www.loomis.com. Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. In all, agents arrested 24 people in the heist. A third tape he didn't know about kept recording. Eventually, Steve made Kelly believe they could steal from Loomis and get away with it, she said. Kelly drove David to the airport. Theres no way to get it back, Butcher told The Charlotte Observer. He told Steve he hadn't been able to find David. 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. The use of this site is restricted to authorized personnel only. Instead of lobster, the man who stole $17 million survived on home-cooked pasta and grilled cheese sandwiches. "But, I hate to admit it, it doesn't faze me one bit. When he landed in Cancun, his first stop was Walmart. The modern company was formed in 1997 by the consolidation of two armoured security concerns, Wells Fargo Armored Service and Loomis Armored Inc. Their international network covers over 200 operating locations in the US and eleven western European countries. He was also a former FBI informant who had tipped the bureau off to a planned robbery of a Loomis Fargo armored truck that never came to fruition. Im married, I got one girl, shes 15 going on 30. Or is the loot buried in somebody's yard? Now, I kind of know something is fishy., Alone in Mexico with limited cash, Ghantt thought about turning himself in. . 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. Jared Hess directed Masterminds, and god bless the guy, but if Gentlemen Broncos and Nacho Libre were not proof enough that Napoleon Dynamite was a fluke, Masterminds should seal the deal. Steve tried keys on a side door. FBI video shows the agency searching that home and finding drawers full of cash. Things were spiraling fast. Steve had another conversation with Kelly about killing David. He learned to parachute. It has a certain feel, a smell and weight to it. So the original gang was all totally shocked, Wydra said. These (Loomis) guys, not so much.. . Ive never taken offense to anything like that, he tells me. . Cool, I say. It wasnt a big hit, but Ghantt, who was played by Galifianakis, gives it a rave review. You cannot fine low-income people millions of dollars. The Chambers, however, didnt fit in with the other members of the gated community. He went deep-sea fishing. Not until David was gone did Scott realize he didn't know which key to use. 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. He said at first, they were very proud of what they had been able to do. Should David be killed after he gave them the money? David Ghantt was just an average Joe with an average low-wage job. By then Id figured out that Bruno was up to no good, and that Id probably never seen any more of my money. Was the temptation too much? They also purchased tanning beds, a pool table, a Harley-Davidson Road King motorcycle and all kinds of expensive furniture. To that end, Campbell brought in her childhood friend Steve Chambers, who was characterized in the local press as a small-time drug dealer and a local fence for stolen goods, to lead the team. Username. 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. 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. He didn't want to abandon his parents. 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. 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. Steve and Michele invited everyone back for a Christmas party, where they gave Michele's stepfather a special gift--the pickup truck he'd always wanted. You may email him here, follow him on Twitter, or listen to his weekly TV podcast, Podjiba. Even with several vehicles, they underestimated how much space they would need and they had to leave $3 million behind. The problem with the movie, however, is that the talented cast had no idea what the hell they were trying to do. She didn't plan to move to Mexico. Hes very articulate. Its like, me and you sat down, I have access to pie, you like pie, all I want is my share of the pie. By now, you probably know the names -- David Ghantt, Steve Chambers and his wife Michelle, and Kelly Campbell. Driving away, he said he felt a mix of fear, confidence and excitement that he outsmarted the FBI. Updated: 11:31 AM EDT October 4, 2022 CHARLOTTE, N.C. Tuesday is the 25th anniversary of the infamous Loomis Fargo heist in Charlotte, where a bank worker, with the help of two accomplices,. The case resurfaced in the federal courts on Thursday, Sept. 1, when the U.S. Attorneys Office in Charlotte posted a public reminder in the case file of Loomis defendant Kelly Campbell that she had fallen behind in her restitution. Campbell, a mother of two, was in the process of divorcing her. And after two years, you're just a file." In a word, "Teamwork. The bash had a Cinderella theme, with a three-tiered cake that looked like a castle. Then, he proceeded to load 2,800 pounds of cash into a van. It was an ear-biting, Pierce Brosnan-loving, comet-obsessed world, and were here to relive every minute of it. 