They also bought a BMW Z3 with cash and made several large purchases, including a $600 cigar store Indian. [citation needed], The defendants were the targets of many barbed jokes in Charlotte and across the country, in part because of their extravagant spending. He was released in 2006. He is an uncomplicated man stuck in a monotonous life. 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. After some awkward training in preparation for the robbery, the team has David go inside Loomis' vault and load the entire money supply into the company's van. Then-Charlotte Observer reporter Jeff Diamant wrote extensively about the story as it … He attended two colleges after graduating from high school, but dropped out of both after a few years. "[29] Richard Brody of The New Yorker also gave praise to the film, writing that "Yes, the comedy is funny—even when it’s not laugh-out-loud funny, it’s sparklingly inventive and charmingly loopy—but, above all, it has the religious intensity and spiritual resonance that marks all of Hess’s other films, and it extends his world of ideas into wild new realms, extends his vision into darker corners of existence than he had formerly contemplated." That’s 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. [1] Tips had led the FBI to begin monitoring Chambers' (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. :
Steve was a petty thief, mostly known for stealing tiny wheelchairs from pediatric hospitals. They kept several furnishings from the previous owners, including a painting of Elvis Presley on black velvet. 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 (Owen Wilson) and Kelly Campbell (Kristen Wiig), who are also employees of Loomis, decide to rob the company. [12], The title used in media coverage was Untitled Armored Car.
: 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? Loomis Fargo employees could not open the vault the next morning and called the police. They escape by stealing Steve's BMW but it crashes as they attempt to drive through the gate. He Handled Money, But He Was Broke Unsplash. Based on the October 1997 Loomis Fargo robbery. 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. In this action comedy based on true events, directed by Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite; Nacho Libre), David Ghantt (Zach Galifianakis) … Investigators considered Ghantt to be the prime suspect almost from the beginning. [16] The BB&T Center building, also the location of the production office, was transformed into the "Park Street Citizens Bank", with a Loomis Fargo burgundy truck parked outside of the entrance. 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. [10] On December 3, 2013, Zach Galifianakis joined the cast to replace Carrey after he dropped out. [13][16], The film was released in the United States on September 30, 2016. I stole $17 million, and Zach Galifianakis played me in a movie. A guard at an armored car company in the Southern U.S. organizes one of the biggest bank heists in American history. They had initially agreed to control their spending for a year or two, in the belief that the government would vigorously track the spending habits of any and all suspects for at least a year before relenting. David Ghantt struck up a relationship with fellow Loomis Fargo employee Kelly Campbell, and they continued to maintain contact even after Campbell left the company. With Zach Galifianakis, Kristen Wiig, Owen Wilson, Ross Kimball. David calls Steve, threatening to surrender himself to Interpol if Steve doesn't wire $6 million into his bank account in two days. [5][4] Gantt attended Roberts Wesleyan College for two years using a partial basketball scholarship, but dropped out due to the financial constraints on his family. Skip to content. Loomis Fargo Heist Investigation: David Ghantt, Suspect The morning after the height, employees of Loomis Fargo realized they couldn’t open the vault. [2][24], On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 34% based on reviews from 97 critics, with an average rating of 4.63/10. The next day, Steve and Michelle Chambers, Kelly Campbell, and four others were arrested.[6]. More than 2 million dollars is still missing to this day. David Ghantt : [after David's gun discharges in the back of his waistband] It feels like it just grazed my biscuits, right there in betwixt 'em. Day in and day out he drives an armored vehicle, transporting millions of other people’s money with no escape in sight. To say this evening was incredible would be a terrible injustice to just how epic it truly was! When Steve refuses to wire the money, his two friends kidnap Kelly and he tells David to get a ticket to South America in exchange for her release. David phones Kelly and learns that Steve is trying to kill him, and that Steve will not send the money for him as expected. [1], This robbery was the second-largest cash robbery on U.S. soil at the time, as only seven months earlier, on March 29, 1997 in Jacksonville, Florida, Phillip Noel Johnson stole $18.8 million from the Loomis Fargo armored vehicle he was driving.[2]. Here, though, you believe the sweetness, because Hess and his cast sell it with poker faces. It didn’t take him long to realize that fancy titles like supervisor didn’t necessarily come with a great wage. About us; Contact Us; Services; how much of masterminds is true 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. By then, the FBI had become greatly concerned for Ghantt's personal safety; they had learned that Chambers had plotted to have Ghantt killed in a murder for hire scheme using a "hit man" named Michael McKinney. The FBI investigation was aided by the gang's extravagant spending. 