take it seriously.. Of course the most famous thing inside the home was a velvet Elvis portrait. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]. David didn't appreciate her tone. 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. Heist! Campbell led Ghantt to think she loved him and they would flee to Mexico together, but she actually wanted to make a better life for herself in the U.S. With the plan in place, Ghantt sent a newly hired employee he had been assigned to train home early (reportedly, at 6 p.m.) and then proceeded to load a little more than $17.3 million in cash (approximately $11 million of which was in$20 bills) into the back of a company van. He ejected the two VCR tapes that he knew had recorded him stealing the money, took them, and prepared to leave. How he felt shorted by life. As an adult, he preferred Shakespeare, Tom Clancy, and any book he could find about the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. Tuesday marked 25 years since a group of buddies pulled off the third-largest money grab in U.S. history -- the Loomis Fargo heist. In 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. Campbell used to work for Loomis and continued the friendship with Ghantt, eventually hooking him up with Chambers. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. He was a hard worker, smart enough, and had graduated from high school. I pay (restitution to) thousands of people, but its in drips and drabs.. CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) During one overnight shift, a bumbling conspiracy of thieves just west of Charlotte stole more than $17 million from Loomis Fargo. In preparation for what lay ahead, David had backed an unmarked company Ford Econoline van near the vault entrance and opened the van's back door. Still facing possible unknowns of other people involved, the FBI needed to gather more information without the suspects getting suspicious of them. FBI video shows the agency searching that home and finding drawers full of cash. Prosecutors say a vault. 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.. I actually loved reading through this post. Before the robber left Loomis Fargo, he made a trip to the managers office to remove two surveillance tapes in order to conceal his identity. 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. LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Remember why you were elected! In all, agents arrested 24 people in the heist. And after two years, the case is just a file. Steve was a serious guy? 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. 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Carolina House GOP again modifies rules on veto overrides, Murdoch says some Fox hosts 'endorsed' false election claims, Havelock officials warn public about alligator near Walmart, Cape Carteret buys new utility vehicle to aid in picking up litter, New taxi, shuttle business seeks license to operate in Morehead City, Report: Navy ships face growing maintenance delays, costs, Fisheries division to survey for-hire watermen, National Enquirer, ensnared in catch-and-kill is sold. How he and his wife had trouble communicating. Campbell used part of her share of the money to buy aToyota Siennaminivanin two cash installments. 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. Stealing from Loomis Fargo could make him rich, if he got away with it. White-collar criminals are pretty good at hiding their money, she said. Loomis Fargo heist: 25 years later Former FBI agent John Wydra, 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. Theres no way to get it back,, And with Loomis, were looking at only one case. Twenty people were convicted of roles big and small in the massive 1997 armored-car warehouse heist in west Charlotte. Enforcement of this policy is at the (LogOut/ His collection case, which closes in November 2026, got credit for the couples $540,000 house on Cramer Mountain in Gaston County, Butcher says. After hanging up on her, David returned to work. But if you did, youll never forget it. NASCAR. When Ghantt called Campbell however, the FBI was able to track his location, and arrested him with the help of the Mexican police onMarch 1, 1998. Steve Chambers would keep the rest. Since Ghantt was the supervisor, he sent his co-worker home first. So that was kind of like this once-in-a-lifetime thing, Wydra said. 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. Well she was a pretty happy-go-lucky person, he said. Twenty years ago this Wednesday, a small group of people stole $17 million in cash from the main vault of a Loomis Fargo & Co. armored-car warehouse in west Charlotte. Most people are going to forgive you. 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 FBI began to question past and current employees of Loomis Fargo. Many of the lesser players in the conspiracy have been the most effective in paying their debts. Money. Now and again I run into blog posts that tends to make me want to get started on bloggin myself. 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. The building was configured so vans could drive inside and pull up next to the vault. What purpose does that serve other than to denigrate that person into abject poverty?. "Don't back out on us. "I'll need help moving the money, getting a new ID, and leaving the country," he told her. The Loomis defendants face no additional legal jeopardy for not paying off their debts. In one case, the restitution for a Loomis defendant may be a moving target. 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 had stayed in a luxury hotel and paid for expensive food and activities such asscuba divingandparasailing. In total, 24 people were convicted and all but one of the accused pleaded guilty.