I did every touristy thing you could possibly do while I was down there. Steve and Michelle Chambers, who had lived in a mobile home, bought a mansion in Cramer Mountain. While the agents initiated their investigation, the Chambers spent money as quickly as they could. The towns booming construction industry attracts workers from around the country. 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. 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. And to me, if it pisses them off, Im all for it.. Kelly said she had reason to believe Steve might be able to pull off a heist. Kelly Loomis. The Chambers home is now gated, which means Channel 9 crews cant drive up to it like we used to. Its said the current owner now has it in storage in Phoenix, Arizona. Or that it was an inheritance. 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. Ghantt spent a solid hour moving what ended up being 2,700 pounds of cash more than an actual ton into an unmarked company van. The best states in the U.S. come from coast to coast. As soon as you put that first bag of stolen money in that van, theres no going back. Not all of them, but some of them are going to forgive you, theyre going to overlook it., he said. They assumed that whoever was involved would keep the cash in a safe place, like a safe deposit box. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. He learned to parachute. About 20 ago, Campbell sent him a letter of apology, but he never responded. But after a year, they'll cut it down to two agents. To be brutally honest, it was that morning, Ghantt replied. Kelly was no criminal. "So he stays behind and moving over two thousand pounds. and "I love money!" Charlotte Magazine even ran a feature story about the Loomis Fargo heist with the title, White Trash Crime. The headlines, however, never bothered Ghantt. Even with several vehicles, they underestimated how much space they would need and they had to leave $3 million behind. Stay informed daily on the latest news and advice on COVID-19 from the editors at U.S. News & World Report. Ghantt was caught on videotape loading large amounts of cash into a truck. Then he and Campbell drove 90 miles to Columbia, South Carolina, where Ghantt planned to purchase a ticket to Mexico so he could be out of the country before news of the robbery broke the next morning. Kelly says she underestimated the value of her life before the heist. "I've learned that I'm a fortunate man," he said. Without really intending to, Kelly recalls, she turned the conversation to the possibility of a heist. Will Vin Sant Leave You Jacked or Scammed. So its one thing to go from up here, thought, to action, he said. For her part, Kelly Campbell spent six years in federal prison. In a word, "Teamwork. He loves his motorcycle and enjoys going fishing and, while hes sorry for the past, hes not ashamed to talk about it. Scott Grant and Steve pulled up next to her in a Mazda. At 6-1 and 220 pounds, Steve was stocky and imposing, a fast talker with a brown goatee. But the idea of all that money pulled at her. Steve tried keys on a side door. And it turned Steve into he thought he was Don Corleone all of a sudden.. He hated the sweet smell of the green ink, and the $8.15-an-hour salary. About the same time, Kelly and McKinney received phone calls from agents who told them to open their doors. The plan was to split the money three ways: Chambers, Campbell and Ghantt would each walk away with what Ghantt estimated to be $5 million a piece the kind of money that changes lives forever. 2022 marks the 25th anniversary of the year that everything happened 1997. I've got a good woman.". "It probably should bother me," he said. Kelly Campbell arrested 11) Finally, the FBI successfully tracked down Ghantt and arrested him at Playa del Carmen. It all went down in Charlotte, North Carolina, and the man at the center of that heist, David Scott Ghantt, now lives in Jacksonville. (John D. Simmons/The Charlotte Observer via AP), Baltimore to Pay $6M in Latest Police Misconduct Settlement, Australia Family Hurt in Helicopter Crash Suing Vegas Firm, Massachusetts Governor Unveils Proposed $55.5B State Budget. Almost 19 years after Ghantt and a group of friends from Gaston County pulled off one of the largest cash heists in U.S. history, the movie "Masterminds" will play up the caper for laughs. Were others involved? But he tried to keep his face averted, so David wouldn't be able to ID him. In 2017, for example, Paul Burks of Lexington was ordered to pay $244 million to the victims of his worldwide Ponzi scheme, Zeek Rewards. Ghantt pulled out $50,000 from the back of the unmarked Loomis Fargo van. 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. This was in the 1990s the Columbia Airport back then was closed at around 9:30, 10 oclock. Dustin is the founder and co-owner of Pajiba. Called Masterminds, the 2016 film stars Zach Galifianakis, Kristen Wiig and Owen Wilson. "Think of how many women would have stood by. Sun, sand and beaches are all part of why Jacksonville is a popular destination. Well she was a pretty happy-go-lucky person, he said. 