his wife-to-be. . As it turns out, the heist did in fact go as well as you might expect. [15], "David Ghantt" redirects here. He stayed at a luxury hotel and took scuba diving lesson. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! (I) bought jewelry, bought a van, Campbell recalled of her own spending. Collections. He made it across the border just as his deception was discovered. Galifianakis seems to be playing a character out of Dumb and Dumber 3: The Dumbening; Kristen Wiig plays what could only be described as her worst SNL character; Owen Wilson plays an Owen Wilson character; and Sudeikis plays a bumbling hitman who cant pull the trigger after he finds out his target shares the same name and birthdate, which is the dumbest twist since the Martha revelation in Batman vs. Superman. Ghantt was already married when he took part in the heist, to a woman named Tammy - who author Diamant described as "very nice." It is true, however, that she had no idea about the plot and that. The details of the heist itself, coupled with the missteps the crew made after stealing the money, attracted the attention of writers and movie producers. He also took various measures to change his appearance, such as shaving, after a patron at a restaurant pointed out to him that he "looked like the man who robbed a bank of $20 million. ``There are many people with those factors who don't resort to crime,' he said. One of the best ways to learn more about U.S. history is to make sure youre taking history classes. Once Ghantt loaded the large haul from the vaultwhich could have been close to $20 millioninto a truck, he planned to drive to a second location, then head straight to the airport and fly to Mexico. But even though he worked for a company that regularly moved millions of dollars, David Ghantt himself was underpaid. Three of the 21 defendants in the case haven't been sentenced. Ghantt reported to Chambers that his supply of money was running low, but Chambers sent Ghantt just $8,000. Then you end up in a eight by ten cube and youre going to share that cube with two other people. Si vous ne souhaitez pas que nos partenaires et nousmmes utilisions des cookies et vos donnes personnelles pour ces motifs supplmentaires, cliquez sur Refuser tout. In addition to his phone calls with Ghantt, Chambers began extravagantly spending the money, even though the co-conspirators had agreed to lay low for a year or two. If you can see the obvious flaw in this plan, namely that Chambers would have no reason whatsoever to actually wire Ghantt any money, then congratulations. ABC7 Eyewitness News Watch Now I felt cornered and one day the joking in the break room about robbing the place suddenly didnt seem so far-fetched.. Ghantt's spending in Mexico was extravagant at first. Q: Your troubles were self-inflicted, but you seem happy. I stole $17 million, and Zach Galifianakis played me in a movie. And it didn't take long to figure out that this was not the place for me. Generally, the events of the film are fairly close to reality when they follow the broad details of the case. [citation needed], The defendants were the targets of many barbed jokes in Charlotte and across the country, in part because of their extravagant spending. David Bragg . Although the FBI investigation was able to quickly connect Ghantt to Campbell, connecting Ghantt to Chambers was a more difficult task. Investigators also found Ghantt's pickup truck, abandoned at the warehouse. Youre better at planning bank heists than David Ghantt. The chief running joke in Masterminds is the Prince Valiant 'do gamely sported by Galifianakis as David Ghantt, . They would then load as much cash as they could carry into a van. Before he decided to steal $17 million from the bank, Ghantt had worked for years as a relatively taciturn and compliant employee. He was also married. Chambers would hold on to most of the remaining cash and wire it to Ghantt as needed. Michele Chambers 1998 BMW for sale following the prosecutions of the Loomis Fargo heist conspirators. While she made small deposits at first, she became more reckless, eventually making a deposit of thousands of dollars in cash, telling the teller not to worry: Its not drug money.. Loomis Fargo employees could not open the vault the next morning and called the police. Also charged were several innocent relatives that the robbers had enlisted to help get safety deposit boxes in various banks. Where ever it was, it is long gone now. David Ghantt, a Gulf War veteran, had never been in trouble with the law. What happens at the end of mastermind? Separating the Red and Blue. From Oct. 6 through Feb. 20, the couple made 47 deposits totaling $271,500 at a Belmont bank, and at. The problem with the movie, however, is that the talented cast had no idea what the hell they were trying to do. The additions come as KFC recently removed some menu items, including wings, popcorn chicken and cookies, to make room for new additions. How? You can reach Kevin Ellis at 704-869-1823 or www.Twitter.com/TheGazetteKevin. It wasa painful process, but I learned to be happy with me and with what I've got. During the hearing, Culler recounted his client's difficult personal life: her parents' divorce when she was 2 or 3 years old; a teenage stay in a Baptist Children's home; a teenage pregnancy; and various medical conditions. The FBI investigation was aided by the gang's extravagant spending. The defense has finished its closing argument in the murder trial of Alex Murdaugh. Theyre meant to be trailer-park trash, but they come off as character experiments on a bad night at the Groundlings. VIDEO. What SAT Target Score Should You Be Aiming For? Its gone! The next day, Steve and Michelle Chambers, Kelly Campbell, and four others were arrested.