For the defendants in the Loomis Fargo heist, its allure was irresistible. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. When did you conclude Yeah, Im actually going to do this? Counts asked. Federal law stops government collection efforts 20 years after a defendant leaves prison. 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. And they hit the jackpot -- FBI video shows agents recovering most of the stolen cash. For a better shopping experience, please upgrade now. Restitution is a familiar part of sentencing in federal court. He put on his best pair of jeans, a button-down shirt, and his nicest cowboy boots. "Are you serious?" LeVaughn Kelly Campbell (born July 23, 1980 in Atlanta, Georgia) is a former football wide receiver. Theres no way to get it back,, And with Loomis, were looking at only one case. Steve's a serious guy.". In addition, he also rented Mike his own apartment, paid him $400/weekly and bought him a gun. She sounded incredulous. 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. Campbell used part of her share of the money to buy aToyota Siennaminivanin two cash installments. Thank you so much. Some of the biggest numbers remaining on the Loomis collection board, as is the case with Campbell, belong to those who played the biggest role in the crime: - David Ghantt, the Loomis employee who loaded all that money 2,800 pounds in all into the back of a company van before escaping to Mexico, has paid just under $50,000 of the $3.81 million he was assessed. 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. There was a book published in 2002 as well, by author Jeff Diamant called,Heist! (John D. Simmons/The Charlotte Observer via AP). He angrily hung up the phone at Loomis, Fargo & Co., his soon-to-be former employer in Charlotte, North Carolina. We dont have the manpower to track all that (restitution) money down I pay (restitution to) thousands of people, but its in drips and drabs.. Criminals dont usually get high-paying jobs after leaving prison. Paying the money back has taken a lot longer, and time is running out for the U.S. government to collect. My knee-jerk reaction was to be angry, and then the sarcastic ass side of me started laughing about it, Ghantt said. To visit friends.". But if you did, youll never forget it. 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. Before the robber left Loomis Fargo, he made a trip to the managers office to remove two surveillance tapes in order to conceal his identity. Their most important conversation occurred one afternoon in August 1997 after Kelly paged him at work. 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. - 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. FBI video shows agents searching the Cramer Mountain home and finding stacks of cash. He had stayed in a luxury hotel and paid for expensive food and activities such asscuba divingandparasailing. 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. Now and again I run into blog posts that tends to make me want to get started on bloggin myself. The $17 million Loomis Fargo heist in Charlotte, North Carolina, was the second largest armored car robbery in U.S. history. In the parking lot, David sat in his pickup truck smoking a cigarette and waving good-bye as the trainee drove home. And they could barely afford the minimum payments, given the power bills, phone bills, car insurance bills, and home payments they had to meet. Two days later, when the FBI found the Loomis Fargo armored van, they discovered almost $3.3 million in cash left in the back of the van; it was later discovered that the thieves had miscalculated the sheer bulk of the small denomination currency, and that they simply left the cash that they could not take with them in the back of the van. The actual crime itself required none of Hollywood's imagination. "Just think about it," she said. The theft at the time the second-largest cash robbery in U.S. history has been the brunt of mocking movies and books, mostly on how the thieves, who had little money to begin with, could not control their spending habits once they did. Investigators considered Ghantt to be the prime suspect almost from the beginning. 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. That first day in prison was scary, Ghantt said. 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. Ghantt met up with the other members of the plot and offloaded the cash. The plan to. I ride motorcycles and fish -- normal guy, Ghantt told Counts. Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. While Ghantt trusted Chambers enough to leave his cut behind, Chambers had other plans. 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. White-collar criminals are pretty good at hiding their money, she said. White-collar criminals are pretty good at hiding their money, she said. Eric Payne got out of prison in 2006 for his role in the heist and has since paid $11,357 on his $292,000 debt. The unfairness gnawed at him, stirred by Kelly's questions. "Just remind Steve," he said, "that I might be trouble my own self." Yet their lives seemed far easier and better than his. He said at first, they were very proud of what they had been able to do. 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.. Campbell used to work for Loomis and continued the friendship with Ghantt, eventually hooking him up with Chambers. The unsolved crime mystery of Marilyn Sheppard. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. High around 65F. The friend was Steve Chambers, and Kelly said he knew his way around the world of crime. In total, 24 people were convicted and all but one of the accused pleaded guilty. They had to be extremely careful not to tip off the group, as they could lose potential conspirators or more information important to a conviction. In preparation for what lay ahead, David had backed an unmarked company Ford Econoline van near the vault entrance and opened the van's back door. There are multiples of thousands of these things coming every year. 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. 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. You cannot fine low-income people millions of dollars. Some of that money is just gone. One number is working in Campbells favor. Why do we feel its so necessary to treat people like this, to say, OK, well just ruin the rest of your life because you made a bad decision., Punishment should not last a lifetime. Michelle Chambers received a few more months than Ghantt, because she had violated several bond conditions. He also took various measures to change his appearance, such asshaving, after a patron at a restaurant pointed out to him that he looked like the man who robbed a bank of $20 million.. 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. Meanwhile, Ghantt's gang spent wildly and paid their family members and friends to hide money. 12) Loomis Fargo heist- The aftermath Ultimately, eight co-conspirators were indicted for the Loomis Fargo bank heist. Eric Payne got out of prison in 2006 for his role in the heist and has since paid $11,357 on his $292,000 debt. By now, you probably know the names -- David Ghantt, Steve Chambers and his wife Michelle, and Kelly Campbell. 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 . NASCAR. After hanging up on her, David returned to work. Later, they also arrested Nathans older brother. "What would it take to convince you to do it?" David knew this was important from having followed the recent news about a Florida man who had brazenly committed the biggest heist from an armored-car company in United States history, a loner named Philip Noel Johnson, who also had worked for Loomis. 