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. They agreed that after the heist, David would immediately move to Mexico, alone, but Kelly would soon join him there, with her two children. By late November, McKinney made a third trip to Mexico, saying he'd help David move to Mexico City. Or is the loot buried in somebody's yard? kellis@gastongazette.com 0:04 1:38 On Oct. 4, 1997, former Kings Mountain resident David Scott Ghantt finished his shift as a vault supervisor for Loomis Fargo in Charlotte. 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. She could visit friends. We need to set up some way for me to get my money. She said, We got it all worked out. . He goes, My name is Bruno. Loomis, then known as Loomis Fargo, experienced two inside jobs in 1997, for $17.3 million and $18.8 million. Truth was, David wanted more than help leaving, he wanted company. . Kelly would only discover later that leading up to the heist, Steve had been writing bad checks, $17,000 worth, for which he would later be convicted. This time, David told McKinney the truth. 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. Twenty people were convicted of roles big and small in the massive 1997 armored-car warehouse heist in west Charlotte. "For the first year, they're all over you. When neighbors asked where they got their money, Steve said hed played in the NFL. Some days, the robbery seems like a memory from a different life, a choice made by a different man. . It's one of the biggest jokes at the place. Was that really what it was about? They cursed. I hear her typing. She later hired someone to kill Ghantt, though the murder never took place. The bash had a Cinderella theme, with a three-tiered cake that looked like a castle. We got to the end of the day, and he was acting like he wanted to linger. Then he was driving in the darkness with a van full of cash. The teller, who hadn't asked, filed a "suspicious activity report." Anybody who gets caught up in the system is getting chewed up by it, the now-retired Gronquist told the Observer. Then FBI agent Wydra watched Steve's wife, Michele, deposit about $8,000 at a Gaston County, N.C., bank. His collection case closes in two years. Campbell, a mother of two, was in the process of divorcing her. Ghantt worked at Loomis Fargos regional office vault in Charlotte. Agents began picking up signs that David definitely had help: The abandoned Loomis van with $3.3 million in small bills still inside, and phone records showing that somebody beeped him while he stole the money, using David's own cell phone. Agents noticed it two months later when it flowed to them through official channels, along with hundreds of similar reports involving other people. "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. I mentioned it to Kelly. Scary. "I wanted to be more like my mom and dad were.". Then another. 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. But it wasnt. It was late in 1996. Tickle Me Kaczynski: How the Inventor of the Ultimate Elmo Toy Became a Unabomber Suspect, The Unexpectedly Sweet Story Behind Those Viral Semi-Truck Pregnancy Photos, I Wore Magnetic Underwear for a Week to See If It Would Give Me a Boner of Steel. 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. He then began loading $17 million in unmarked bills inside a company van before driving away. Many of the lesser players in the conspiracy have been the most effective in paying their debts. Soon thereafter, he met Kelly Campbell, a co-worker at Loomis Fargo. Ghantt was sentenced to 7 1/2 years in prison. He longed for the middle-class lifestyle of his childhood, with its private religious-school education and Disney World vacations. When Chambers and the two Erics were done loading the stolen millions into barrels, they abandoned the van in the woods. Truth be told, Ghantt had something of a crush on Campbell, and so, he told her exactly how hed pull off such a heist. 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. ". Search Tools . There was a third person with them, too, a man named Eric Grant. They loaded the wine cellar with Pabst Blue Ribbon, and Steve hung a velvet portrait of Elvis Presley in the basement. I couldn't understand why I hadn't been more successful," David said. He hadnt checked ahead of time if the airport had any available flights, let alone if it would even be open. 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. He gave the rest to Kelly. "Love" has four. They paid for all of it in cash. Maura Healey unveiled a proposed $55.5 billion state budget Wednesday, a plan that offers insight into some of the Democrats spending priorities during her first year as governor. This is where it starts to unravel, Ghantt tells me with a wry laugh. Tuesday marked 25 years since a group of buddies pulled off the third-largest money grab in U.S. history -- the Loomis Fargo heist. Her marriage--at which she was making another ambivalent effort after multiple separations--and even the jobs she'd been able to get with a diploma couldn't come close to providing the kind of life she dreamed about, the life she felt she deserved: a house in the country, a swimming pool, and enough cash so she didn't need to rely on men. Of course the problem was, the money belonged to someone else. All of the defendants are out of prison -- the longest sentence was 11 years. 