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. In the film, Jason Sudeikis plays a sadistic assassin … 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. Chambers had no intention of following those rules, believing the FBI would never connect him to Ghantt. Unfortunately, he inadvertently learns Steve's name from the ID in a wallet that Kelly gave to him. Before he leaves, David takes out three CCTV tapes, but misses one. People did ask questions or they wanted to chat. On the evening of October 4, 1997, one man loaded $17.3 million in cash from the vaults of Loomis, Fargo & Co. into the back of a van. "[25] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 47 out of 100 based on 29 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". 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. In Mexico, David narrowly evades three Interpol agents looking for him, and calls Kelly about what happened. In this action comedy inspired by true events, directed by Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite; Nacho Libre), David Ghantt (Zach Galifianakis) discovers the true meaning of adventure far beyond his wildest dreams. "He had only kissed Kelly once, that it turned out to be an extremely expensive kiss," Rozzi points out. [9] On June 10, 2013, Owen Wilson joined the cast of the film. [8] The film was produced by Brent Almond. So no, it wasn't all real. About $2 million is still unaccounted for. : The $17 Million Loomis Fargo Theft (ISBN 0895872528) by Jeff Diamant (published September 2002). She had previously been making frequent small deposits to avert suspicion. [11] On May 16, 2014, Kristen Wiig joined the cast,[5] and on June 25, 2014, Jason Sudeikis was added as well. The film was projected to gross $10 million from 3,042 theaters in its opening weekend. "Wells Fargo and Loomis forming armored car company", Learn how and when to remove this template message, painting of Elvis Presley on black velvet, "FindACase™ | United States of America v. Steven Eugene Chambers", "The Unperfect Crime | New Dominion Pictures", "Sunday Evening/Late Night September 9, 2001", "Loomis Fargo heist: Q&A with guy who stole $17 million", "MASTERMINDS - Movie Production Notes...CinemaReview.com", Ghantt and other gang members arrested in March 1998, Steven Chambers released from prison; announces he is a "retired criminal", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=October_1997_Loomis_Fargo_robbery&oldid=1006607837, Articles with dead external links from February 2020, Articles needing additional references from October 2019, All articles needing additional references, Articles needing additional references from February 2020, Articles with unsourced statements from February 2020, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Overcoming the mindset that led to the part David Ghantt played in the Loomis robbery and how he started on a new path was the subject of the book, Within days of the robbery, the case was depicted on the television criminal reporting show, An expanded two-hour special episode, of the crime documentary series, This page was last edited on 13 February 2021, at 20:25. 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. All but one of the defendants pleaded guilty. Ghantt reported to Chambers that his supply of money was running low, but Chambers sent Ghantt just $8,000. By comparison, Ghantt served seven years in prison and fined $26,000. David sneaks in and rescues Kelly. "[28] On the other hand, Matt Zoller Seitz of RogerEbert.com gave the film three out of four stars, stating that "If smart dumb comedies hold a place in your heart, you'll like 'Masterminds.'" Diamant was a Charlotte Observer newspaper reporter working in their Gaston County bureau when the theft took place. Steve catches and assaults him, until David realizes he is near the FBI van with the agents inside. On similar grounds, four other people were ultimately also charged with money laundering. ", https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Masterminds-(2015), "Kristen Wiig Joins Zach Galifianakis, Owen Wilson in Relativity Comedy (Exclusive)", "Jason Sudeikis To Play Hit Man In Jared Hess Heist Comedy", "Ken Marino, 'SNL's Kate McKinnon, More Join Jared Hess Heist Comedy", "Jon Daly Joins Zach Galifianakis, Kristen Wiig in Armored Car Heist Comedy", "Jim Carrey Joins 'Napoleon Dynamite' Helmer For 'Loomis Fargo, "Owen Wilson Joins Jim Carrey in the Formerly-Titled Loomis Fargo", "Zach Galifianakis in Final Negotiations to Join Owen Wilson in Relativity Heist Comedy (Exclusive)", David Ghantt And The Loomis Fargo Heist: The Outrageous True Story, "Galifianakis movie will extend filming in Asheville", "First look at Asheville area Galifianakis movie set", "Comedy filming already transforming downtown Asheville", "Relativity Moving Release of 'Kidnap' With Halle Berry (EXCLUSIVE)", https://www.thewrap.com/kristen-wiig-zach-galifianakis-comedy-masterminds-yanked-by-relativity/, "Relativity Dates Five Films For 2016 Including 'Kidnap' & 'Masterminds, https://variety.com/2016/more/news/deepwater-horizon-again-leads-studios-tv-ad-spending-1201870553/, "Masterminds Movie Review & Film Summary", "Jared Hess's Spiritual Gross-Out Comedy, in "Masterminds, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Masterminds_(2016_film)&oldid=1006605035, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 13 February 2021, at 20:08. It went on to gross $6,541,205 in its opening weekend, finishing 6th at the box office. 