loomis fargo heist kelly campbell

A connection between each suspect began to emerge slowly, and as the intensity of spending grew, suspicion did as well. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. They didnt expect it.. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]. In order to receive more evidence, the FBI decided to listen. Thats pretty standard in restitution matters. Hes a family man with a wife and daughter. Also charged with money laundering were innocent relatives and friends who had co-signed safe deposit boxes. All of the defendants are out of prison -- the longest sentence was 11 years. 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. In one case, the restitution for a Loomis defendant may be a moving target. The next day, before Mike was able to leave the country, the FBI arrested him in his hotel room. Steve had hired a bodyguard named Mike McKinney. You can garnish wages. Heist! So they went to Mexico and arrested Ghantt in order to protect him. - Husband and wife Steven and Michelle Chambers, whose conspicuous consumption of a luxury home, a BMW convertible, breast implants and a $600 wooden Indian, among other purchases, helped the FBI solve the crime, were assessed $3.81 million and $4.8 million, respectively. What that says is, We will never forgive you for what youve done.'. One number is working in Campbells favor. If it didn't work out, he could return to the United States later with a new identity. Pink, Mr. Blue, Mr. Orange, Mr. Blonde. uncanny, eerie, unnatural, preternatural, supernatural, unearthly, other-worldly, unreal, ghostly, mysterious, mystifying, strange, abnormal, unusual. And then I realized that a lot of people knew who I was and they had followed the case.. 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,. 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. remove comments that contain spam, advertising, vulgarity, threats 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. Discover the truth behind unexplained ancient mysteries, UFO mysteries, secret locations and paranormal events. A report by the General Accounting Office found that as of budget year 2016, $110 billion in restitution ordered by the federal courts was outstanding and that more than 90% of the amount had been classified as uncollectible.. 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. But they'd stayed in touch, and now they were poised to attempt a crime like almost no other. He tried again to make the back gate rise, to no avail. The participants in the heist also spent lavishly on fancy jewelry, fancy cars and breast enhancement surgeries. The robbery was committed by David Scott Ghantt who was the vault supervisor and accomplices Kelly Campbell, Steve Chambers, Michelle Chambers, Michael Gobies, and other four members. They involve Loomis armored car driver David Scott Ghantt. David Scott Ghantt, his former co-worker Kelly Campbell and her friends Steve and Michelle Chambers carried out the Loomis Fargo heist on Oct. 4, 1997. If we work together, we can all have plenty of pie.. Just after the last employees left that day, surveillance footage shows a man enter the vault, and begin to load more than 2,740 pounds in cash into a nearby van, totaling around over $17 million. Not every agent has a case like that, he said. Ms. Campbell worked at Loomis for 11 months, leaving in November 1996, according to court papers. There are many robberies registered in the history of America, but the Loomis Fargo Robbery is known to be the second largest robbery in the United States. 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. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. Chambers had broached the possibility of a robbery to Campbell earlier in the summer. The figures can be astounding. Jim Gronquist was Campbells defense attorney. 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 . The investigation ultimately resulted in the conviction of eight people directly involved, as well as sixteen others who had indirectly helped them. And after two years, the case is just a file. Growing up, David's family went to Disney World, sent him to religious school, and shopped at places he couldn't afford as a self-supporting adult. Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. Ghantt took $50,000 for himself and fled to Cozumel, Mexico. Campbell used part of her share of the money to buy aToyota Siennaminivanin two cash installments. By then, the FBI had become greatly concerned for Ghantts personal safety; they had learned of Chambersmurder for hirescheme. Thats pretty standard in restitution matters. Well they were in some sense celebrities, Gronquist said. Down in Jacksonville, a Loomis Fargo employee took $18 million from an armored van he was driving. Kelly Campbell, 29, a former company employee, entered guilty pleas earlier to bank larceny, money laundering and conspiracy to commit murder charges. He hired a hitman to take Ghantt out, tying up the ultimate loose end. 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. Records show the government has garnished his Social Security checks. Chambers had broached the possibility of a robbery to Campbell earlier in the summer. Growing up, David had been a nice kid, a decent student who was at worst a minor troublemaker and prankster. White-collar criminals are pretty good at hiding their money, she said. Sure to be in demand as the book has been made into a movie, Masterminds, to be released in August.Michael Sawyer, Pine Bluff, AR. 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 to. them. Criminals dont usually get high-paying jobs after leaving prison. 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. In all, they recovered $6.6 million. 