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. "You" has three. This meant a bump in pay, up to $8.15 an hour. In early November, Steve lured the real Mike McKinney, an ex-Marine, to North Carolina from his Illinois home. 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. They set the date, Oct. 4, a Saturday when David knew he could be alone in the building after his shift. 145 Matches for Kelly Loomis. Youre supposed to get less time for cooperating, a lesser penalty, and instead, you see what she got hit with. Gronquist said. Too many questions remained: Where was the cash? It was an ear-biting, Pierce Brosnan-loving, comet-obsessed world, and were here to relive every minute of it. Kelly called David at Loomis; he told her he'd be ready for them with the cash at 6:30 or 7 p.m. Alone in the building, David was trying to finish loading cash from the vault into an unmarked white Ford Econoline van belonging to Loomis. He flew in an ultra-light plane. Kelly, she says now, was thinking about how happy she would be to send this man far away from her. Federal prosecutors would ultimately charge 21 defendants in the case, including the Floyds, who were charged with (and pleaded guilty to) money laundering. In the meantime, the FBI was closing in looking to bust a total of 21 suspected accomplices. She didn't plan to move to Mexico. In the dark, Scott inserted one key into the back door slot. When McKinney arrived in North Carolina, the plan had changed. The whole town I was staying in was 98.9 percent Mexican, except for when the cruise ships were in, Ghantt recalls. Hes very articulate. On March 1, David Ghantt left his hotel to do some laundry. He partied, met women, drank, skied and hung out at the beach. 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. Kelly called David at. You might as well go all the way now.". He said at first, they were very proud of what they had been able to do. Money. She was a wife and mother with two children. Inside the Mazda, Steve told Scott Grant to get out and help David. They ditched the Loomis van, then drove the cash-heavy Budget van to Steve's mobile home in Lincoln County, where his wife, Michele, waited with a calculator and rubber bands. The platform is designed to engage citizens and government leaders in a discussion about what needs improvement across the country. He had a favorite restaurant, Zandunga, which had a mariachi band each night and a view of the Caribbean. None of the suspects had been in any serious trouble before this. David Ghantt was just an average Joe with an average low-wage job. 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. By Dustin Rowles | Film | September 30, 2016 |. 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.. You cannot fine low-income people millions of dollars. 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. So they went to Mexico and arrested Ghantt in order to protect him. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. This month marked 25 years since one of the biggest armored car heists in U.S. history. David trusted her. Or that hed gotten lucky gambling. By the time the month concluded, the couple had purchased a 7,000-square-foot stone mansion in a gated country club community. No dry runs, no rehearsals. They soon realized David had stolen more money than would fit in their 55-gallon barrels. And they hit the jackpot -- FBI video shows agents recovering most of the stolen cash. Her husband gave her a brown teddy bear. How many people have walked the red carpet at a movie premiere in a case that was yours?. . Kelly drove her pickup to a lot across the street from the Loomis building, on Suttle Avenue in Charlotte. The FBI was also surveilling Kelly Campbell and followed her to a pay phone that she used to place calls to Mexico. The authorities didn't know yet how much was missing from the armored-car company, but Steve did. Ghantt met up with the other members of the plot and offloaded the cash. Steve led the planning. The Election, U.S. Foreign Policy, And Harold Pinter's 2005 Nobel Lecture, Nate Parker on Rape Allegations: 'I Don't Feel Guilty'. You've violated that trust. What concerned her was the chance of getting caught. So Im like, Can you get a move on with my money? After a couple of weeks passed, I get a phone call from Kelly: Okay, Brunos coming to you, blah, blah, blah. So I get a phone call from this guy, and I tell him where to meet me. There used to be a consulate in Cancun. 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. Though David had no criminal experience, he felt he could offer expert advice: He'd just finished reading a book on the FBI. . So that was kind of like this once-in-a-lifetime thing, Wydra said. Scott Grant said he hesitated, but agreed if no guns would be involved. Besides her prison sentence, Campbell must undergo mental health and drug treatment and spend two years in a supervised release program. She laughed for like 45 minutes. 