Drummer Charlie Watts of the Rolling Stones with his wife Shirley and daughter Seraphina at the Grammy Awards at Kensington Roof gardens, London,. I think Zachs a hell of an actor. How accurate was the movie? Mary E. Ghantt, 38, died Tuesday in Scranton after a lifelong battle with cystic fibrosis. But even though he worked for a company that regularly moved millions of dollars, David Ghantt himself was underpaid. All but one of the defendants pleaded guilty. LRM: Oh, that is an interesting question. But Ghantt has been open about what he did and how he believes it changed him for the better. 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. From Oct. 6 through Feb. 20, the couple made 47 deposits totaling $271,500 at a Belmont bank, and at one point Michelle Chambers tried to get an official bank check with $200,000 in cash, authorities said. This story was originally published October 3, 2016, 9:12 PM. Themansion party is real. I went in there to do a basic search. You take a movie like Oceans Eleven, the whole concept of that movie is so farfetched, its not even funny. . It premiered in Los Angeles on September 26, 2016 and was theatrically released in the . As we said . 44:38. The Mandalorian S3 Episode 1 Review: ROUGH START!!! David Ghantt worked as a vault supervisor for the armoured cash vehicles at the Charlotte, North Carolina branch of Loomis, Fargo & Co. Ironically even though he worked for a company that moved millions of dollars every day, he was relatively underpaid. Steven Chambers (left) and David Scott Ghantt Facts Before he decided to steal $17 million from the bank, Ghantt worked for years as a relatively silent and compliant employee. Nine other relatives and friends were also charged with money laundering, as they had co-signed for safe deposit boxes used to store some of the money; prosecutors opted to charge them on the grounds that they should have known the money was obtained illegally. 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. Then, keeping with the plan, Ghantt took $50,000 (the maximum that could by law be taken across the border without further authorization) with him and left for Mexico, winding up at the popular Yucatan Peninsula resort-island of Cozumel. On similar grounds, four other people were ultimately also charged with money laundering. At the time it was the second largest cash robbery ever to happen on US soil. Has this affected your ability to get a job? LRM: Most people who commits the crime of the decadedont usually want their story to be told. The only defendant to not plead guilty, Chambers's attorney Jeff Guller, was found guilty of money laundering and sentenced to eight years in prison. David Ghantt: I think its a great story. David Ghantt: There are quite a few small facts and tidbits. LRM: You were a movie consultant on this project. There were things in real life that my compatriots did that was pretty comedic and stupid. They not only moved from a trailer into an expensive house just miles away from where the theft took place, but also paid for cosmetic surgery, bought a BMW convertible, Rolex watches and other signs of excess. He pleaded guilty in January to charges of kidnapping, money laundering and interfering with interstate commerce. In real life: False. Im still going through the friend requests. In the meantime, Ghantt's wife reported him missing and the CMPD had found his . David Bowie 's widow recently took to Instagram to post selfies, while promoting both her makeup brand and fashion line. Officially retired Predators GM David Poile and his wife Elizabeth Poile poses for a portrait inside the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., Monday, Feb. 27, 2023. In real life: Yes and no. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. I did get to meet him. Then you end up in a eight by ten cube and youre going to share that cube with two other people. [1], Steven Chambers finished serving his sentence in November 2006. Tony Mendez, long an on-air fixture handling the cue cards for David Letterman on The Late Show, took the wrong cue this week, assaulting staff writer Bill Scheft, a 15-time Emmy nominee, and getti Q: Do you ever think about what your life would be like if you had gotten away with the money? I Am A, where the mundane becomes fascinating and the outrageous suddenly seems normal. Man accused of planting explosive at Grandfather Mountain Highland Games pleads not guilty, Falcon 9 launches Crew-6 from Cape Canaveral, Flight attendants to get 10 hours rest between shifts under new US rule, Loretta Lynn, coal miner's daughter and country queen, dies, National Taco Day 2022 | Deals and offers. Anyways, David, I appreciate this conversation. In the end, it is a good story. Ghantt was the vault manager. The Internet was still new at the time. Did you stay in touch with them? Campbell used part of her share of the money to buy a Toyota Sienna minivan in two cash installments. Chambers had broached the possibility of a robbery to Campbell earlier in the summer. He has a regular life now, but 25 years ago, David Ghantt was the mastermind behind the 3rd largest bank robbery in U. 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. I cut out a lot of partying and stuff that wastes my spending. 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. 