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 . Current price is $11.49, Original price is $14.99. Im married, I got one girl, shes 15 going on 30. "What would it take to make you do it?". The biggest restitution numbers for victims of financial crimes generally involve Ponzi schemes or sweepstakes fraud, not cash thefts. However, Chambers had no intention of following those rules, believing the FBI would never connect him to Ghantt. The FBI heard about the plot and agents knew they could no longer wait. His collection case, which closes in November 2026, got credit for the couples $540,000 house on Cramer Mountain in Gaston County, Butcher says. He quickly found out when you have money, you just have different problems, Wydra said. David was supposed to be showing him the ropes of the job, which included cash pickups and deliveries. He stayed at it until the vault was empty. 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. (John D. Simmons/The Charlotte Observer via AP). document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ). There are multiples of thousands of these things coming every year. 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. "its a great readsuspenseful, often funny, just the thing for those wondering what it might feel like to have, as these hapless, small-town criminals did, literally too darn much cash lying around. " 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. The police almost immediately called theFBI, since 95% of the money handled at the facility was owned by banks. Cool interesting stuff features everything odd, weird, bizzare, strange or unusual. ", Johnson said, "Yeah, that's it. More calls between the two men, and also between Steve and Kelly Campbell, made it clear that the group was starting to turn on David Ghantt. 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. He had since held one low-paying job after another. 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.. It just happened to fall on my desk.. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. For people earning $8.15 an hour David's salary the jokes came naturally. In David's eyes, Johnson's big mistake was that he did it alone. So its one thing to go from up here, thought, to action, he said. In Gastonia, David would run into high-school classmates who had never struck him as especially smart. Loomis Fargo heist: 25 years later 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. David placed their odds of success at 85 percent, a confidence inspired by faith not just in his planning but also in his feelings for Kelly. The 2016 comedy movie, Masterminds is based on the story of the Loomis Fargo Heist. What it does is put a ball and chain on that person for the rest of their lives, they are walking around and they are basically an indentured servant, Gronquist said. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. LETTER TO THE EDITOR: But where will they park? They succeeded in removing $17 million from the safe. There's just one hitch: Ghantt has entrusted the money to an oddball crew of accomplices who had wooed him into committing this massive theft in the first placeand who, he soon learns, are trying to take him out. FBI video shows the agency searching that home and finding drawers full of cash. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. But after one visit, she asked a teller How much can I deposit before you have to report it to the feds? followed by Dont worry, it is notdrug money, the bank filled out asuspicious activity report, which ultimately reached the FBI. Notifications from this discussion will be disabled. He shut the empty vault and set its timer so the vault could not be opened for two or three days. These weren't the hardest of criminals, and though there was logic to not knowing each other's names, they had derived some of their methods from Hollywood depictions of crime. You can seize property. Twenty people were convicted of roles big and small in the massive 1997 armored-car warehouse heist in west Charlotte. A few of the Loomis restitution cases have already been closed either because the amount was paid in full or because the 20-year clock wound down. 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, . 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. Enforcement of this policy is at the Also charged with money laundering were innocent relatives and friends who had co-signed safe deposit boxes. David's vision for all of this actually derived more from books than from movies. Of course the problem was, the money belonged to someone else. I gotta go.". Getting restitution, its like pulling teeth., White-collar criminals are pretty good at hiding their money,, Youre supposed to get less time for cooperating, a lesser penalty, and instead, you see what she got hit with., She will never get beyond the debt. He wanted to leave his wife for her, and Kelly, who also was married, let him think she wanted the same. His collection case closes in two years. "Everything's gonna be all right," she told him. Working by himself, Ghantt would commit the robbery and then flee for Mexico, leaving the bulk of the cash with Chambers. Kelly called, using David's own cell phone, to ask where he was already, because she and the others were waiting outside for him. Paying the money back has taken a lot longer, and time is running out for the U.S. government to collect. After marrying Tammy in 1992, he worked fueling airplanes at the airport in Hilton Head, South Carolina. But he wasn't finished. 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. The plan was still on, but David remained steamed. of violence, racism, anti-Semitism, or David's share would be sent to Mexico, where he planned to hide and where he expected Kelly to join him. true story that has captivated American audiences on the news and now on the big screen in the major motion picture, Masterminds. Still facing possible unknowns of other people involved, the FBI needed to gather more information without the suspects getting suspicious of them. Clerk of Court Frank Johns of Charlotte. 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. He had joined the army and earned an honorable discharge, but because of defense-industry cutbacks he hadn't been able to find a good job for himself. When you have money, you just have different problems: The Loomis Fargo heist, 25 years later. 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. Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. The October 4 shift was lasting longer than expected, due to delays involving pickups and deliveries. 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. Hed never really been in trouble, he wasnt a career criminal, said retired FBI agent John Wydra. Uh-oh, it looks like your Internet Explorer is out of date. She will never get beyond the debt. This technically made it abank robbery afederal offense. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. Booklist "Librariesshould consider purchasing this entertaining and lightly edited version, which reads like a fast-paced novel." Unexplained Mysteries - owned by Aliens since 2011. In all, they recovered $6.6 million.
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