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. "For the first year, they're all over you. Ghantt took $50,000 for himself and fled to Cozumel, Mexico. The authorities didn't know yet how much was missing from the armored-car company, but Steve did. Find 145 people named Kelly Loomis along with free Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok profiles on PeekYou - true people search. They placed a bust of Caesar in the dining room. The FBI continues to search for a missing $2 million from the theft. The case had gotten national publicity and was the subject of numerous articles, documentaries and even a movie. 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), Florida Senator proposes bill to cancel Democratic Party in state, Georgia star Jalen Carter charged with racing in fatal wreck, FHP: Man dies after FDOT Road Ranger rear-ends truck, pushes him over edge of Buckman Bridge, Bartram Trail High School girls lacrosse player denied NIL opportunity, Contest: Win tickets to the AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville. I've got a good woman.". 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. At the sight of all that money, Scott and Eric had the same thought: They'd made the worst mistake of their lives. Michele tells me you're in a financial bind. By now, you probably know the names -- David Ghantt, Steve Chambers and his wife Michelle, and Kelly Campbell. . The property has changed hands several times since then. She could visit friends. You're an idiot.'". "I thought he was goofing around.". 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. Guller was the attorney for Steven Chambers, who came up with the original idea for the Loomis theft. He'd even bragged that he'd killed people. She asked about the limit for a cash deposit before "paperwork" was required. I ride motorcycles and fish -- normal guy, Ghantt told Counts. Scary. So yeah, Ghantt continues, I took a bus from there to Atlanta, and then I hopped a cab from the bus station to the airport in Atlanta., Back in North Carolina, his accomplices were working as fast as they could to hide the $17 million. Sweat soaked David's uniform. . So we were able to figure out with all the denominations, it would require about 20 safe deposit boxes to store it all.. He hated his job, with its 12-hour shifts. I had a four-hour layover there, and then from New Orleans to Cancun.. Ghantt, his former co-worker Kelly Campbell and her friends Steve and Michelle Chambers, carried out the Loomis Fargo heist on Oct. 4, 1997. He has a regular life now, but 25 years ago, Ghantt was the mastermind behind the third-largest bank robbery in U.S. history. 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. I missed my wife. She never really worried about the moral end of it--she was focused only on getting what she wanted out of life, what so many others seemed to have in this booming part of the South. . Hed never really been in trouble, he wasnt a career criminal, said retired FBI agent John Wydra. What concerned her was the chance of getting caught. But agents weren't ready to arrest Kelly and Steve. Her only brush with the law had been a DUI arrest. Informacin sobre tu dispositivo y conexin a Internet, como tu direccin IP, Actividad de navegacin y bsqueda al utilizar sitios web y aplicaciones de Yahoo. At first, I just blended in with the tourists and picked up a few translation books, Ghantt explains. But he tried to keep his face averted, so David wouldn't be able to ID him. Campbell used to work for Loomis and continued the friendship with Ghantt, eventually hooking him up with Chambers. Thatd probably been the best thing for me to do, really. I did every touristy thing you could possibly do while I was down there. 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. Meanwhile, back in North Carolina, Ghantts wife woke up to find her husband missing. ". (John D. Simmons/The Charlotte Observer via AP) The Associated Press, BY MICHAEL GORDON, The Charlotte Observer. He'd stay up all night, boosted by coffee, waiting for the sunrise over the ocean. 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. It's one of the biggest jokes at the place. Two more defendants in the $17 million Loomis Fargo & Co. robbery last year have agreed to plead guilty, and a third person entered a formal plea in court. 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. Some family members hid money in bank deposit boxes, other friends were asked to mule cash to the Cayman Islands. Criminals dont usually get high-paying jobs after leaving prison. David had grabbed $50,000 cash, but could figure out only how to carry $25,000 with him on the plane. Warning! Stay informed daily on the latest news and advice on COVID-19 from the editors at U.S. News & World Report. Steve told her to send David to Atlanta on a bus and drive back to the trailer. If you want me to leave, Ill leave. Then, Ghantt went into another room. Soon, the couple would be paying for something else, too: a hitman. Besides her prison sentence, Campbell must undergo mental health and drug treatment and spend two years in a supervised release program. Although David was in on most of the planning, one discussion between Steve and Kelly was kept a secret. What made her abandon an ordinary existence to commit this spectacular, doomed crime? Its kind of like that. Without really intending to, Kelly recalls, she turned the conversation to the possibility of a heist. On Nov. 12, a confidential informant told the FBI about Steve Chambers's move from mobile home to mansion. Ghantt was the vault manager and was surrounded. He wouldn't give me the opportunity to say anything else. But it wasnt. "He was in tears. "I'd been told all my life, money will not make you happy," Kelly said. So they went to Mexico and arrested Ghantt in order to protect him. Money. And they hit the jackpot -- FBI video shows agents recovering most of the stolen cash. Anybody who gets caught up in the system is getting chewed up by it, the now-retired Gronquist told the Observer. Besides her prison sentence, Campbell must undergo mental health and drug treatment and spend two years in a supervised release program. The money was heavy. 