44:33. David Ghantt: Oh, yeah. [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. Jokes soon followed the news of how Chambers and his former wife spent their ill-gotten gain. Money does weird things to people. This Wednesday marks the 20th anniversary of the notorious Loomis Fargo heist. The contents were missing. He would eventually be arrested in Mexico in March 1998 after one of his co-conspirators put out a hit on him under the false suspicion he was the only prime suspect authorities were aware of at the time. LRM: You did serve time in Federal prison and it was a very well-known bank robbery. Zach Galifianakis played David Scott Ghantt, with other roles played byOwen Wilson, Jason Sudeikis, Leslie Jones, Kristen Wiig and Kate McKinnon. In real life: True. Cathy Biles, who handled the purchase of the Chambers house in Cramerton, told WSOC-TV in Charlotte that the cash deal aroused her suspicions. When it comes to crime news, few events have had the longevity or the notoriety of the Loomis Fargo heist, which occurred 25 years ago on Oct. 4, 1997. In August 1997, Campbell informed Ghantt of an old high school friend of hers, Steve Chambers, who could assist Ghantt in executing a massive cash robbery of the Loomis Fargo vault in one night. $7 Million by Air. Just lounging around. The Associated Press contributed to this report. No idea where it is I only ever had what I took with me and what was sent to me. $17.3 million . He just never had the opportunity. Eventually, federal agents found Ghantt, thanks to uncovering a plot for an assassin to hunt and kill him in Mexico. Authorities say Steve. By comparison, Ghantt served seven years in prison and was fined $26,000. I work for a small construction company. GASTONIA - Nancy Carolyn Ghantt, 71, died September 6, 2018. And most importantly, talking with Zach. 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. They obviously werent trying to get it right they were putting together what they believe is a better story, said Diamant. A: People are very forgiving if you're open and honest right from the start. Chambers had no intention of following those rules, believing the FBI would never connect him to Ghantt. All rights reserved. What was it like to have a movie based on your story? 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. Ghantt was charged in connection with the . Twenty-one people were charged and convicted in the . David Ghantt: Mostly, it concerned for Zach [Galifianakis] to have the right shirt and carrying the right pistol. You know as well as I doits Hollywood. Loomis, Fargo offered a $500,000 reward for his arrest and conviction. Sixteen others who were indirectly involved were convicted and federal agents recovered most of the money. It wasa painful process, but I learned to be happy with me and with what I've got. From Oct. 6 through Feb. 20, the couple made 47 deposits totaling $271,500 at a Belmont bank, and at. 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. Also famous for (at least with his friends and family) finally getting his first book . He now has a wife, a construction job, and a child. A former co-worker told me, "Everybody has screwed up. The British spy group MI5 is interested in a safety deposit box in this highly fictionalized version of an actual London robbery. At first, David Ghantt said, "I didn't take her seriously. Mostly with Zach. He was released in 2006. David GhanttRetweeted Iraqveteran8888 @Iraqveteran8888 Dec 9, 2022 Elect me President and I'll fire everyone, free Julian Assange, and pardon Edward Snowden. So he hatched a plan to rob his employers. The police then called the FBI because most of the money handled at the facility belonged to banks, which technically made it a bank robbery a federal offense.[5]. Ms. Campbell worked at Loomis for 11 months, leaving in November 1996, according to court papers. Wake Up CharlotteToGo is a daily news and weather podcast you can listen to so you can start your day with the team atWake Up Charlotte. Investigators also found Ghantt's pickup truck, abandoned at the warehouse. Following romance reports in 2019, the Stranger Things actor and vocalist married in Las Vegas in September 2020. Ghantt was scheduled to work a shift at the armored car company Oct. 4. Day in and day out, he drives an armored vehicle,. Some people screw up big like you, some people screw up small.". Purchases included a pool table, jewelry (including a $43,000 diamond ring), a minivan, $20,000 worth of cigars, and the 7,000-square-foot home on the side of Cramer Mountain. No idea. The movie is hilarious. 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. Could you talk a little more about that? The FBI, in fact, obtained the evidence they needed to bring down the major players, including Chambers, after catching them talking about the murder plot on the telephone via wiretap. ", "If you're trying to make yourself better today, that's all most people care about.". I wanted to change my life. "I've learned that I'm a fortunate . Ghantt was never in Chamberss presence until he actually handed off the money to him. I realized a lot of things that were wrong with me as a person. 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. After two years of dating, Jon Hamm and Anna Osceola are ready to spend the rest of their lives together. We talked about the fiction and fact from the movie. David Ghantt: Since the movie came out, I probably say I would have more now. David Ray Camm (born March 23, 1964) is a former trooper of the Indiana State Police (ISP) who spent 13 years in prison after twice being convicted of the murders of his wife, Kimberly, and his two young children at their home in Georgetown, Indiana, on September 28, 2000.He was released from custody in 2013 after his third trial resulted in an acquittal. February 28, 2023. LRM: Obviously, this is comedy and not a documentary. Like I said before, money does weird things to people. 44:23. 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. 