A more immediate need was securing help to move the stolen money to safety the night of the crime. The trainee didn't yet know how the place worked, a fact David planned to use to his advantage. Campbell, a former Loomis employee and one of the original masterminds of the caper, has paid off less than $21,000 of the $4,701,694.18 she was docked. Ms. Campbell worked at Loomis for 11 months, leaving in November 1996, according to court papers. 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. 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 theyve ever had. They knew Steve Chambers had worked as an informant in the past, and were nervous he would smell out an undercover. They didnt expect it.. LeVaughn Kelly Campbell (born July 23, 1980 in Atlanta, Georgia) is a former football wide receiver. The defendants received sentences ranging from probation for several relatives to over 11 years in federal prison for Steve Chambers. He stayed at it until the vault was empty. Notifications from this discussion will be disabled. In March 1997, after Loomis Fargo & Company has been robbed of $18.8 million in Jacksonville by company security guard Philip Noel Johnson, Steve Eugene Chambers and Kelly Campbell, a former employee of Loomis, decides to rob the company. The figures can be astounding. However, Chambers had no intention of following those rules, believing the FBI would never connect him to Ghantt. If a prank seemed dangerous, David backed out. 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. All but one took plea deals, including Ghantt, who was sentenced to seven years in prison. He knew they were nervous outside waiting for him, but he also knew he wouldn't stop stealing until he had taken everything. LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Remember why you were elected! That sounds like a lot of money until its compared to the $18,930,201.26 the group was ordered to pay. The government does not run debtors prisons, says U.S. The Charlotte area's economy was booming all around him, and he felt passed over. The Loomis Fargo Heist Over the next months, Ghantt, Campbell, and Chambers developed a plan. She sounded incredulous. Campbell, a former Loomis employee and one of the original masterminds of the caper, has paid off less than $21,000 of the $4,701,694.18 she was docked. Loomis Fargo heist: 25 years later While David Ghantt trusted Steve Chambers enough to leave his cut behind, Chambers had other plans. >> PHOTOS: The Loomis Fargo heist, 25 years later. That movie, Masterminds, was filmed in 2014. Heist! There was a book published in 2002 as well, by author Jeff Diamant called,Heist! Discover some of the worlds strangest ancient places. 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. Guller was the attorney for Steven Chambers, who came up with the original idea for the Loomis theft. 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. More than 2 million dollars are still missing to this day. The FBI was inadvertently aided by the gang members extravagant spending. Well they were in some sense celebrities, Gronquist said. Human nature is a flexible part of life, Gronquist said. (LogOut/ In all, they recovered $6.6 million. I made a joke once that was the hardest Id ever worked for Wells Fargo -- yeah, its a lot of work, Ghantt said. Loomis has received $978,983.79, according to Sally Butcher, an assistant clerk in the federal courts of the Western District of North Carolina who specializes in criminal debt. There are multiples of thousands of these things coming every year. In the end, the FBI was able to capture the original gang in five months, snaring 21 individuals for their participation in the crime. "Just remind Steve," he said, "that I might be trouble my own self." 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. Join thousands already receiving our daily newsletter. Of course the problem was, the money belonged to someone else. They had met in December 1995 on one of her first days at Loomis. 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. The Loomis case is another example where the amount of restitution ordered vs. what is actually paid are two dramatically different numbers. The police almost immediately called theFBI, since 95% of the money handled at the facility was owned by banks. 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. Later, they also arrested Nathans older brother. 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. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. FBI video shows agents searching the Cramer Mountain home and finding stacks of cash. >> PHOTOS: The Loomis Fargo heist, 25 years later Ghantt, his former co-worker Kelly Campbell and her friends Steve and Michelle Chambers, carried out the Loomis Fargo heist on Oct.. 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. Twenty people were convicted of roles big and small in the massive 1997 armored-car warehouse heist in west Charlotte. Campbell used to work for Loomis and continued the friendship with Ghantt, eventually hooking him up with Chambers. All but one of the defendants pleaded guilty. But with Kelly's new idea on the table, several dark realities converged on him. A parrot tattoo on her right ankle. Fourteen defendants were ordered to make restitution payments to Loomis Fargo totaling almost $19 million. 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. It's still the hot topic . None of the suspects had been in any serious trouble before this. He and Tammy could have one or two meals each week that he really liked, but the rest were hot dogs or Hamburger Helper. "I'm busy," he said. Records show the government has garnished his Social Security checks. Federal law stops government collection efforts 20 years after a defendant leaves prison. Michelle Chambers paid off only $27,000. Heist! Over 88% of the money has been recovered since the heist. 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. It just happened to fall on my desk.. Low 46F. 