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]. [7] On July 10, Jon Daly joined the cast of the film to play an FBI agent. An additional tip reached the FBI when Michelle Chambers made a large deposit at a bank. Zach Galifianakas takes on the role of David Ghantt, a small town, backwoods security money truck driver who falls in love with Kristen Wiig's Kelly. Chambers had broached the possibility of a robbery to Campbell earlier in the summer. followed by "Don't worry, it is not drug money," the bank filled out a suspicious activity report, which ultimately reached the FBI. That’s 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. Please do yourself a favor and visit this link to the clip that inspired this session, and enjoy all the fun images we captured in the honor of Jandice & David Ghantt!! At the time it was the second largest cash robbery ever to happen on US soil. The only defendant to not plead guilty, Chambers' attorney Jeff Guller, was found guilty of money laundering and sentenced to eight years in prison. From the beginning, the FBI’s prime suspect was David Ghantt. Campbell used part of her share of the money to buy a Toyota Sienna minivan in two cash installments. In the process, he commits the second largest bank heist in US history. The 2016 comedy movie, … [6] On June 30, 2014, Ken Marino, Kate McKinnon, Devin Ratray, Leslie Jones, Mary Elizabeth Ellis and Ross Kimball joined the cast. While Steve is hosting a party, the FBI puts a wire on one of the party members in an attempt to record Steve's confession. 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. [2] Additional prints and advertising costs were estimated to be in excess of $20 million. [7][8], "David Ghantt" redirects here. My name is David Scott Ghantt. Steve plans to cut David loose but Kelly thinks it would be wrong to abandon him. People did come up to me and asked me for my autograph. He then proceeded to load about $17.3 million in cash (approximately $11 million of which was in $20 bills) into the back of a company van. [3][4] Its Charlotte office would be the victim of David Scott Ghantt and his confederates later that year. Michelle Chambers received a harsher sentence than Ghantt — seven years and eight months — because she had violated several bond conditions. The film received mixed reviews from critics and grossed $30 million. Ghantt was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison. Although the history of the predecessor Wells Fargo & Company dates back to 1852, Loomis Fargo & Company was established in 1997 by the consolidation of Wells Fargo Armored Service and Loomis Armored Inc.; the resulting corporation employed 8,500 people and provided armored transportation, cash handling services, and automatic teller machine maintenance. [17] The film was previously scheduled to be released on August 19, 2015, a date which, in July 2015, Relativity rescheduled to October 9, 2015. But after one visit, she asked a teller "How much can I deposit before you have to report it to the feds?" David Ghantt was a technical consultant for the film, but due to outstanding court-ordered restitution for his part in the heist he was not paid. It’s based on the true story of David Ghantt (Galifianikas), a vault supervisor at the Charlotte Loomis Fargo depository in Uptown Charlotte that was involved in the second largest cash robbery in history, making off with $17.4 million ($25 million today). The next day, David flees to Mexico with $20,000 and takes the cover name "Michael McKinney", which is the name of a friend of Steve's.
That's nice. It premiered in Los Angeles on September 26, 2016 and was theatrically released in the United States on September 30, 2016, by Relativity Media. David is then knocked unconscious by McKinney. Upon David's release, he is picked up by McKinney and they drive to visit Kelly. More than 2 million dollars are still missing to this day. AMA . I am the real David Ghantt. After some awkward training in preparation for the robbery, the team has David go inside Loomis' vault and load the entire money supply into the company's van. ", After successfully tracing Ghantt's phone call, FBI agents and Mexican police arrested Ghantt on March 1, 1998, at Playa del Carmen, a city near Cancun. "[30], Wyatt Redd (September 2, 2018; updated February 7, 2019), October 1997 Loomis Fargo Robbery in North Carolina, "Was 'Masterminds' the Last Straw for Relativity? Michelle Chambers received a few more months than Ghantt, because she had violated several bond conditions. Before he leaves, David takes out three CCTV tapes, but misses one. Investigators also found Ghantt's pickup truck, abandoned at the warehouse. David is sentenced to seven years in prison, while Steve served eleven years. Several cars and nine safety deposit boxes were seized, authorities said. David Ghantt : [voice-over] Steve was a petty thief, mostly known for stealing tiny wheelchairs from pediatric hospitals. The Loomis Fargo Bank Robbery was a robbery of $17.3 million in cash from the Charlotte, North Carolina, regional office vault of Loomis, Fargo & Co. on the evening of October 4, 1997. [23], The film went on to gross $29,674,699 worldwide against a $25 million production budget. David Ghantt: It’s a little less dramatic on what they had shown in the movie. Poncho their new pup came to … From there, the money was moved from the company vehicle to private vehicles. Unique Experience. New and Upcoming Movies. At the airport, he meets McKinney, who is returning to the U.S., but as he bids farewell he sees Kelly's name written on his hand and tells McKinney that he knows her. Outside of the building, Ghantt met up with Campbell, Chambers, and others who were involved in plot, and drove off to a printing business called Reynolds & Reynolds in northwest Charlotte. I had a hard time liftin' it up. Ghantt's spending in Mexico was extravagant at first. 