[6]. David Ghantt was portrayed by Zackary Hatfield. I learned that I was an a--hole. He is an uncomplicated man stuck in a monotonous life. . I didnt even know about it and overlooked it, he said. Did you know that the SAT offers subject exams, too? Loomis Fargo employee David Ghantt and his partners nearly pulled off the perfect crime, but it would be their lavish spending, and an alleged murder plot, that would be their undoing. He told me they were in the dirt business, so he didn't have to worry too much about me. The morning after the height, employees of Loomis Fargo realized they couldnt open the vault. After a Gulf War stint in the Army, David got married in 1992. Chambers also promised to join Ghantt in Mexico as soon as she could, but she admitted to Super Heists she never had any intention of actually making the trip. Dustin is the founder and co-owner of Pajiba. Authorities say Steve. The two struck up a friendship during work that would continue after Campbell left the company. David Ghantt is more than just a man who was a part of one of the worlds largest heists, he's more than a funny name associated with a comedy movie, he's actually just an every day person who once made a really bad decision. Q: North Carolina native Zach Galifianakis portrayed you in "Masterminds." David Ghantt had been a model employee for an armored car company before pulling off the second biggest cash heist in U.S. history, fleeing with more than . The College Entrance Examination BoardTM does not endorse, nor is it affiliated in any way with the owner or any content of this site. I'd probably be that infamous gringo living in Belize, kicked back on the beach, fishing and bored out of my mind. He and his wife, Michelle, moved from their mobile home in Lincoln County to a luxury house in the wealthy Cramer Mountain section of Cramerton. A: I hate to think about what I'd be doing if I hadn't gotten caught. Dont come to me for a treasure map, Ill put it to you that way., Michael Sainatos writing has appeared in the Guardian, Miami Herald, Baltimore Sun, Denver Post, Buffalo News, the Hill, Alternet, and several other publications . A: I'm in dire need for some RO's barbecue and some Tony's Ice Cream. The Current TikTok Ban Doesnt Go Far Enough. Question: Which do you regret more, stealing the money or getting caught? Authorities say Steve and Michele Chambers moved from a mobile home into a $635,000 house three weeks after the theft. The FBI continues to search for a missing $2 million from the theft. Ghantt added, I really enjoyed the movie. Ghantt, Chambers, and Campbell came up with the following plan: Ghantt would remain in the vault after his shift on the night of the heist, Oct. 4, 1997, and let his co-conspirators into the vault. Q: Do you ever think about what your life would be like if you had gotten away with the money? When I interviewed for this job about three years ago, I told (my boss) that I had some dirt in my background, and if he went digging for it, he would find it. Lees ons privacybeleid en cookiebeleid voor meer informatie over hoe we uw persoonsgegevens gebruiken. Though she agreed to cooperate with the government when she pleaded guilty to bank larceny and money laundering in August 1998, Michele Chambers didn't tell the FBI she still had the ring until December, when she turned it in. This Wednesday marks the 20th anniversary of the notorious Loomis Fargo heist. Learning about US history? After meeting up with Chambers, Campbell, and some other co-conspirators, Ghantt hightailed it to Mexico with $50,000 in cash in his car. Meanwhile, Ghantt would take $50,000, as much as could legally be carried across the border without questions, and flee to Mexico. Please subscribe to keep reading. [1], Steven Chambers finished serving his sentence in November 2006. You may email him here, follow him on Twitter, or listen to his weekly TV podcast, Podjiba. Both were involved in the second-largest cash heist in U.S. history, in which a group of people stole $17 million from the. I got to eat my meal perfectly, but every 5 minutes, someone wanted to shoot a selfie with Zach or an autograph from Zach. We were two paychecks away from being homeless at any given time.. Kate. On March 1, 1988, Mexican police arrested Ghantt at Playa del Carmen. Bubbling under the surface, however, was a deep frustration at the way he was treated. By comparison, Ghantt served seven years in prison and was fined $26,000. Ghantt, now 29, was a tall, decorated Persian Gulf War veteran whom early newspaper reports likened to Huckleberry Finn. . What ACT target score should you be aiming for? Galifianakis will play the armored car driver, David, who evades authorities, will be searching for his co-conspirators who betrayed him, Kelly (Kristen Wiig) and Steve (Owen Wilson). ", After successfully tracing Ghantt's phone call, FBI agents coordinated with Mexican police to arrest Ghantt on March 1, 1998, at Playa del Carmen, a city near Cancun. Based on the October 1997 Loomis Fargo robbery. Answer: The painful one is getting caught. However, the fact that a man who formerly lived in a mobile home was lavishly spending money on a luxury home ($635,000 in cash), expensive cars, and a ring ($42,000 in cash) eventually made it easy to connect the dots. He and his wife,. Chambers promised to wire him money in Mexico until the investigation blew over and Ghantt could return to . Steven Chambers, left, and David Scott Ghantt leave federal court. Q: You say your time in federal prison changed you. Said Ghantt, one day life kinda slapped me in the face. While making only eight dollars an hour in his role as supervisor, Ghantt decided it was time to do something: I was unhappy with my life. He left his wedding ring behind and spent his days spending money on luxury hotels and scuba diving. David Ghantt discovers the true meaning of adventure far beyond his wildest dreams. The pair began to daydream about whether they could really pull off the heist. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. Its heavy. Fed up, exhausted, and seeing a way out, Ghantt agreed. ACT Writing: 15 Tips to Raise Your Essay Score, How to Get Into Harvard and the Ivy League, Is the ACT easier than the SAT? They took a lot of liberty with the story here and there. 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. They asked me how I felt about it and I said, Its my story, but its your movie so have at me. During the next few months they bought a BMW-Z3 roadster and tens of thousands of dollars in antiques, furniture and decorations. Jimmy Carter is a Liberal Saint Now, Was a War Criminal Then. Defense lawyer Andy Culler sought a seven-year, three-month sentence. Im like, You need to understand that, that money has been missing for 20 years. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Whisler said he didn't think those factors should result in a reduced sentence. Lorsque vous utilisez nos sites et applications, nous utilisons des, authentifier les utilisateurs, appliquer des mesures de scurit, empcher les spams et les abus; et. He was angry a lot. Her reaction seems so far away now, all these years and a Hall of Fame career later. Coverage of the latest true crime stories and famous cases explained, as well as the best TV shows, movies and podcasts in the genre. Chambers would then occasionally wire Ghantt money and see to his basic financial needs; when "the heat was off," Ghantt was to re-enter the U.S. and the money would be split up among all of the co-conspirators. My name is David Scott Ghantt. Ghantt, a U.S. Army veteran, was living a relatively "boring" life working as the vault superintendent at a Loomis Fargo armored car warehouse just outside Charlotte, North Carolina making a relatively meager paycheck, when he crossed paths with Kelly Campbell. A: I like the 47-year-old David Ghantt more than I did the 20-something David Ghantt. Her husband, Steve Chambers, whom prosecutors have called the main defendant, began serving an 11-year sentence earlier this year. On Oct. 4, 1997, former Kings Mountain resident David Scott Ghantt finished his shift as a vault supervisor for Loomis Fargo in Charlotte. In 2020, the television show Super Heists portrayed the heist in Episode 3, "Van Full of Dollars". U kunt uw keuzes te allen tijde wijzigen door te klikken op de links 'Privacydashboard' op onze sites en in onze apps. ', He explained the glorification and glamour often associated with bank heists and bank robberies in Hollywood films is far from reality. But because he still owes millions to the IRS, he couldnt be paid. As Campbell would later explain, If David got killed, there couldnt be any finger pointing. Hes a great person. We were in Old Fortwhen they were shooting the movie and went out to eat. [3][4] Its Charlotte office would be the victim of David Scott Ghantt and his confederates later that year. Playing upon David's obvious feelings for her, Kelly is the . Before he decided to steal $17 million from the bank, Ghantt had worked for years as a relatively taciturn and compliant employee. The thieves had simply abandoned whatever they couldnt carry away. 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. The Proposed TikTok Ban Goes Too Far. Then check out another bank robber who inspired a movie, John Wojtowicz. #CLXGaming#CLXRa#evokethegods 1 2 Two days after the heist, the FBI found the missing van with $3.3 million of cash left in it. In fact, David Ghantt was about to commit the heist of a lifetime. Ghantt believed the new employee would make a good replacement for his wife, but the feelings were not necessarily reciprocated. Ghantt, who had been with the bank since 1994, was promoted from driver to vault supervisor in 1997, where he earned $360 a week and befriended Kelly Campbell (Wiig), who got Ghantt mixed up in the plans for the heist after she left Loomis. When the rest of the Loomis Fargo employees showed up the next morning and found that they couldnt open the vault, they called the police. The FBI (Leslie Jones, Jon Daly) made easy work of the case, however, and everyone involved was eventually arrested and imprisoned. The pair were both from the United States but had lived in the Peloponnese region of Greece for the past few years. In February 2009 the Associated Press reported that Chambers had chosen to describe himself as "changed". Ghantt, in order to conserve this money, curtailed his spending. On Oct. 5, 1997, Ghantt carried out the heist during his regular shift after sending another employee home, stealing more than $17 million from the bank vault. Dont worry, its not drug money.. 