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. Campbell, 29, had pleaded guilty to charges of bank larceny, money laundering and conspiracy to commit murder. LRM: Oh, that is an interesting question. I had more than 700 message requests. Chambers finished serving his prison sentence in November 2006 and told the Associated Press in 2009 he was "changed.". Michelle Chambers received a harsher sentence than Ghantt seven years and eight months because she had violated several bond conditions. If I hadnt of done that, Id probably still be in North Carolina and I would not have got to meet a lot of the interesting people that Ive got to meet. The painful part is that when you get caught, that the part of your brain that was trying to talk to you when you first started the robbery was right, and that's like a dump truck running over you. The company reported the theft Oct. 5. I even helped them design the set, where he breaks into the vault. His wife, they said, got breast implants and used cash to purchase a 1998 BMW Z3 sports car. Mrs. David Ghantt: I would be really philosophical about this. Gov. I did do a lot of diving down in Mexico, which is a great diving spot. In real life: True. 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. $17.3 million . Now, here we are, two years later. David Ghantt: I was very sure they [were looking for me]. Chambers did hire McKinney to kill Ghantt, but initially McKinney was making personal cash deliveries to Ghantt in Mexico on behalf of Chambers. People did ask questions or they wanted to chat. A: When you're locked up, you live in an 8-by-10 box and you share that with two other people. Alert: Obviously, spoilers abound. But after one visit, she asked a teller "How much can I deposit before you have to report it to the feds?" (Ghantt works as a heavy machine operator in the construction industry.). All ofWCNC Charlotte's podcasts are free and available for both streaming and download. Were you offended that they portrayed you as an idiot being so easily manipulated? I thought he did a really good job. If you know, you know. Did you stay in touch with them? Authorities seized several vehicles and the contents of nine safe deposit boxes. AMA In October of 1997, I was a vault supervisor for armored truck company Loomis Fargo, when I made off with $17.3 million. Loomis, Fargo offered a $500,000 reward for his arrest and conviction. Answer: The painful one is getting caught. Thats some of my work. In real life: Yes and no. Ghantt's spending in Mexico was extravagant at first. After the movie [premiered in theaters], my Facebook account exploded. Going to prison helped me grow up as a human being. . I live down here in Jacksonville, Florida. Along with a group of half-brained criminals led by Steve Chambers and an absurdly faulted heist plan, David manages the impossible and makes off with $17 million in cash..only problem is he foolishly hands the money over to this wild group of double crossers and has been set up to take the fall. Iraqi war vet, David Ghantt, was a guard at the Loomis Fargo cash vault in Charlotte in October 1997 when he decided to steal 17-million-dollars. In October of 1997, I was a vault supervisor for armored truck company Loomis Fargo, when I made off with $17.3 million. She also must . A: Zach and I have a runningtext conversation going, but he's very busy. David Harbour and Lily Allen are currently together. CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- A man caught on videotape looting an armored car company vault of $17 million -- one of the biggest thefts of its kind in U.S. history -- has been sentenced to 7 1/2 years in federal prison. David Scott Ghantt, 28, was arrested Sunday at Playa del Carmen, Mexico, near the island resort of Cozumel, FBI spokesman William Perry said. David Scott Ghantt, 28, was arrested Sunday at Playa del Carmen, Mexico, near the island resort of Cozumel, FBI spokesman William Perry said. The next day, Steve and Michelle Chambers, Kelly Campbell, and four others were arrested.[6]. The van used to move the money was later located a few miles from the warehouse. In Kukulcan Plaza in Cancun, Mexico, they had a small Internet caf. 