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. How he and his wife had trouble communicating. Join thousands already receiving our daily newsletter. He added that he would be able to send the trainee home at about 6:00 p.m. and would then need about an hour to load the money from carts, shelves, and the floor into a Loomis company van. Probably very egotistical of me, I thought, Yeah, sure, I can beat them, theyre college smart and thats about it, Ghantt said. In the movie: Campbell invites Ghantt to a restaurant under the auspices of a date, but then springs the idea of the heist on him, as Chambers and two associates join the conversation from an . Then, he proceeded to load 2,800 pounds of cash into a van. What purpose does that serve other than to denigrate that person into abject poverty?. 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. 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. Records show the government has garnished his Social Security checks. Many of the lesser players in the conspiracy have been the most effective in paying their debts. The movie was called Masterminds and stars Zach Galifianakis, Kristen Wiig and Owen Wilson. 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? ALSO READ: 14-year-old boy robbed at gunpoint while waiting for bus in east. Unexplained Mysteries and Strange Things,Cool Interesting stuff has been online since early 2011. Its in the ether. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. This month marked 25 years since one of the biggest armored car heists in U.S. history. LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Is this really about the needs of the poor? 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. Accompanying her was Steve Chambers, who, though unemployed, had recently moved . I actually loved reading through this post. For people earning $8.15 an hour David's salary the jokes came naturally. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. Nathan, Steves cousin, was found in a mobile home the Chambers had abandoned. Loomis Fargo heist: 25 years later Steve Chambers and his wife were living in a trailer and upgraded to what would today be a multi-million-dollar mansion at Cramer Mountain. She was five-foot-seven, had dirty-blond hair, and had worked with him for about a year at Loomis Fargo, until she left for another job in 1996. 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. Michelle Chambers received a few more months than Ghantt, because she had violated several bond conditions. That movie, Masterminds, was filmed in 2014. 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Marine Fisheries Commission advocates for water quality, North Carolina the only state allowing unnecessary killing of sea turtles, 'Pagan' bike gang leader in N. Carolina sentenced to prison, Deputy cleared in shooting death of Gloucester woman, Beaufort amends charter to allow four-year mayoral term. 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. The plan was to exit through the building's electronic back gate, which consisted of horizontal metal plates that opened at the touch of a button. 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. But that only tells part of the story. A customs inspector, asking routine questions of bus passengers, focused her attention on him when his answers reminded her of Tommy Flanagan, the pathological-liar character played by Jon Lovitz on Saturday Night Live. But he wasn't finished. He quickly found out when you have money, you just have different problems, Wydra said. Anybody who gets caught up in the system is getting chewed up by it, the now-retired Gronquist told the Observer. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. These cookies do not store any personal information. Theres no way to get it back,, And with Loomis, were looking at only one case. Ghantt was the vault manager and was surrounded. Heist! Perry identified the other six people arrested as Steve and Michelle Chambers; Kelly Jane Campbell, a former Loomis employee; Michael L. McKinney; Thomas Nathan Grant; and Eric Haley Payne.. Steve and Michelle Chambers, who had lived in a mobile home, bought a mansion in Cramer Mountain. The FBI heard about the plot and agents knew they could no longer wait. All but one of the defendants pleaded guilty. Money. A more immediate need was securing help to move the stolen money to safety the night of the crime. true story that has captivated American audiences on the news and now on the big screen in the major motion picture, Masterminds. But on Oct. 4, 1997, that no longer mattered and Ghantt took off with $17.3 million. 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. That sounds like a lot of money until its compared to the $18,930,201.26 the group was ordered to pay. But you cant get blood from a stone, Johns said. They could talk about anything, even topics he couldn't discuss with his wife. Not all of them, but some of them are going to forgive you, theyre going to overlook it., he said. "Don't back out on us. 12) Loomis Fargo heist- The aftermath Ultimately, eight co-conspirators were indicted for the Loomis Fargo bank heist. Of course the problem was, the money belonged to someone else. In David's eyes, Johnson's big mistake was that he did it alone. He waffled on the heist idea three or four times from late August to mid-September. A couple by the names of Steve and Shelley Chambers also became people of interest in the investigation due to their extreme sudden increase in spending. That way, outsiders couldn't see money being loaded. LeVaughn Kelly Campbell (born July 23, 1980 in Atlanta, Georgia) is a former football wide receiver. Authorities were notified of the robbery in the morning, when employees couldnt open the vault. 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. The woman on the phone was Kelly Jane Campbell, and David had a mad crush on her. Its attracted workers like Ghantt. This was several years before the advent of smartphones and the post-9/11 increase in federal surveillance of electronic communications, and public knowledge about this tracking was less widespread. The figures can be astounding. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. "What would it take to make you do it?". In his youth, his mother had taken him to Sears and JCPenney, but as a man he shopped at Walmart, and while he knew there was nothing wrong with that, he wished he could afford more. As a child, he had preferred reading to playing sports, and he would say, as an adult, that although he couldn't have told you "who was on first," he knew as a kid who the Egyptian god of the dead was. The police almost immediately called theFBI, since 95% of the money handled at the facility was owned by banks. He called Kelly to say he was coming and hopped into the driver's seat of the loaded Loomis van. The government does not run debtors prisons, says U.S. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]. Its like, me and you sat down, I have access to pie, you like pie, all I want is my share of the pie. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. They also found several stacks of money with Loomis bands still attached throughout all the homes searched. As beads of sweat formed under his red hair, he loaded up another cart and repeated the process. "Are you serious?" The unfairness gnawed at him, stirred by Kelly's questions. This website uses cookies and some data tracking to improve your experience and serve adverts, We assume you're ok with this, you can opt-out if you wish. Most people are going to forgive you. Aprs de nombreux seconds rles comiques au cinma, elle parvient percer en co-crivant et tenant le rle principal de la The FBI began to question past and current employees of Loomis Fargo. The Loomis Fargo Heist Over the next months, Ghantt, Campbell, and Chambers developed a plan. We are happy to work with other website publishers. CHARLOTTE If you didnt live in the Charlotte area 25 years ago, you might not believe it. Booklist "Librariesshould consider purchasing this entertaining and lightly edited version, which reads like a fast-paced novel." 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. Youre supposed to get less time for cooperating, a lesser penalty, and instead, you see what she got hit with. Gronquist said. Im married, I got one girl, shes 15 going on 30. He decided at that moment that if Kelly called again, he would go for it. (LogOut/ 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. The government does not run debtors prisons, says U.S. High around 65F. I gotta go.". Some of that money is just gone. Restitution is a familiar part of sentencing in federal court. For the defendants in the Loomis Fargo heist, its allure was irresistible. 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. 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. Ghantt was working as a vault supervisor for Loomis Fargo in Charlotte in 1997, earning about $8 an hour and tired of his humdrum life. A parrot tattoo on her right ankle. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. Steve was a serious guy? That sounds like a lot of money until its compared to the $18,930,201.26 the group was ordered to pay. The property has changed hands several times since then. The Loomis case is another example where the amount of restitution ordered vs. what is actually paid are two dramatically different numbers. Was the temptation too much? The inspiration behind the major motion picture Masterminds starring Zach Galifianakis, Owen Wilson, Kristen Wiig, and Jason Sudeikis! Notifications from this discussion will be disabled. To be brutally honest, it was that morning, Ghantt replied. The FBI says Chambers hired a hitman to tie up the ultimate loose end -- Ghantt. There was a book published in 2002 as well, by author Jeff Diamant called,Heist! So the pieces were falling into place for investigators. personal/abusive/condescending attacks on other users or goading 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. Uh-oh, it looks like your Internet Explorer is out of date. 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. Then they returned it. He hired a hitman to take Ghantt out, tying up the ultimate loose end. https://www.charlotteagenda.com/67457/loomis-fargo-heist-masterminds-movie/, http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/state/article104506876.html, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/October_1997_Loomis_Fargo_robbery#Company, http://retroclt.blogspot.com/2014/07/loomis-fargo-heist.html, . Kelly called, using David's own cell phone, to ask where he was already, because she and the others were waiting outside for him. You can seize property. Over 88% of the money has been recovered since the heist. 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. David got a kick out of her. David would simply empty the vault and deliver the money to the others. That was the thing that sticks in my mind to this day.. 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. This technically made it abank robbery afederal offense. Charlotte Observer"more than a crime story, and one that's worth reading." 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. They assumed that whoever was involved would keep the cash in a safe place, like a safe deposit box. (LogOut/ There are multiples of thousands of these things coming every year. That first day in prison was scary, Ghantt said. Action News Jax facebook feed(Opens a new window), Action News Jax twitter feed(Opens a new window), Action News Jax youtube feed(Opens a new window), JSO K9 escapes kennel, bites three people in Jacksonville neighborhood, To know Nancy was to love Nancy: St. Johns County woman killed in suspected DUI crash, JSO says missing child alert results in deadly drowning, Senator proposes bill giving state emergency jurisdiction over custody of kids with trans parents, Florida woman accused of killing terminally ill husband released from jail.

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