At the end of October, Kelly was sentenced to 5 years 10 months in prison. "It wasn't me, it was Steve," she says she told him. Harley-Davidson Road King motorcycle for sale at auction of items Scott didn't want to, but then he remembered the hundred-grand payday. Ghantt:I've always known that story had potential to be a comedy or a drama. 'Can I Keep the Velvet Elvis?': The Great Hillbilly Heist of 1997 In Florida, a Loomis Fargo employee had pulled a gun on his coworkers and gotten away with $18 million, a move that FBI agents theorize Ghantt, Campbell and other employees all sat around talking about - and what they would do with that amount of money - for a while. When he was done, the man drove off to a nearby printing press, where the money was distributed into private vehicles amongst a handful of people. Channel 9 speaks with the man at the center of Loomis Fargo heist 25 Loomis, Fargo offered a $500,000 reward after the theft. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. "I said, 'That's all they gave me,' " McKinney recalled. Ghantt:I hate to say it, but I had six years of sitting in a box to think about my life. 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. One of them tapped him on the back. I wanted to make a drastic change and I went for it," Ghantt said. And I said, Hey, man, I got this. Scott Grant said he hesitated, but agreed if no guns would be involved. . Then another. That sounds like a lot of money until its compared to the $18,930,201.26 the group was ordered to pay. So he got in a cab and went to a mall. They heard Michele brag about her $43,000 ring. From Mexico, David usually spoke with Kelly on the phone once a week, paying with calling cards. Called Masterminds, the 2016 film stars Zach Galifianakis, Kristen Wiig and Owen Wilson. There had been no signs. So I was glad it was over. "Think of how many women would have stood by. There was a third person with them, too, a man named Eric Grant. In early November, Steve lured the real Mike McKinney, an ex-Marine, to North Carolina from his Illinois home. His mobile home was nicely furnished, on eight acres with a stream in the back. Few who were living in the area at the time can forget the "Velvet Elvis" painting Chambers had hanging in his mansion or the tales of cosmetic surgery, BMW convertibles and other signs of excess. Or that it was an inheritance. He had just returned to his home in Jacksonville, Fla., when he agreed to talk about the heist, his life now and what went wrong when a group of friends who thought they could get away with stealing $17 million cash. Theres no way to get it back, Butcher told The Charlotte Observer. real kelly campbell loomis fargo heist. and "I'm rich!". When neighbors asked where they got their money, Steve said hed played in the NFL. Question: Are you happy that Wilkesboro-nativeZach Galifianakis plays you in the movie? I wish them all a happy life and that's about it. 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. To say nothing of their art purchases like the aforementioned velvet Elvis portrait and a painting of a bulldog dressed as General George S. Patton. Truth was, David wanted more than help leaving, he wanted company. . She was the group's only contact with David, and she was smoking marijuana "like other people smoke cigarettes," she said. Steve bought a truck, a Rolex and a motorboat. David had grabbed $50,000 cash, but could figure out only how to carry $25,000 with him on the plane. Our success depends on our team members, and that's why it's important for us to offer an employee benefits program that is not only extremely comprehensive but also one of the best in the industry. One thing about teammates, in David's view: You could always trust them. He's a very likable person. real kelly campbell loomis fargo heist. . Burks was also ordered to serve 15 years in prison, limiting his ability to balance his books. I said, It comes down to picking the right day, and the right time of the month, and all that good stuff. I even told her, It wouldnt be all that difficult. You might as well go all the way now.". The Unexpectedly Sweet Story Behind Those Viral Semi-Truck Pregnancy Photos. About the same time, Kelly and McKinney received phone calls from agents who told them to open their doors. I mean, cause greed is a funny animal. The money was heavy. Steve led the planning. And so, he told her, Google my name. In real life: True. Kelly had recently left a job driving an armored-car for Loomis, Fargo & Co. "He's the one who brought it up first," said Kelly, a year after her arrest. As soon as Corey left, I pretended like I was leaving. In one case, the restitution for a Loomis defendant may be a moving target. "She said, 'What would it take to convince you to do it?' Were others involved? They paid for all of it in cash. 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. His name was Corey. I wanted to get as far away as I could. Ghantt went on to explain that he left for his flight to Mexico with about $25,000, and that two or three deliveries of extra money was made to him by the man Chambers would pay to kill 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. It wouldn't work, Kelly told him. Kelly had resisted this suggestion before the heist: She and David were friends. "Steve said, 'I think we ought to do it that night, when he drops off the van,' " Kelly recalled. She tried to apologize for the murder plot. Many of the lesser players in the conspiracy have been the most effective in paying their debts. Ghantt ended up doing more than five years in prison, Chambers did more than 11 years. 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. Chambers went from a mobile home in Lincoln County to a mansion in Cramerton. 