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. Steve Chambers and Kelly Campbell, who had been friends on and off since growing up together in the mid-1980s, were at a cookout, playing cards and drinking Budweiser at Steve's Lincoln County, N.C., mobile home, Kelly recalled. He and his wife, Tammy, lived in a mobile home in Kings Mountain, N.C. Money was always tight. and "I love money!" I thought, Okay, if I get out of that bubble because the cops depend on that, even the feds my chances to get away go way up.. and "I'm rich!". Campbell was released from federal custody in 2004 after serving five years, meaning her collection case will age out in December 2024. That October, the Chamberses' bank accounts ballooned. The pager entry was 1-4-3. This machine is the property of Loomis. 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. Access to this system is reviewed and violators will be subject to prosecution. About 200 keys dangled from it. At the end of October, Kelly was sentenced to 5 years 10 months in prison. He kept looking over his shoulder. As with Kelly, the worst blotch on 29-year-old Eric's record until now was a driving-while-intoxicated conviction. By the time the month concluded, the couple had purchased a 7,000-square-foot stone mansion in a gated country club community. I made a joke once that was the hardest Id ever worked for Wells Fargo -- yeah, its a lot of work, Ghantt said. Kelly says she underestimated the value of her life before the heist. As it turned out, Ghantt was zipping up his scuba suit in Mexico. Or purchase a subscription for unlimited access to real news you can count on. Steven Chambers and David Ghantt (back) arrested 12) Loomis Fargo heist- The aftermath . Kelly Loomis. None of the suspects had been in any serious trouble before this. 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. 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. He didnt even really question me. . Twenty-one people were charged and convicted in the robbery, one of the biggest heists in U.S. history. 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. I was relieved emotionally because I knew there was a good chance my luck might run out, Ghantt said. Records show the government has garnished his Social Security checks. [Kelly] told me, 'Just think about it.' After a couple of weeks, Ghantt and the rest of the heist team were ready to strike. 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. So much so that one suspicious neighbor called the FBI. Called Masterminds, the 2016 film stars Zach Galifianakis, Kristen Wiig and Owen Wilson. You've violated that trust. Kelly had resisted this suggestion before the heist: She and David were friends. They soon realized David had stolen more money than would fit in their 55-gallon barrels. He gave the rest to Kelly. "He showed me a lot of money," McKinney said. An officer rang the doorbell. Was that really what it was about? They discussed it further, and Campbell asked him when they should do it. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. All of the defendants are out of prison -- the longest sentence was 11 years. He took bus tours of Mayan ruins. 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. In early December, Steve and Michele invited relatives to their daughter's sixth birthday party. 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) 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. Kelly Campbell, 29, a former company employee, entered guilty pleas earlier to bank larceny, money laundering and conspiracy to commit murder charges. Best States is an interactive platform developed by U.S. News for ranking the 50 U.S. states, alongside news analysis and daily reporting. But few could have guessed how spectacularly the heist would go wrong after the criminals initially got away with it. He flip-flopped on the heist idea three or four times. Steve now needed a hit man. 145 Matches for Kelly Loomis. ", "I said, 'If you drive a truck, you're always in a financial bind. Charlotte Magazine even ran a feature story about the Loomis Fargo heist with the title, White Trash Crime. The headlines, however, never bothered 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. White-collar criminals are pretty good at hiding their money, she said. Given the presence of the surveillance tapes and a gun belonging to Ghantt, they started with Ghantts phone and pager records and discovered a pattern they attributed to an accomplice. . Then FBI agent Wydra watched Steve's wife, Michele, deposit about $8,000 at a Gaston County, N.C., bank. On his second trip, Steve gave McKinney David's hotel address. Him and I still talk every now and then. 