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. He was released in 2006. Money does weird things to people. I know your compatriots would like to keep this low key. At the time it was the second largest cash robbery ever to happen on US soil. The Threats to the Grizzlys Fragile Recovery are Expanding, Instead of Stuck in Court or on Some Future Ballot, Legal Marijuana Should Be On DeSantiss Desk ASAP, The Rise of the Consultant Governing Class, Demanding Transparency in East Palestine, Ohio, The Problem with Israels So-Called Crisis of Democracy, The Ukraine War One Year in: Nine False Narratives, When Neoliberals Declared War on the Poor, Liquidating the Legacy of Revolution: Ideology of the Russian Invasion. When they painted the cars, they were the wrong shake. Court documents said an informant who was not identified tipped off federal agents about the couples suspicious spending habits. David Ghantt : I had a hard time liftin' it up. Chambers was always considered the "mastermind" behind the theft, but he doesn't talkmuch about his Loomis heist days, not even when actor Owen Wilson portrayed him in the 2016comedy about the heist titled"Masterminds.". LRM: You did serve time in Federal prison and it was a very well-known bank robbery. 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, stole almost $17 million before being captured in Mexico. Jandice : In any case, we got to talkin' afterwards, and I thought, well, that one's dead, this one's alive. David Ghantt commits the second largest bank heist in US history . For a time, it was nicknamed "the hillbilly heist" because nearly all of the major players in the case came from small towns around Charlotte. It premiered in Los Angeles on September 26, 2016 and was theatrically released in the . However, it's a Hollywood comedy. Inside $3.3 million was located along with the two stolen surveillance tapes, apparently left due to the robber and his accomplices being sloppy, or in a hurry. Service 11 a.m. Saturday . I might be a little biased. Inside the truck, they found Ghantt's ring and surmised this was a sign of Ghantt's intention to end his relationship with his wife. I did get to spend a good amount of time on the set in North Carolina and having a movie based on my story was a bit surreal and a bit funny to be honest. This book spotlights all of the topics that make up a well rounded life and is presented in a voice that is down-to-earth, authentic and downright like-able. Grants brother, Eric Scott Grant, also was in federal custody but it could not be determined late Monday whether he was charged in the scheme. When McKinney realized Ghantt was wanted for the Loomis Fargo robbery, he backed off personally because he didnt want to be anywhere near a federal investigation. Ghantt was. He is an uncomplicated man stuck in a monotonous life. 'Not for lunch' Did you really only go to Mexico with 50k? Q: North Carolina native Zach Galifianakis portrayed you in "Masterminds." shes now Miss USA. You did something else instead. Press J to jump to the feed. The affidavit described Chambers as a former FBI informant who had provided information on another Loomis armored car robbery that never materialized. Even after the tapes showing Ghantt stealing the. So he convinced a local hoodlum in Mexico to try to kill Ghantt. Has this affected your ability to get a job? $7 Million by Air. 121 90 1,443 Show this thread David GhanttRetweeted C.A. | TCR, Mando S3E1: The Apostate Review Fun Without Meaning, Design Without Thought, Disney+s Peter Pan & Wendy Teaser Trailer Showcases Familiar Characters, Creed III Black Carpet Interviews with Cast and Guests, Kogonada Rumored To Direct Episodes Of Star Wars: The Acolyte | Barside Buzz, Both Blade And Deadpool 3 Set To Begin Filming May This Year | Barside Buzz, Mandalorian Exec Producers Discuss Moving On Without Cara Dune, DC Spotlight February 28, 2023: The Comic Source Podcast, Arnold Schwarzenegger Stars In Netflixs FUBAR, His First Television Project, LRM Exclusive Interview: David Ghantt, Real Life Thief Who Inspired MASTERMINDS. David Ghantt discovers the true meaning of adventure far beyond his wildest dreams. Q: Do you appreciate your normal life now more than you would if you hadn't spent years in prison? Every time I meet this guy, it was always in a very public place. Ghantt got arrested by the Mexican police at Playa del Carmen on March 1, 1988. Directed by Jared Hess and written by Chris Bowman, Hubbel Palmer and Emily Spivey, the film stars Zach Galifianakis, Owen Wilson, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones and Jason Sudeikis.. February 28, 2023. Ghantt was in fact hiding out in Mexico using McKinneys I.D., which had been sold to Chambers months earlier. Because surprise! At the. David Ghantt: Its a little less dramatic on what they had shown in the movie. One day, he went to check on it and the lock had been cut. What was it like to have a movie based on your story? He has a regular life now, but 25 years ago, David Ghantt was the mastermind behind the 3rd largest bank robbery in U. With the bandits blowing millions on lavish and ridiculous luxuries, they leave behind a glaring trail of evidence. Example video title