Ghantt was the vault manager and was surrounded daily by millions of dollars-worth of temptation. Actor Owen Wilson plays him in the movie, which includes the real names of all the major players. FINANCE. After years of working hard, the realisation hit him that he was working 75-80 hrs a week for $8.15 an hour which left him feeling unhappy. Secondly, Where is David Scott Ghantt now? She's a great speaker and a great writer. Ghantt didnt know the full extent of what was happening back home -- how that lay low plan turned into a flurry of extravagant spending. display: none; Steve Chambers would keep the rest. The bizarre true story of the criminals behind the second-largest bank heist in American history. 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. David Ghantt : I've never even been to the airport but about twice in my life. What we know. Chambers essentially put a hit on Ghantt. Ghantt was the vault manager and was surrounded daily by millions of dollars-worth of temptation. In addition, six other people, some of whom had been spending large amounts of money, were arrested Monday in North Carolina in connection with the case, Perry said. Defense lawyer Andy Culler sought a seven-year, three-month sentence. Authorities began to hone in on the group and put a wire tap on Campbell's phones. Nathan, Steves cousin, was found in a mobile home the Chambers had abandoned. Ghantt fled to Mexico. All rights reserved. stockpile guns, Timeline puts Murdaugh at crime scene, SC prosecutor says in trial closing after Moselle visit, Get ready for less sleep in Charlotte. Once the heat from the robbery died down, Ghantt would return back to the United States and the cash would be evenly split among all of the co-conspirators. David Ghantt, a Gulf War veteran, . Day in and day out he drives an armored vehicle, transporting millions of other people's money with no escape in sight. Chambers promised to wire him money in Mexico until the investigation blew over and Ghantt could return to . If we work together, we can all have plenty of pie.. They soon realised that their joke was not a far-fetched idea. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Later, DePriest would learn through Diamants reporting for his book that Ghantt was terrified of being followed in Mexico, always looking over his shoulder and sitting near the exit in restaurants. All were convicted. On the fateful day of Oct. 4, 1997, Davit Ghantt decided to proceed with the Loomis Fargo heist. A guard at an armored car company in the Southern U.S. organizes one of the biggest bank heists in American history. Still facing possible unknowns of other people involved, the FBI needed to gather more information without the suspects getting suspicious of them. But when he's convinced by his work crush, Kelly Campbell (Kristen Wiig) and her accomplices to join in a far-fetched plan to rob a bank vault, David soon throws everything on the line for love, money, and a . But Ghantt, who served as an unpaid consultant to the movie and attended the big Los Angeles premiere earlier in the week, has no such reservations. Question: Do you ever think you could have been killed? Ghantt was the vault manager and was surrounded daily by millions of dollars-worth of temptation. Campbellwho was married herselfrepresented something new and exciting. Perry identified the other six people arrested as Steve and Michelle Chambers; Kelly Jane Campbell, a former Loomis employee; Michael L. McKinney; Thomas Nathan Grant; and Eric Haley Payne. This former Kings Mountain resident finished his shift as a vault supervisor for the branch in Charlotte. $17.3 million in cash was robbed from the Charlotte, North Carolina, regional office vault of Loomis, Fargo & Co. on the evening of October 4, 1997. When things calmed down, Ghantt was to re-enter the U.S., and the money was split up among all co-conspirators. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. Ghantt:Since I still owe the federal government money I can't get paid. He had said, then reflecting on the events: "I wouldn't have thought about it before, but one day life kind of hit me in the face. The heist led to a book, TV specials, a major movie. It all went down in Charlotte, North Carolina, and the man at the center of that heist, David Scott Ghantt, now lives in Jacksonville. Just outside of the building, David Ghantt met up with his girlfriend, Chambers, and others involved in the plot. Investigators eventually connected Campbell and Chambers to the robbery, which led to the arrest of more than 20 people. David Ghantt was a Gulf War veteran who never had a problem with the law. Michele Chambers' sentence was two months longer than that given to David Scott Ghantt, the Loomis employee who removed the money from the company vault on Oct. 4, 1997. The receptionist told DePriest that she could see the pain on Ghantts face, though she didnt know what caused it. 