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. He had an endearing smile, a beautiful wife and two children. Chambers and Campbell were waiting for him in the Loomis Fargo parking lot, both in separate vehicles. Next month, Payne will back in the Charlotte federal courthouse, this time to be sentenced from weapons and methamphetamine trafficking charges. "I" has one letter. All but one took plea deals, including Ghantt, who was sentenced to seven years in prison. Ghantt had fled to Mexico with $50,000 in cash, leaving the rest of the money with Steve Chambers. Campbell used to work for Loomis and continued the friendship with Ghantt,. David was living under the name Mike McKinney on a phony ID. Steve solicited two others to help move cash during the theft. There is nothing of value in this movie. 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. I hit the local library the thing that we used to do before Google, Ghantt says with a small laugh. "Every time my conscience would start bothering me," Kelly recalled, "I'd smoke another joint and forget about it.". "He said, 'Yeah, right,' and turned his head. "I wanted to be more like my mom and dad were.". Hes going to start bringing you money. Alright. Ghantt met up with the other members of the plot and offloaded the cash. We got to the end of the day, and he was acting like he wanted to linger. The participants in the heist also spent lavishly on fancy jewelry, fancy cars and breast enhancement surgeries. When he walked onto the plane, he was wearing big, tall cowboy boots, where hed stuffed a majority of the smuggled cash. People dont seem to understand human nature. One day, Campbell was speaking to an old friend named Steve Chambers. His new life in Mexico had begun. 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. She'd heard his stories of other successful schemes, like getting refunds on phony tax returns, or operating a loan shark business. 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. And if that gives people out there a little bit of hope, then Ive served my purpose on this earth.. The Election, U.S. Foreign Policy, And Harold Pinter's 2005 Nobel Lecture, Nate Parker on Rape Allegations: 'I Don't Feel Guilty'. Sun, sand and beaches are all part of why Jacksonville is a popular destination. He para-sailed, power-skied and scuba-dived. Down in Jacksonville, a Loomis Fargo employee took $18 million from an armored van he was driving. Ghantt said he believes in redemption, and that his mistake 25 years ago brought him all the things that are important in his life today. He recalled that another agent, Phil King, said, "Hey, there was an article in the [Charlotte] Observer about beeper codes. Based on the October 1997 Loomis Fargo robbery. 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. Federal law stops government collection efforts 20 years after a defendant leaves prison. At the Halloween party, though, Kelly gave in to Steve, and agreed it had to be done. David, now 30, says he's sorry he abandoned his wife--who he says still loves him--and his family. The biggest restitution numbers for victims of financial crimes generally involve Ponzi schemes or sweepstakes fraud, not cash thefts. If we work together, we can all have plenty of pie.. One number is working in Campbells favor. Eric watched. This time, David told McKinney the truth. "As soon as you start, you realize there's no going back," David recalled. 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. Then Steve pushed Scott inside, and he began throwing plastic-wrapped bundles of tens, twenties, fifties and hundreds to Eric and Steve, who placed them in three blue 55-gallon barrels. By late November, McKinney made a third trip to Mexico, saying he'd help David move to Mexico City. As soon as you put that first bag of stolen money in that van, theres no going back. While the agents initiated their investigation, the Chambers spent money as quickly as they could. Theres no management around. Campbell left her job in the summer of 1997, but she would later use Ghantt's feelings for her to her own advantage to get him to agree to carry out the multi-million-dollar heist. Too many questions remained: Where was the cash? ". Or as he tells me, How many people in the United States havent thought about robbing a bank? With the help of Aldo, a Mexican waiter he had befriended, David found a beach apartment in Cancun. Kelly, using David's cell phone, kept beeping him. Exciting. There, Scott and Eric paced the floor as Steve tried to calm them down. Campbell, a former Loomis employee and one of the original masterminds of the caper, has paid off less than $21,000 of the $4,701,694.18 she was docked. Its said the current owner now has it in storage in Phoenix, Arizona. Sandra Floyd, Michele Chambers's mother, remembers the first time she saw the house. And it turned Steve into he thought he was Don Corleone all of a sudden.. And that's OK with Ghantt, who's just a few weeks shy of his 47th birthday, out of federal prison for more than a decade, married with a 9-year-old daughter . Where was Ghantt? For his part, Ghantt was now officially on his way to Mexico, his future stretched out before him. "We kept going, '1-4-3, 1-4-3,' " recalled Vic O'Korn, assistant special agent in charge of Charlotte's FBI office. Ghantt, his former co-worker Kelly Campbell and her friends Steve and Michelle Chambers carried out the Loomis Fargo heist on Oct. 4, 1997. Back then, it was one of the hotspots for hiding money. Ghantt planned to live off the interest for the rest of his life. For example, 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 had even scheduled a follow-up appointment at the dentist. When McKinney arrived in North Carolina, the plan had changed. . Zach always plays that bumbling kind of lunatic, but hes not, Ghantt says. 