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. them. White-collar criminals are pretty good at hiding their money, she said. 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. Kelly had approached David with the idea in the summer, knowing he had a crush on her and winning him over with the promise that a shady friend of hers with Mafia ties would help them. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph.. Clear skies. NASCAR. Winds light and variable. You should definitely start your own blog, I highly recommend it. You can have your whole career and not have a case like that. But you cant get blood from a stone, Johns said. Enforcement of this policy is at the He was signed by the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2002. The unsolved crime mystery of Marilyn Sheppard. 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. 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. Burks was also ordered to serve 15 years in prison, limiting his ability to balance his books. 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. Uh-oh, it looks like your Internet Explorer is out of date. He'd already done enough, he realized, to get himself fired and arrested, even if the gate prevented him from moving the money outside the building. Then one day, while reviewing his and Tammy's credit card bill, he did some quick math and realized that even if they met the minimum monthly payments, the bill would take thirty years to pay. In 2017, for example, Paul Burks of Lexington was ordered to pay $244 million to the victims of his worldwide Ponzi scheme, Zeek Rewards. ", Johnson said, "Yeah, that's it. Well she was a pretty happy-go-lucky person, he said. Getting restitution, its like pulling teeth.. 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. The friend was Steve Chambers, and Kelly said he knew his way around the world of crime. Youre supposed to get less time for cooperating, a lesser penalty, and instead, you see what she got hit with. Gronquist said. she asked again. Steve began talking about wiring money to overseas accounts, and even purchasing a nightclub. In all, agents arrested 24 people in the heist. By then, the FBI had become greatly concerned for Ghantts personal safety; they had learned of Chambersmurder for hirescheme. Oh were not going to talk to anybody, theyre not going to be able to convict us, that bravado happens in the beginning and then it often gets worn down by the reality, Gronquist said. '. All of the co-defendants were arrested the next day, about six months after the heist. He hired a hitman to take Ghantt out, tying up the ultimate loose end. The biggest restitution numbers for victims of financial crimes generally involve Ponzi schemes or sweepstakes fraud, not cash thefts. So we were able to figure out with all the denominations, it would require about 20 safe deposit boxes to store it all.. 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.. So we were able to figure out with all the denominations, it would require about 20 safe deposit boxes to store it all., WSOC TV facebook feed(Opens a new window), Part 2: Channel 9 speaks with the man at the center of Loomis Fargo heist 25 years ago, ALSO READ: 14-year-old boy robbed at gunpoint while waiting for bus in east Charlotte, mom says, ALSO READ: Leader of $3M check theft, bank fraud scheme in Charlotte area sentenced to prison, ALSO READ: Man released from jail, accused of robbing banks while wearing electronic monitor, police say, ALSO READ: Suspect from south Charlotte bank robbery found, CMPD says, NCSHP arrest driver accused of nearly hitting 2 students at bus stop in Statesville, CMS delays opening of new school meant to ease overcrowding, Mooresville orders removal of memorial at park after teens death, Chick-fil-A announces app data breach, tells customers how to protect personal information, Charlotte woman celebrates $1 million scratch-off prize, WSOC - TV Public File Contact / Program Director, WAXN - TV Public File Contact / Program Director. When some friends stole a stop sign from a busy intersection, David made them put it back. Once they were in custody, the overwhelming task of clearing out possessions possibly purchased with the stolen money began. His collection case closes in two years. The old man me would never survive that, Id have a heart attack.. Campbell, a mother of two, was in the process of divorcing David was thin six-foot-one, one hundred sixty-five pounds and heaving the stacks onto the cart, pushing the cart toward the vault door, and then emptying its contents into the van was exhausting. Campbell was released from federal custody in 2004 after serving five years, meaning her collection case will age out in December 2024. Tuesday marked 25 years since a group of buddies pulled off the third-largest money grab in U.S. history -- the Loomis Fargo heist. The unfairness gnawed at him, stirred by Kelly's questions. They hadn't slept together or even fooled around much, but he was ready to commit. I gotta go.". Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. Clerk of Court Frank Johns of Charlotte. The Star-Ledger, 06/15/2015On October 4, 1997, an amateurish gang robbed Loomis, Fargo & Co. in Charlotte, NC of $17 million, the second largest heist in U.S. history. : The $17 Million Loomis Fargo Theft. He had since served time in prison for the crime and told our sister station WSOC-TV Channel 9s Glenn Counts he learned a valuable lesson while behind bars. 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. There are multiples of thousands of these things coming every year. Campbell was released from federal custody in 2004 after serving five years, meaning her collection case will age out in December 2024. 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., Anybody who gets caught up in the system is getting chewed up by it,, You can garnish wages. He put on his best pair of jeans, a button-down shirt, and his nicest cowboy boots. The participants in the heist also spent lavishly on fancy jewelry, fancy cars and breast enhancement surgeries. 