121 90 1,443 Show this thread David GhanttRetweeted C.A. They got to work planning the straightforward heist that would rely on Ghantts existing access to the vault, fewer staff at the warehouse on the weekends, and the ability to use one of the companys armored trucks to make the successful getaway. But neither of those things would matter after he met Kelly Campbell. A movie based on the heist starring Zach Galifianakis, Kristen Wiig, Owen Wilson, Jason Sudeikis, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones and directed by Jared Hess (the guy who made Napoleon Dynamite) is out now on Blu-ray and DVD. The next day, the Chambers, Campbell, and some other notable parties were arrested in Charlotte. The FBI knew they needed to make their move. Of course, I went on a spending spree. It was nearly the perfect crime, but while Ghantt fled to Mexico to lay low, his partners lavish spendingand their own alleged plans for murderwould ultimately be the groups demise. Steve Chambers and his wife (Mary Elizabeth Ellis) were a little more difficult to connect to the heist. SAT is a registered trademark of the College Entrance Examination BoardTM. Chambers was a small-time crook who suggested to Campbell that they rob Loomis Fargo. While listening in, they uncovered another more sinister alleged plan to kill Ghantt. Within two days, the investigators found the van with $3 million in cash and the security camera tapes inside. Ghantt was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison, though he was released on parole after five. The plan was for Ghantt to commit the robbery and then quickly leave the country for Mexico but to leave the bulk of the cash with Chambers. David Ghantt (@DavidGhantt) is a man that still holds the record for the second largest bank heist on American Soil. Retro CharlotteFBI security footage of David Ghantt in the midst of the Loomis Fargo heist. Thirteen friends and family members were also charged with money laundering, as they had helped Ghantt, Chambers, Campbell, and the others deposit money illegally. Ghantts wife was reportedly nothing like the bizarre, robotic fiance character in the film, for instance. But Ghantt has been open about what he did and how he believes it changed him for the better. I was working sometimes 75-80 hours a week at $8.15 an hour. An FBI criminal investigation ultimately resulted in the arrest and conviction of eight people directly involved in the heist, as well as sixteen others who had indirectly helped them, and the recovery of approximately 88% of the stolen money. David GhanttRetweeted Iraqveteran8888 @Iraqveteran8888 Dec 9, 2022 Elect me President and I'll fire everyone, free Julian Assange, and pardon Edward Snowden. Campbell was receptive and brought the idea up to Ghantt. Ghantt has never explained where that money went. And so this third camera caught everything that happened next. A comedy film called Masterminds, based on the Loomis Fargo heist and starring Zach Galifianakis, Kristen Wiig, Owen Wilson, and Jason Sudeikis, was released in 2016. She had previously been making frequent small deposits to avert suspicion. Finally, in March 1998, the FBI traced a call from Ghantts phone and he was arrested in Mexico. [1] Tips had led the FBI to begin monitoring Chambers's (and his wife's) activities, but it was not until the FBI recorded a phone call from Ghantt in Mexico that the final connection was made. You can cancel at any time. Ask questions; get answers. ``I wish she'd gotten less. When Ghantt called Chambers to have the latter wire him more money, Chambers sent just a few thousand dollars. Together with his wife, Chambers bought a new luxury home (upgrading from his mobile home), a BMW Z3, and some extravagant furnishings. David Ghantt had been a model employee for an armored car company before pulling off the second biggest cash heist in U.S. history, fleeing with more than $17 million in untraceable bills in 1997. With a cast like this, and Emily Spivey (Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Up All Night) as part of the writing team, Masterminds shouldnt be nearly as obnoxious and dull as it is, but nothing ever clicks. It was an open-and-shut case and all authorities had to do now was to find the culprit and identify Ghantts accomplices. Ghantt was the vault manager. Former Cramerton Police Chief David Young soon got wind of the Chambers excessive spending spree and reached out to the FBI. Campbell left her job in the summer of 1997, but she would later use Ghantts feelings for her to her own advantage to get him to agree to carry out the multi-million-dollar heist. David Scott Ghantt was the vault supervisor at the regional branch of Loomis, Fargo & Co. in Charlotte, North Carolina. Robbing the 7-Eleven and getting $40 bucks and a pack of Marlboros was not for me. But there was just one thing the group hadnt been counting on: the massive weight of that amount of cash. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. 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. The plan went off with few problems, but after Ghantt was safely in Mexico, his partners were left storing large amounts of cash. 2023 www.gastongazette.com. The Election, U.S. Foreign Policy, And Harold Pinter's 2005 Nobel Lecture, Nate Parker on Rape Allegations: 'I Don't Feel Guilty'. Kevin McCarthy is No Edward Snowden, But He Should Find the Comparison Flattering, Assessing Nicaraguas Long Haul toward Liberation and Economic Democracy, A National Divorce? Based on a true story, the premise itself is fascinating, which makes Masterminds all the more a waste.