will go here for this video. C hristopher David Ghantt Phone Numbers (704) 678-8911. They received sentences and probation ranging from several years to 11 years and three months in federal prison for Steve Chambers, who was also fined more than $3,500,000. Check your inbox for a confirmation email with instructions to finish signing up. Investigators considered Ghantt to be the prime suspect almost from the beginning. The movie was overly silly and, based on a post-screening conversation with former Observer reporter Jeff Diamant who wrote a detailed 279-page book about the occasionally funny but mostly just-plain fascinating crime, titled Heist much of what wound up in the film is fiction. Heist! Quizs imagin al protagonista. My face popped up. People still laugh when they think of the "velvet Elvis" Chambershad in his Cramer Mountain mansion, or how his former wife showed upat a local bankto deposit wads of cash that she assured the teller was not "drug money.". He was the only employee unaccounted for the next morning, and videotapes recovered at the Loomis Fargo Charlotte office showed Ghantt removing "cubes of cash" and loading it into a Loomis Fargo armored van for over an hour. If I hadnt done on what I did and how everything unfolded like it didI wouldnt have my daughter today. After the robbery, Ghantt took off to Mexico. 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 he fled to Mexico without telling her. David Ghantt: At first, I had a pretty good party. In the meantime, Ghantt's wife reported him missing and the CMPD had found his . Here's whatGhantt says now about the heist that madethe "Cramer Mountain Hillbillies" famous and changed him forever. Mostly with Zach. By comparison, Ghantt served seven years in prison and was fined $26,000. David Ghantt: That was the first thing the FBI told me when they had arrested me. But last Oct. 4, when he still hadn't gotten home by 2:30 a.m., she called his parents in. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Chambers promised to wire him money in Mexico until the investigation blew over and Ghantt could return to . Name: David Scott Ghantt Born: October 20,1969 Infamous for: When he literally drove off with $17+ Million one day after work (admit it, you've all thought about it, lol) Famous for (at time of writing): Being an inspiration for the character David Ghantt in the major motion picture comedy- Masterminds. At the time it was the second largest cash robbery ever to happen on US soil. Its a yes: Clover teen shakes off nerves to earn American Idol golden ticket, Deputy rapes woman at traffic stop and tells her she wont be charged, Tennessee cops say, Charlotte woman was locked in room for 5 days before police shooting, report shows. Thats nearly $11 million less than former Kings Mountain resident David Ghantt (played by Galifianakis in the film) helped steal from the vault where he worked in Charlotte back in October 1997. I mean, thats pretty much why I did it. All of us will be looking forward to your story by watching the movie on Blu-ray or DVD. Philip Noel Johnson, 33, was arrested in August while crossing into the United States from Mexico. More than 20 people ended up in the FBI's dragnet. On Monday, he was returned to Charlotte, where he is charged with stealing a van stuffed with cash from the vault at Loomis, Fargo & Co. in Charlotte. Now looking back, with the life I have now, Ive got a great family, got a great kid. You'd be amazed at how much stress you can relieve yourself from in your life by just taking 20 or so minutes a day for yourself and just letting the world go. Masterminds is a 2016 American crime comedy film based on the October 1997 Loomis Fargo robbery in North Carolina. Investigators also found Ghantt's pickup truck, abandoned at the warehouse. [citation needed], The defendants were the targets of many barbed jokes in Charlotte and across the country, in part because of their extravagant spending. Saffron Burrows plays . Updated: Sep 29, 2022 / 03:23 PM CDT. How Bridgerton restarted buzz about her ancestry. You really only go to Mexico without telling her for lunch & x27... Luxuries, they said, got a great diving spot to Chambers months earlier for me ] of down! A harsher sentence than Ghantt seven years and eight months because she had no about! And the contents of nine safe deposit boxes were you offended that they portrayed you in `` Masterminds ''... Up as a human being was fined $ 26,000 that they portrayed you as an idiot being so easily?! Very public place has this affected your ability to get a job the plot that! Noel Johnson, 33, was arrested in August while crossing into vault. 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