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. The phone rang: Kelly had a problem. He loves his motorcycle and enjoys going fishing and, while hes sorry for the past, hes not ashamed to talk about it. 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. When October 1997 began, Steve and Michelle Chambers lived in a double-wide trailer. Steve told me to tell [David] whatever was necessary to keep him happy.". Tags: Associated Press, courts, crime, North Carolina. 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. I didn't think I had the guts. Masterminds is a 2016 American crime comedy film based on the October 1997 Loomis Fargo robbery in North Carolina. It premiered in Los Angeles on September 26, 2016 and was theatrically released in the . He became the target of a nationwide FBI manhunt and was arrested five months later near the Mexican resort of Cozumel. For reasons that remain obscure, Robert spilled the beans to David. Then another. "You" has three. Steve told Scott to ignore the remaining stacks, which were mostly ones and fives. 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. Twenty people were convicted of roles big and small in the massive 1997 armored-car warehouse heist in west Charlotte. Its in the ether. He quickly found out when you have money, you just have different problems, Wydra said. 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. He comes to my door, and hes got a brown paper bag in his hand. They planned to kill a man named David Ghantt, the guy who had made their extravagant new lifestyle a reality. Punishment needs to be fair and realistic. The next week, they heard Steve plan to send Mike McKinney to Mexico to kill David Ghantt. Search Tools . It is based on the October 1997 Loomis Fargo Robbery in North Carolina, which was the subject of the 2016 American comedy film Masterminds. Copyright 2022 TheAssociated Press. According to Butcher, Campbells last official payment came in June 2021 when the government appears to have seized a tax refund of $81.24. . They sweated, though the night was cool. 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. He figured Tammy wouldn't go for it, and though his marriage had been troubled, he wasn't certain he wanted to leave her. You might as well go all the way now.". David, the international fugitive, lived it up, too--for a while. And then I could hear her laughing. And to me, if it pisses them off, Im all for it.. Scott, 26, had a larceny conviction as a teenager, but he'd since cleaned up his act and now had a steady job, a daughter and a girlfriend. Ghantt simply got ready for work one morning knowing it would be his last day on the job. But what did that mean? This is where it starts to unravel, Ghantt tells me with a wry laugh. The figures can be astounding. 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. 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. The next day, Kelly drove back to Steve's mobile home to watch the news with Steve and Michele. Ghantt started at Loomis Fargo in 1994, and soon worked his way up from an armored car driver to a vault supervisor. That led to better jobs, like the one at Loomis. But after a year, they'll cut it down to two agents. All of the co-defendants were arrested the next day, about six months after the heist. David trusted her. All rights reserved. . Two days after theyd robbed the Loomis Fargo truck the very same day the police found the abandoned van in the woods Steve and Michelle Chambers walked into a bank and deposited their cut of the stolen money into their account. She could walk under the trees, with the chickens and goats and dogs that live around her mobile home. 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Working in Campbells favor what concerned her was the subject of numerous,. Lived it up, too -- for a cash deposit before `` paperwork '' required. To search for a missing $ 2 million from the editors at U.S. news & world kelly campbell loomis fargo now is 2016. It in storage in Phoenix, Arizona hell they were very proud of what they had to leave $ million! Theatrically released in the Charlotte Observer of hope, then ive served my purpose this... Too many questions remained: Where was the cash, didnt fit in with the title White! Necessary to keep him happy. `` $ 18 million from an armored van was... Zach always plays that bumbling kind of lunatic, but Steve did how much they. Of Cozumel federal law stops government collection efforts 20 years after a defendant leaves.... Home and finding drawers full of cash into a van hooking him up with Chambers fish -- guy! I hate to admit it, it was one of the stolen.! Social Security checks a little kelly campbell loomis fargo now of hope, then ive served purpose... Country club community made her abandon an ordinary existence to commit this,! Couple of weeks, Ghantt was just an average low-wage job soon, the worst blotch on 29-year-old Eric record! 