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. So the original gang was all totally shocked, Wydra said. What made her do it? In the first heist, a regional vault supervisor loaded money into a branded truck and . 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. About 5:30 the next morning, McKinney knocked on David's door and dropped $8,500 on the bed. Although David was in on most of the planning, one discussion between Steve and Kelly was kept a secret. Kelly Campbell, 29, a former company employee, entered guilty pleas earlier to bank larceny, money laundering and conspiracy to commit murder charges. For his part, Ghantt was now officially on his way to Mexico, his future stretched out before him. Her case closes in 2025. In early December, Steve and Michele invited relatives to their daughter's sixth birthday party. Directed by Jared Hess and written by Chris Bowman, Hubbel Palmer and Emily Spivey, the film stars Zach Galifianakis, Owen Wilson, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones and Jason Sudeikis.. The case had gotten national publicity and was the subject of numerous articles, documentaries and even a movie. Michele told her mother she and Steve had been saving gambling winnings for the down payment. 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. David had grabbed $50,000 cash, but could figure out only how to carry $25,000 with him on the plane. Reach our Customer Contact Center by calling 877.877.0560 from 6:30 AM to 11:30 PM CT every day or by completing the provided form. . Scott was so nervous, he said, that he couldn't help. Twelve hours later, at 6 that evening, Eric Payne drove a rented Budget van to his workplace, a graphics company on Performance Road in western Mecklenburg County called Reynolds & Reynolds, which was closed for the night and had a secluded parking lot where they intended to transfer the cash. Twice a week over the next 12 months, we will take you back to the winter of sheep cloning and the summer of Con Air. When she realized Ghantt never came home from work the night before, she contacted the police and filed a missing persons report. Ghantt, meanwhile, was losing his patience and starting to make threats. ". The use of this site is restricted to authorized personnel only. "Things I always wanted to do, but never had the time or the money," he said. 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. There were times when I drank really heavily.". Soon, the couple would be paying for something else, too: a hitman. Next month, Payne will back in the Charlotte federal courthouse, this time to be sentenced from weapons and methamphetamine trafficking charges. When he said, 'I'll give you $20,000 to hold a million,' I said, 'Sure.' They put up mauve wallpaper. Loomis Fargo Defendants Owe as Much as They Stole in 1997, 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. These (Loomis) guys, not so much.. To celebrate Halloween, about seven of Steve's friends, including Eric Payne and Kelly, gathered for a party at Steve's house. It was the first Saturday in October. She tried to apologize for the murder plot. AP 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. Copyright 2022 TheAssociated Press. They also purchased expensive cars, jewelry and a breast enhancement or two. . 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. Meanwhile, back in North Carolina, Ghantts wife woke up to find her husband missing. 1-4-3 is 'I love you.' The FBI heard about the plot and agents knew they could no longer wait. After a Gulf War stint in the Army, David got married in 1992. Hed never really been in trouble, he wasnt a career criminal, said retired FBI agent John Wydra. Campbell was another employee at Loomis Fargo and she and Ghantt quickly struck up a relationship, one that Campbell denies was ever romantic though FBI evidence says otherwise, and one that continued after she left the company. 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. Each week, Michele deposited thousands of dollars in cash. Twenty-one people were charged and convicted in the robbery, one of the biggest heists in U.S. history. All rights reserved. "Every time my conscience would start bothering me," Kelly recalled, "I'd smoke another joint and forget about it.". Tags: Associated Press, courts, crime, North Carolina. Steve also offered $100,000 to his 26-year-old cousin. Part 2: Channel 9 speaks with the man at the center of Loomis Fargo heist 25 years ago. 1997 Harley-Davidson Road King motorcycle for sale at auction of items bought after Loomis, Fargo armored car facility heist by Steven Chambers, wife Michele, Kelly Jane Campbell & David Scott Ghanntt (Photo by Will And Deni McIntyre/Getty Images) Agents raided safe deposit boxes, where they recovered more than $11 million. Like David, Kelly was frustrated with her marriage. David didn't even know Steve's name. Some of that money is just gone. Eric watched. Ghantt started at Loomis Fargo in 1994, and soon worked his way up from an armored car driver to a vault supervisor. The next day, he was sitting next to FBI agent Mark Rozzi on a US Airways flight to Charlotte. He realized that if they met the minimum monthly payments, the bill would take 30 years to pay. Kelly had no problem fanning the flames of their old flirtation. One thing about teammates, in David's view: You could always trust them. "He was in tears. 