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. 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. They involve Loomis armored car driver David Scott Ghantt (Zach Galifianakis). Zach Galifianakis played David Scott Ghantt, with other … Masterminds is a 2016 American comedy film based on the October 1997 Loomis Fargo Robbery in North Carolina. He steals over $17 million. On February 1, 2013, Jim Carrey joined the cast. With his cover blown, Steve hires the real, but unstable hitman, Michael McKinney (Jason Sudeikis) to hunt David down. 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. Over the next months, Ghantt, Campbell, and Chambers developed a plan. Yes and no, the writers took the main idea (the robbery itself) and used some events that happened, and applied a whole lot of creativity using the actual event as a framework if you will, to make a comedy movie. David tricks Steve into admitting that he was the mastermind of the whole plan, giving the agents enough reason to arrest all of them, including Kelly. [22] The film made $2,325,546 on its first day. David Ghantt And The Loomis Fargo Heist: The Outrageous True Story David Ghantt walked out of the Loomis Fargo heist with the money in hand — but then the problems started piling up. In February 2009 the Associated Press reported that Chambers had chosen to describe himself as "changed". [citation needed], It was later confirmed by the FBI that more than 88% of the stolen cash had been located or otherwise accounted for. [14][15] On July 29, Galifianakis was spotted in a prisoner's costume, during filming in the streets of downtown Asheville, which were made over. Ghantt, in order to conserve this money, curtailed his spending. FBI Special Agent Scanlon (Leslie Jones) and her partner (Jon Daly) take the case, and immediately have David as the prime suspect, but have no idea of Steve's involvement. [13] Principal photography began on July 7, 2014, in Black Mountain and Swannanoa, North Carolina in the Asheville area. 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. [27], Peter Travers of Rolling Stone magazine gave the film one-and-a-half out of four stars, mainly criticizing its lack of good jokes: "The laughs evaporate almost as soon as they land, and some (make that most) of them don't land at all.... Masterminds owes us our two hours back. Kelly is then attacked by Jandice, who learns her engagement with David, at the mall and escapes. Although the FBI investigation was able to quickly connect Ghantt to Campbell, connecting Ghantt to Chambers was a more difficult task. Stuck in a dead-end job, David Ghantt decides to take destiny into his own hands. • The robbery was the subject of the book Heist! When David regains consciousness, McKinney is about to kill him but reconsiders upon looking at "McKinney"'s birth certificate, thinking that David was born under the same circumstances; they become friends. Directed by Jared Hess. In this action comedy based on true events, directed by Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite; Nacho Libre), David Ghantt (Zach Galifianakis) … Continue reading >> Categories Movie Trailers , … Toggle navigation. Steven Chambers, left, and David Scott Ghantt leave federal court. Meanwhile, Steve takes most of the heist, around $17 million. The crew also shot the film on the steps of Buncombe County Courthouse, inside of the Buncombe County Jail, and in front of the Mediterranean Restaurant. [19] The film was pulled from the October 9, 2015 release date[20] before being released on September 30, 2016. [21][17], Masterminds was released in North America on September 30, 2016. Realizing that he can't bring himself to kill her, they switch tickets just as the three Interpol agents attempt to catch David. For the New York State assemblyman, see. Was the movie real? He had stayed in a luxury hotel and paid for expensive food and activities such as scuba diving and parasailing. [26] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B–" on an A+ to F scale. With the plan in place, Ghantt sent a newly employed co-worker home early (reportedly at 6 p.m) who had been assigned to train with him. David Scott Ghantt was the vault supervisor at the regional branch of Loomis, Fargo & Co. in Charlotte, North Carolina. But, with the help of his new co-worker, he was about to change that. 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. An inept hitman was sent to kill David Ghantt. David Ghantt was the vault supervisor for Loomis, Fargo & Co. armored cars in 1997. [18] The company pushed back the date because it was facing a financial crisis. The site's critical consensus reads, "Mastermind's great cast and stranger-than-fiction true story are largely wasted on a scattershot comedy with a handful of funny moments and far too much wackiness. They involve Loomis armored car driver David Scott Ghantt (Zach Galifianakis). 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. They called the police, who brought in the FBI, classifying the heist as a bank robbery. In October of 1997, I was a vault supervisor for armored truck company Loomis Fargo, when I made off with $17.3 million. David Ghantt found out, the cash isn't greener on the other side. He finds David and attempts to shoot him, but the gun backfires and David escapes. The heist became the premise for the movie, Masterminds, released in September 2016.