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. We got to the end of the day, and he was acting like he wanted to linger. There were times when I drank really heavily.". We need to set up some way for me to get my money. She said, We got it all worked out. From going fishing to riding horses on the beach the whole nine yards. Ghantt fled to Mexico. Careers | Loomis US He had a favorite restaurant, Zandunga, which had a mariachi band each night and a view of the Caribbean. Things were spiraling fast. Zach always plays that bumbling kind of lunatic, but hes not, Ghantt says. The robbery was committed by Loomis vault supervisor David Scott Ghantt, his married girlfriend Kelly Campbell (a former Loomis co-worker), Steven Eugene Chambers (a one-time FBI informant), his wife Michelle Chambers, Michael Gobbies, and four other co-conspirators. The figures can be astounding. Despite a mega-watt cast featuring Zach Galifianakis and a handful of some of Saturday Night Lives biggest current and former stars, Masterminds, the comedy about Loomis Fargo robbery completely tanked at the box office in its opening weekend, bowing in sixth place with just $6.6 million. David, now 30, says he's sorry he abandoned his wife--who he says still loves him--and his family. "For the first year, they're all over you. The phone rang: Kelly had a problem. By late November, McKinney made a third trip to Mexico, saying he'd help David move to Mexico City. Soon thereafter, he met Kelly Campbell, a co-worker at Loomis Fargo. He and his wife, Tammy, lived in a mobile home in Kings Mountain, N.C. Money was always tight. I did a little research into crime statistics and the local cops. I loved it. Her case closes in 2025. "I work construction. Michelle Chambers received seven years and eight months, while Steve Chambers was handed an 11-year sentence. Or that hed gotten lucky gambling. Thats one of my personality flaws. Heist: The Oddball Crew Behind the $17 Million Loomis Fargo Theft by It wasnt a big hit, but Ghantt, who was played by Galifianakis, gives it a rave review. Michele tells me you're in a financial bind. That was great. Ghantt:It started out as a mental exercise and somewhere between the mental exercise and the actual event, it became serious. But former Kings Mountain resident David Scott Ghantt can. Then he was driving in the darkness with a van full of cash. Ghantt: My cut was supposed to be about $5 million, but that's not what I ended up with. He had stolen $17 million from Loomis Fargo. But McKinney never stopped trying to kill Ghantt although, initally, McKinney thought Chambers had paid for the hit over a drug deal gone bad, Diamant said. Explain? And I was thinking about just showing up there. Is he telling the truth? Kelly Jane Campbell, a former Loomis employee; Michael L. McKinney . My love for my family is by far the most important thing in my life. October 1997 Loomis Fargo robbery - Wikipedia The best states in the U.S. come from coast to coast. Down in Jacksonville, a Loomis Fargo employee took $18 million from an armored van he was driving. Fact check: Is there much truth to the new 'Masterminds' movie? kellis@gastongazette.com 0:04 0:57 On Oct. 4, 1997, former Kings Mountain resident David Scott Ghantt finished his shift as a vault supervisor for Loomis Fargo in Charlotte. Question: Should people go see this movie? The authorities didn't know yet how much was missing from the armored-car company, but Steve did. There was a little voice in my head that said, 'Don't do it. Zaron Burnett is an investigative journalist and longform features writer based in Los Angeles. Hes going to start bringing you money. Alright. They found Ghantts truck, and in it were his keys, some personal items and his wedding ring. 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. Actor Owen Wilson plays him in the movie, which includes the real names of all the major players. Yes, Carrie Underwood adopted a dog in Charlotte. 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. They didn't know it, but they were leaving $3.3 million behind. . At 6 that morning, FBI supervisor Rick Shaffer led 12 agents and several Gaston County police officers up a winding road on Cramer Mountain to Steve's home. It was unclear whether anyone will get that money, authorities said. Kelly drove her pickup to a lot across the street from the Loomis building, on Suttle Avenue in Charlotte. There are multiples of thousands of these things coming every year. Youre supposed to get less time for cooperating, a lesser penalty, and instead, you see what she got hit with. Gronquist said. He hated the sweet smell of the green ink, and the $8.15-an-hour salary. Filming in the Asheville area starting in early July, and is. The mystery 1-4-3 caller had been Kelly, though agents didn't know it yet. His collection case, which closes in November 2026, got credit for the couples $540,000 house on Cramer Mountain in Gaston County, Butcher says. Mine did. Seven Charged In $17M Heist - CBS News Fact check: Is there much truth to the new 'Masterminds' movie You can seize property. The bigger the amount, however, the bigger the damages to victims that likely will never be repaid: Amy Paynes collection account was closed in 2020 with her having paid $53,000 of the $274,000 she owed. Clerk of Court Frank Johns of Charlotte. 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. Charlotte hotel chef who serves with a smile recognized as outstanding ambassador, Eritrean, Ethiopian restaurant owner was a big brother and father to many in Charlotte, Home tours: This wired-up Weddington smart home has a pool big enough for the neighborhood.
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