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. The next day, before Mike was able to leave the country, the FBI arrested him in his hotel room. This caused them just to leave the cash they could not take with them in the back of the van. ``None of these defendants , in this court's opinion, are capable of making substantial restitution, no matter what they do, or no matter what they try,' Mullen said. Le seul rayon de soleil dans son existence banale, c'est sa jolie collgue, Kelly Campbell. To find out more about how the thieves got caught and how long they landed behind bars, tune in the Super Heists on CNBC on Monday at 10 p.m. ET/PT. Ghantt was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison. To be brutally honest, it was that morning, Ghantt replied. She said that he could assist Ghantt in executing a massive cash robbery of the Loomis Fargo vault in one night. ``There are many people with those factors who don't resort to crime,' he said. From the start, David Ghatt was considered to be a prime suspect. David Scott Ghantt speaks with Channel 9's Glenn Counts 25 years after the robbery. David Ghantt: Yeah, it feels like it just grazed my biscuits right there betwixt them. The investigation ultimately resulted in the conviction of eight people directly involved, as well as sixteen others who had indirectly helped them. In order to receive more evidence, the FBI decided to listen. "I've moved on with my life," he said Tuesday. Loomis Fargo & Company was established in 1997 by the consolidation of Wells Fargo Armored Service and Loomis Armored Inc. He has been open about the heist and his life and had no qualms about it. Loomis, Fargo offered a $500,000 reward after the theft. . As Ghantt was fed up with his underpaying job, he was receptive to the idea and the three started planning a heist. I appreciate your kind words! He attended the big Los Angeles premiere and enjoyed being a part of it. He rarely went to the nearby beach, she said. 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. 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. Kelly Campbell, a former firm employee, pleaded guilty to bank larceny, money laundering, and murder conspiracy charges earlier this year. The towns booming construction industry attracts workers from around the country. More than 2 million dollars are still missing to this day. Ghantt believed the new employee would make a good replacement for his wife, but the feelings were not necessarily reciprocated. When the FBI recorded a phone call from Ghantt in Mexico, the final connection was made. He talks about how he informs employers about his criminal . The bank was robbed on Oct. 4, 1997, by one of their security guards, David Ghantt, and his girlfriend, Kelly Campbell, a former employee at the time. Ghantt made his way to Mexico, where he hid for several months. According to an affidavit, at least some of the suspects spent large sums of money following the robbery. Chambers was a small cheater who suggested to Campbell that they perform Loomis Fargo heist. 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. Once they were in custody, the overwhelming task of clearing out possessions possibly purchased with the stolen money began. . FBI agents got to him first. David Scott Ghantt, 28, was arrested Sunday on an island off the Mexican coast, near the resort city of Cozumel, FBI spokesman William Perry said today. Its like, me and you sat down, I have access to pie, you like pie, all I want is my share of the pie. The Chambers traded in their trailer for a $635,000 mansion in Cramer Mountain - bought with mostly $20 . 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. Masterminds: Directed by Jared Hess. One night in a small North Carolina town, a down-on-his-luck guard at Loomis Fargo manages to steal $17 millionliterally more than one ton of cash. View contact info: Address, Phone, Email & Photos. Along with Ghantt and Campbell, there were eight others, including Campbell's former high school friend Steve Chambers and his wife, Michelle. Question: You went to Mexico. Today's guest author is David Ghantt. I don't want to be mean, but that's probably the dumbest thing they could do. Kelly : Oh, it's a real magical place. That was the most painful truth to come to. Ghantt went on to explain that he rarely even looks at his debt statement to the government, but believes the IRS says he still owes them $3.8 million. La vie de David Ghantt n'a rien de compliqu. Ghantt was the vault manager and was surrounded daily . I can take it.". In real-life, Ghantt, then 27, used his access to swipe $17 million, later fleeing to Mexico with $25,000 of it stashed into the legs of pantyhose that he wore as a money belt; while he waited . I knew that if we could stay off the radar for about a year, we could basically live a vacation life, Ghantt said. Question: You were a consultant? . The Gaston Gazette interviewed Ghantt, whos now in his late 40s and living as a free man in Florida. Bipartisan Senate group unveils rail safety bill in response to Ohio derailment, What to know about Shigella bacteria as drug-resistant strain spreads, Flying bug found at Walmart turns out to be rare Jurassic-era insect, Elizabeth Holmes has second child, seeks to delay prison, Where things stand in the Alex Murdaugh double murder trial. We spoke with the inside man, David Ghantt, to get the real story . The judge said he doubted she would be able to pay the $4.8 million restitution, but said federal law required him to impose it. Ghantt was charged in connection with the robbery reported Oct. 5 at Loomis, Fargo & Co. You can reach Kevin Ellis at 704-869-1823 or Twitter.com/TheGazetteKevin. As Campbell would later explain, If David got killed, there couldnt be any finger pointing. Heres how to catch up on one of the Charlotte areas strangest stories. That movie, Masterminds was filmed in 2014. 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