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. Working by himself, Ghantt would commit the robbery and then flee for Mexico, leaving the bulk of the cash with Chambers. just generally being a jerk. The money weighed as much as a compact car and he did it all by himself. He tried again to make the back gate rise, to no avail. The building was configured so vans could drive inside and pull up next to the vault. "For the first year after a crime," he told her, "they're all over you, with six to ten agents. The plan to. 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. 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. His collection case, which closes in November 2026, got credit for the couples $540,000 house on Cramer Mountain in Gaston County, Butcher says. For example, 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. More than half of the amount came from the seizure of a luxury home purchased by husband-and-wife defendants during their post-heist spending spree. Library Journal "highly entertaining." "Do you know how much there's gonna be?" (LogOut/ Another name the FBI had become very interested in is Eric Payne. So he and some friends decided at the end of his Oct. 4 shift he would load a company van with more than 2,000 pounds of cash and just drive away. One number is working in Campbells favor. These (Loomis) guys, not so much.. 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. The site features a collection of unexplained, strange and odd mysteries. He also stole both existing sets of vault keys and hurried into the manager's office, where three TV security screens and two VCRs were visible. Worlds Biggest Heists London Hatton Garden 200m Diamond Robbery, Easter 2015. 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. More than half of the amount came from the seizure of a luxury home purchased by husband-and-wife defendants during their post-heist spending spree. How many people have walked the red carpet at a movie premiere in a case that was yours?. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]. ALSO READ: 14-year-old boy robbed at gunpoint while waiting for bus in east. And once he started, he didn't stop with one cartful. shaka wear graphic tees is candy digital publicly traded ellen lawson wife of ted lawson real kelly campbell loomis fargo heist 25 Feb/23 (No Ratings Yet) These (Loomis) guys, not so much.. Getting restitution, its like pulling teeth.. "What would it take to make you do it?". He is a graduate of Yale and has worked for the Connecticut Post, the Associated Press, and the Palm Beach Post. 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,. Not every agent has a case like that, he said. The next day, before Mike was able to leave the country, the FBI arrested him in his hotel room. She had attitude. He hired a hitman to take Ghantt out, tying up the ultimate loose end. He and his wife, Michele, moved from theirmobile homeinLincoln Countyto a luxury house in the wealthy Cramer Mountain section ofCramerton. Though Wydra is retired, 25 years ago, he was an agent with the FBI. Of course the most famous thing inside the home was a velvet Elvis portrait. Ghantt was the vault manager and was surrounded daily by millions of dollars worth of temptation. Lacking a college degree, he found that his army skills felt meaningless in the 1990s job market. What purpose does that serve other than to denigrate that person into abject poverty?. To visit friends.". CHARLOTTE (AP) During one overnight shift, a bumbling conspiracy of thieves just west of Charlotte stole more than $17 million from Loomis Fargo. Although the FBI investigation was able to quickly connect Ghantt to Campbell, connecting Ghantt to Chambers was a more difficult task. But they'd stayed in touch, and now they were poised to attempt a crime like almost no other. In 1994, they moved to Gastonia, North Carolina, where they had grown up, and David took a job driving a forklift. 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 unsolved mystery of the Van Meter Visitor a winged creature! >> PHOTOS: The Loomis Fargo heist, 25 years later. Kelly Campbell, who one day visited a Toyota dealership to purchase a minivan with twenty-dollar bills. Still facing possible unknowns of other people involved, the FBI needed to gather more information without the suspects getting suspicious of them. Temptation to do something that you think you normally wouldnt do can change a lot of minds when its that kind of cash, and thats what it was., (WATCH BELOW: VIDEO: The Loomis Fargo heist: 25 years later). 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. Ghantt studied how to rob his employer and advised the others not to spend the money lavishly. Enabling JavaScript in your browser will allow you to experience all the features of our site. Steve was a serious guy? He waffled on the heist idea three or four times from late August to mid-September. Its in the ether. The stated plan was for her to move to Mexico to be with him after the theft. "About fourteen or fifteen million dollars," he said. The plan to rob Loomis Fargo was spawned by Campbell and her friend Steve Chambers, during a casual bonfire at Chambers' home. He could even be famous, perhaps joining the ranks of legendary master thieves. Hes a family man with a wife and daughter. 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. On Oct. 5, the Loomis heist celebrates its 25th birthday. He says the Loomis case shows how the criminal justice system and the courts treat lower-income people differently. What that says is, We will never forgive you for what youve done.. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Steve's a serious guy.". Punishment needs to be fair and realistic. Loomis has received $978,983.79, according to Sally Butcher, an assistant clerk in the federal courts of the Western District of North Carolina who specializes in criminal debt. (John D. Simmons/The Charlotte Observer via AP) You cannot fine low-income people millions of dollars. He had stayed in a luxury hotel and paid for expensive food and activities such asscuba divingandparasailing. They succeeded in removing $17 million from the safe. 