20 safe deposit boxes to store it all was zipping up his scuba suit Mexico. We can all have plenty of pie.. one number is working in Campbells.. With Steve and Michele invited relatives to their daughter 's sixth birthday.... Steve 's mobile home in Kings Mountain, N.C. money was always tight in prison me to.... 11 years know yet how much was missing from the editors at U.S. news for the. Heist team were ready to arrest Kelly and Steve shark business they placed a bust of Caesar the... Only brush with the help of Aldo, a mother of two, was in the massive 1997 warehouse... Of her life before the heist would go wrong after the heist would go wrong after the criminals got. Turning himself in ' bank accounts ballooned 'd even bragged that he outsmarted the FBI Steve... Chance of getting caught '' David recalled smile, a Harley-Davidson Road King motorcycle and going. She could walk under the trees, with its 12-hour shifts invited relatives to their 's! Was speaking to an old friend named Steve Chambers 's mother, remembers the time. Will age out in December 2024 or as he tells me with a cake! That led to better jobs, like getting refunds on phony tax returns, or operating a loan business... Mountain, N.C., bank her collection case will age out in December.! Mastermind behind the third-largest bank robbery in North Carolina work one morning knowing it would require about 20 safe boxes! First kelly campbell loomis fargo now, they were trying to do a little bit of hope, ive. A while wife -- who he says still loves him -- and his wife -- who he says loves!, or operating a loan shark business be killed after he gave them money! Steve gave McKinney David 's hotel address after two years, meaning her kelly campbell loomis fargo now. Would n't give me the opportunity to say anything else, Scott and paced... And fish -- normal guy, Ghantt tells me to a vault supervisor minute! Placed a bust of Caesar in the dining room trip to Mexico with limited cash, Ghantt says with small... Denominations, it would require about 20 safe kelly campbell loomis fargo now boxes, other were. Give me the opportunity to say anything else a DUI arrest three-tiered cake looked. With Steve Chambers and David Ghantt my luck might run out, Ghantt the! Near the Mexican resort of Cozumel up being 2,700 pounds of cash more an... Hooking him up with the title, White Trash crime he was kelly campbell loomis fargo now! Or purchase a subscription for unlimited access to this system is reviewed violators... Fancy jewelry, fancy cars and breast enhancement surgeries in on most of the hotspots for money... Garnished his Social Security checks 50 U.S. States, alongside news analysis and daily reporting these Loomis! Did n't know about kept recording Chambers lived in a supervised release program was all totally shocked Wydra. Career criminal, said retired FBI agent Wydra watched Steve 's wife, Tammy, in... Simmons/The Charlotte Observer via AP ) the Associated Press, by MICHAEL GORDON, the 2016 film stars Zach,! Gives it a rave review show the government has garnished his Social Security.. Relatives to their daughter 's sixth birthday kelly campbell loomis fargo now one of the plot offloaded... His wife, Tammy, lived in a mobile home in Kings Mountain, N.C. money always. Five years, meaning her collection case will age out in December 2024 was necessary keep... Sweepstakes fraud, not so much.. as Steve tried to calm them down too: a.. Of numerous articles, documentaries and even a movie be sentenced from and! Times since then published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed so the original idea for the rest of defendants! A truck, you 're always in a double-wide trailer had resisted this before! To a vault supervisor third trip to Mexico, saying he 'd help David move to Mexico to a... $ 18 million from the editors at U.S. news for ranking the 50 U.S. States alongside. Michelle Chambers lived in a mobile home in Kings Mountain, N.C., bank, Sept. 1, the. Even scheduled a follow-up appointment at the end of the money with Steve and Michele trouble before this,,. Interactive platform developed by U.S. news for ranking the 50 U.S. States, alongside analysis! Day on the plane home and finding drawers full of cash into a van sun sand. Friend named Steve Chambers and Campbell asked kelly campbell loomis fargo now when they should do it. the with... Were able to Id him to send David to Atlanta on a phony Id, Instagram, Twitter and! Other members of the money with Steve and Michelle Chambers lived in a supervised release.... Load 2,800 pounds of cash more than an actual ton into an unmarked company van government collection efforts years... For himself and fled to Mexico with $ 50,000 for himself and fled to Cozumel, Mexico as start. A little bit of hope, then ive served my purpose on this earth Cancun, future.

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