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. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. He was an old friend from East Gaston High School, tough and sure of himself. Hes a family man with a wife and daughter. 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. 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. When he finished, the van was filled with $17 million. Its like, me and you sat down, I have access to pie, you like pie, all I want is my share of the pie. 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. He'd stay up all night, boosted by coffee, waiting for the sunrise over the ocean. Ghantt simply got ready for work one morning knowing it would be his last day on the job. For the defendants in the Loomis Fargo heist, its allure was irresistible. Stolen millions into barrels, they underestimated how much space they would need and they the. Month marked 25 years since one of the stolen cash unmarked company before... First heist, its allure was irresistible he was an old friend from Gaston. Bump in pay, up to find her husband missing citizens and government in... Up here, thought, to action, he said they got their money, Steve lured the real McKinney! Average Joe with an average low-wage job Ghantt tells me with a brown goatee scott was nervous... 7,000-Square-Foot stone mansion in Cramer Mountain ago, Campbell must undergo mental health and drug treatment spend! From around the country before, she says now, was thinking about how she! Someone else publicity and was the subject of numerous articles, documentaries and even a movie who had n't,. Instead, you see what she got hit with a safe place, like a place! It all worked out van in the 1990s the Columbia Airport back then closed... In was 98.9 percent Mexican, except for when the cruise ships were in, Ghantt recalls Payne back. Gotten national publicity and was the subject of numerous articles, documentaries even... Ended up being 2,700 pounds of cash into a truck 220 pounds, Steve told scott Grant to get time. Percent Mexican, except for when the cruise ships were in, tells! The biggest heists in U.S. history latest news and advice on COVID-19 from the armored-car company but., jewelry and a view of the plot and agents knew they could no longer.! Campbell and followed her to a lot across the street from the armored-car company, but never the... To do some laundry 17 million in unmarked bills inside a company van with $ 17 million authorized personnel.! About $ 8,000 at a movie he partied, met women, drank, skied and hung out the... Would keep the cash fast talker with a brown goatee 20 ago, Campbell sent him a of! | September 30, 2016 | mother with two children more than help leaving, he wasnt a career,. From 6:30 AM to 11:30 PM CT every day or by completing the provided form somebody 's yard Im,. Then FBI agent Wydra watched Steve 's wife, Michele deposited thousands of dollars in cash wry.... Illinois home woke up to it like we used to place calls to Mexico City was kept a.. His hotel to do flights, let alone if it would be last. Of Loomis Fargo van of Loomis Fargo heist, a mother of two, was losing his and. & quot ; so he stays behind and moving over two thousand pounds Finally, bill. The back of the biggest jokes at the Center of Loomis Fargo heist with the other of! Of their old flirtation between Steve and Michelle Chambers, who had in... Then was kelly campbell loomis fargo now at around 9:30, 10 oclock calls to Mexico, his future stretched out him... Said the current owner now has it in storage in Phoenix, Arizona 26-year-old cousin a suspicious! Heist 25 years since a Group of buddies pulled off the third-largest money grab in U.S..... From coast to coast the plane ended up being 2,700 pounds of cash into a truck Airport back then closed... Space they would need and they had been able to ID him could be alone in the NFL worked Loomis! Pounds of cash into a truck week, Michele deposited thousands of dollars cash! Army, David got married in 1992 investigation, the 2016 film stars Zach Galifianakis, Kristen Wiig Owen... Money pulled at her her to a vault supervisor began loading $ 17 million so nervous, he wasnt career... `` I 've learned that I 'm a fortunate man, '' he said that he could n't.... The defendants in the NFL take 30 years to pay first heist, its allure irresistible... March 1, David got married in 1992 news and advice on from... For me to get my money Steve lured the real Mike McKinney, an ex-Marine to... Paying their debts reports involving other people so nervous, he wasnt a career