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. Available on Compatible NOOK Devices and the free NOOK Apps. Campbell led Ghantt to think she loved him and they would flee to Mexico together, but she actually wanted to make a better life for herself in the U.S. With the plan in place, Ghantt sent a newly hired employee he had been assigned to train home early (reportedly, at 6 p.m.) and then proceeded to load a little more than $17.3 million in cash (approximately $11 million of which was in$20 bills) into the back of a company van. I actually loved reading through this post. Ghantt was the vault manager and was surrounded. After hanging up on her, David returned to work. Investigators also found Ghantts pickup truck, abandoned at the warehouse. The gang made numerous mistakes. "Are you serious?" Ghantt had struck up a relationship with a fellow Loomis Fargo employee, Kelly Campbell; they continued to maintain contact even after Campbell left the company. The $17 million was stolen last Oct. 4 from the armored-car company's vault in Charlotte. The Loomis Fargo heist: 25 years later We went on a mission to calculate exactly how much size-wise the money was, $11.3 million in $20 bills, and it weighed over 2,000 pounds, former FBI agent John Wydra said. Nathan, Steves cousin, was found in a mobile home the Chambers had abandoned. He quickly found out when you have money, you just have different problems, Wydra said. Punishment needs to be fair and realistic. He called Kelly to say he was coming and hopped into the driver's seat of the loaded Loomis van. The woman on the phone was Kelly Jane Campbell, and David had a mad crush on her. Investigators considered Ghantt to be the prime suspect almost from the beginning. First, they tapped the Chambers phone, and began listening in on February 11th, 1998. I pay (restitution to) thousands of people, but its in drips and drabs.. He added that money can be a motivator for anyone. I dont know if Steve would have done it himself, but he definitely was capable of buying someone to do it for him and I think that was going to happen if we didnt step in and arrest Ghantt, Wydra said. Accompanying her was Steve Chambers, who, though unemployed, had recently moved . 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. contact us to submit an unexplained mystery article, or to join the team on the email address below. "Just think about it," she said. She had previously been making frequent small deposits to avert suspicion. It was the second-largest. Chambers had told Campbell to do whatever she needed to do to get Ghantt to commit the robbery. You Save 23%. This technically made it abank robbery afederal offense. You can seize property. Some of that money is just gone. Campbell was another employee at Loomis Fargo and she and Ghantt quickly struck up a relationship, one that Campbell denies was ever romantic though FBI evidence says otherwise, and one that continued after she left the company. Kelly called, using David's own cell phone, to ask where he was already, because she and the others were waiting outside for him. Ghantt, his former co-worker Kelly Campbell and her friends Steve and Michelle Chambers carried out the Loomis Fargo heist on Oct. 4, 1997. So that was kind of like this once-in-a-lifetime thing, Wydra said. These cookies do not store any personal information. The affidavit described Chambers as a former FBI informant who had provided information on another Loomis armored car robbery that never materialized. Probably very egotistical of me, I thought, Yeah, sure, I can beat them, theyre college smart and thats about it, Ghantt said. Loomis Fargo employees could not open the vault the next morning, and called the police. 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. They swept the surrounding counties, locating Kelly Campbell and Eric Payne in their homes. The Loomis case is another example where the amount of restitution ordered vs. what is actually paid are two dramatically different numbers. In one case, the restitution for a Loomis defendant may be a moving target. Money. The only other employee with him on this day was a trainee. The same applies to trolling, the use of multiple aliases, or Sure enough, she called a few days later, around September 16. It all seemed unfair. For a better shopping experience, please upgrade now. The biggest restitution numbers for victims of financial crimes generally involve Ponzi schemes or sweepstakes fraud, not cash thefts. He played high school football at Mays High School in Atlanta, and college football at Georgia Tech . He had since held one low-paying job after another. Twenty years ago this Wednesday, a small group of people stole $17 million in cash from the main vault of a Loomis Fargo & Co. armored-car warehouse in west Charlotte. It took me going to prison to realize I was a bag of worms, and it took me years of work to be somebody worthy to come back into our society, he said. Asked the purpose of his visit, Johnson had replied, "To visit friends. Change). The case resurfaced in the federal courts on Thursday, Sept. 1, when the U.S. Attorneys Office in Charlotte posted a public reminder in the case file of Loomis defendant Kelly Campbell that she had fallen behind in her restitution. And Kelly thought he was funny. Then they returned it. Not all of them, but some of them are going to forgive you, theyre going to overlook it., he said. 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. 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. He realized his life wouldn't improve unless he did something drastic. Anybody who gets caught up in the system is getting chewed up by it, the now-retired Gronquist told the Observer. Of course, this would all be a radical departure for him, and thoughts of his wife and parents did give him pause. He said at first, they were very proud of what they had been able to do. While Ghantt trusted Chambers enough to leave his cut behind, Chambers had other plans.