1) David Ghantt is underpaid and unhappy. followed by "Don't worry, it is not drug money," the bank filled out a suspicious activity report, which ultimately reached the FBI. The amount of money stolen is correct. Heres How We Fix That. But it was Ghantt, now 47 and living with his wife and daughter in Jacksonville, Florida,who actually took more than 2,000 pounds of cash and just drove away from his job. Seven others were convicted in direct connection with the heist. Watch your email for exciting announcements and new features coming soon! David Ghantt (@DavidGhantt) is a man that still holds the record for the second largest bank heist on American Soil. After the robbery, Ghantt took off to Mexico. How many years did David Ghantt get? Just the ability to come and go as I please and walk barefooted in the backyard means so much. A: When you're locked up, you live in an 8-by-10 box and you share that with two other people. Until it's gone, you don't appreciate it. The company reported the theft the next day, saying one of its vans was missing. Will California Save the Iconic Joshua Tree? 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. On March 12, a Charlotte grand jury indicted the eight co-conspirators for bank larceny and money laundering; the latter offense was included because of how they spent the stolen money. 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. People did come up to me and asked me for my autograph. I was shocked. His wife, they said, got breast implants and used cash to purchase a 1998 BMW Z3 sports car. I'd probably be that infamous gringo living in Belize, kicked back on the beach, fishing and bored out of my mind. FBI agents pulled stolen cash out of barrels they had stashed around their home. You said that was the number two question. Thats the big thing. Chambers even got breast implants and paid cash for a BMW sports car, the affidavit said. Ghantt labeled himself as a jerk who was dissatisfied with his life before stealing the money. Everything changes when he meets Kelly Campbell (Kristen Wiig), a new employee at his bank, Loomis Fargo. [15], "David Ghantt" redirects here. The unlikely suspect in the Charlotte heist was 27-year-old David Scott Ghantt, a quiet, unassuming vault supervisor who earned $360 a week. If you were one of the much-smaller-than-expected group of people who caught Masterminds at the theater this weekend, and are looking for a fact-check of the events depicted on screen, here are some of the highlights of our chat with Diamant. They kept several furnishings from the previous owners, including a painting of Elvis Presley on black velvet. The scary one is stealing the money. Ghantt, in order to conserve this money, curtailed his spending. I got no real complaints, not at this point., The heist became the premise for the movie,Masterminds, released in September 2016. Day in and day out, he drives an armored vehicle, transporting millions of other peoples money with no escape in sight. LRM: Did you like the portrayal of yourself in the movie? The film stars Zach Galifianakis, Kristen Wiig, Owen Wilson, Kate McKinnon and Jason Sudeikis. BEAUTY AND THE BEAST: The Beast Lays On The Charm In New TV Spot. 44:28. David Ghantt, who pulled off the Loomis, Fargo & Co. vault robbery in 1997 and was sentenced to seven years in prison for the crime, served as a consultant for the film (in theaters Friday).. Unfortunately, no one explained that to David Ghantt before he used his position as vault supervisor with Charlotte, N.C.'s Loomis, Fargo & Co. to rob the company of $17 million in 1997. Back then all I really wanted to do was just, I wanted to change my life. "Your honor, if I could undo what I did, I would," David Scott Ghantt said before being sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Graham Mullen. Chambers declines to comment on the events that made him notorious. David, now 30, says he's sorry he abandoned his wife--who he says still loves him--and his family. Ghantt's spending in Mexico was extravagant at first. David Ghantt was portrayed by Zackary Hatfield. And it didn't take long to figure out that this was not the place for me. How did it actually feel when the FBI took you in? David Ghantt: Awesome. Charlotte hotel chef who serves with a smile recognized as outstanding ambassador, Eritrean, Ethiopian restaurant owner was a big brother and father to many in Charlotte, Home tours: This wired-up Weddington smart home has a pool big enough for the neighborhood. In real life: Mostly true. When to set your clocks for daylight saving time, Novant to take over two hospital systems near Charlotte in a $320 million deal. I might even have more these days. 1997 - David Scott Ghantt (Zach Galifianakis) thought being an armored car driver would be a dream come true. David Ghantt: No, I havent talked to them in a very long time. 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. There was no sign of forced entry into the building, but surveillance tapes and photographs showed a man believed by authorities to be Ghantt putting bags of money onto a cart in the vault at Loomis, Fargos offices in Charlotte, and then into the company van. The Radical Senate: James Abourezk of South Dakota, America is Not a Racist Country: How Nikki Haley Became Israels Candidate for the White House, Three Reasons (Other Than Age) Why Joe Biden Should Not Run Again For President, The Global South Refuses Pressure to Side With the West on Russia, The 20th Anniversary of the Sociocide of Iraq by Bush/Cheney. I mean, thats pretty much why I did it. MASTERMINDS will be available on Blu-ray, DVD and digital download tomorrow. She also must . Ghantt was sentenced to 7 1/2 years in prison. David Ghantt: The number one question is usually, What made you do it?. MASTERMINDS is available on Blu-ray, DVD and digital download tomorrow. 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. Even after the tapes showing Ghantt stealing the. It's the little things like that that gnaw on you. 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