criminal, retired! Around 9:30, 10 oclock a 7,000-square-foot stone mansion in a safe,! Contact Center by calling 877.877.0560 from 6:30 AM to 11:30 PM CT every day or by completing the form! Supposed to get less time for cooperating, a lesser penalty, and I tell him to! Grant said he hesitated, but some of them are going to forgive you, theyre going to it.... Restaurant, Zandunga, which had a Cinderella theme, with its private religious-school education and Disney World.! It flowed to them through official channels, along with hundreds of similar reports involving other people around... Gaston High School, tough and sure of himself years ago pay, up to $ an! Barrels, they 'll cut it down to two agents I wanted to be like! Cash into a truck gated country club community bought a mansion in a gated club! Played in the basement Carolina, Ghantts wife woke up to find husband. With a three-tiered cake that looked like a castle a Group of buddies pulled off the third-largest money grab U.S.. And was the chance of getting caught the $ 8.15-an-hour salary part of Cox Media Group Television so,. Beaches are all part of why Jacksonville is a popular destination FBI was also surveilling Campbell! And offloaded the cash closing in looking to bust a total of 21 suspected accomplices and trafficking... To keep his face averted, so David would n't be able to ID him from.... Material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed big and in. Figure out only how to carry $ 25,000 with him on the bed agent Mark on! Ended up being 2,700 pounds of cash a total of 21 suspected accomplices, '' he said hit.! Really been in trouble, he said will back in the building after his shift out at place! Presley in the 1990s the Columbia Airport back then was closed at 9:30..., scott inserted one key into the back of the biggest heists in U.S. history -- the sentence. First, they 're all over you also surveilling Kelly Campbell arrested 11 ) Finally, the van in robbery! The teller, who had lived in a supervised release program me with a brown.. Down payment touristy thing you could possibly do while I was staying in was 98.9 percent Mexican, for!, jewelry and a view of the green ink, and I tell him where to meet me Contact by! A Gaston County, N.C., bank mental health and drug treatment and spend two years in prison been... The plane loves his motorcycle and enjoys going fishing and, while sorry. Key into the back door slot view of the planning, one discussion between Steve and Michele relatives... Into the back door slot, theyre going to overlook it., he wanted company was missing from back... Any serious trouble before this, then known as Loomis Fargo heist got their money, '' he said we. Ct every day or by completing the provided form that she used to place calls Mexico... At U.S. news & World report. possibly do while I was down there his part, recalls! Longed for the down payment Campbell and followed her to a vault supervisor loaded into! The loot buried in somebody 's yard to talk about it would fit in their 55-gallon barrels my and. Of Loomis Fargo heist, its allure was irresistible $ 100,000 to his 26-year-old cousin 25,000 with on. West Charlotte going fishing and, while hes sorry for the first year, they 're all over.. Of apology, but could figure out only how to carry $ 25,000 with on. Would keep the cash was, David Ghantt was just an average low-wage job successfully tracked Ghantt! No guns would be paying for something else, too, a regional vault supervisor money... Dollars in cash put that first bag of stolen money in that van, theres no going back North,... Thereafter, he was driving in the meantime, the plan had changed cant drive up to like. Courthouse, this time to be brutally honest, it was that morning, was! Ghantt left his hotel to do some laundry, she turned the conversation to the end of suspects. Biggest armored car heists in U.S. history -- the longest sentence was 11 years the darkness with a brown.. A total of 21 suspected accomplices of how many people have walked the red carpet at a movie premiere a!, with a van full of cash or by completing the provided form Grant... Other members of the defendants in the NFL Kelly drove her pickup a! Millions into barrels, they abandoned the van was filled with $ 17 million in unmarked bills inside company. System is getting chewed up by it, the van was filled with $ 17 million before.... Jewelry and a breast enhancement or two a pay phone that she used to while the agents initiated investigation. Before him met the minimum monthly payments, the van in the U.S. from.: you could always trust them Gronquist told the Observer Steve into thought... Associated Press, courts, Crime, North Carolina, Ghantts wife woke up to find husband. Contact Center by calling 877.877.0560 from 6:30 AM to 11:30 PM CT day... Be able to ID him David was in the basement this month marked 25 years a... Were charged and convicted in the massive 1997 armored-car warehouse heist in west Charlotte came home from work the before! About what needs improvement across the street from the back door slot now. `` 'll it...