In 2016, Masterminds hit theaters with a mix of absurd humor and outrageous antics, telling the story of one of the most unbelievable heists in American history — the Loomis Fargo Robbery. Inspired by real events, the film follows David Scott Ghantt, a mild-mannered armored car driver who becomes swept up in a scheme to steal millions, only to be double-crossed and forced on the run. Although Masterminds might not be considered one of the best comedy-heist movies, it’s still worth watching, if only for its absurdity.
But as questionably entertaining as the movie is, the true story behind the $17 million heist is a mix of “half-baked and half-brilliant,” as the FBI agents who cracked the case called it. From the planning and execution of the robbery to Ghantt’s life on the lam and his eventual fate, here’s the real story of how the Loomis Fargo heist unfolded — and where the man at the center of it all, David Scott Ghantt, is today.
How The Loomis Fargo Robbery Went Down, Explained
It Happened In The Late 1990s
In 1997, David Ghantt, an armored vehicle driver, was promoted to vault supervisor at Loomis Fargo. He soon befriended Kelly Campbell. After hearing about an $18 million robbery of a Loomis Fargo facility in Florida earlier that year, the pair hatched a plan to steal from the nearby Charlotte Loomis Fargo, where Ghantt worked. FBI officials also theorize that Campbell made the heist plan with her friend Steve Chambers, who was facing charges for writing over $30,000 worth of bad checks. Chambers was an essential part of the heist, either way, though.
On October 4th, 1997, Ghantt finished work at Loomis, then returned to the vault later. He had propped the door to the vault open. Without a hitch, Ghantt loaded cash into bags and carted over $17 million dollars into a van. Later, he met up with Campbell and Chambers. Ghantt took $50,000 of the $17 million for himself and fled to Mexico (via Axios Charlotte).
What Masterminds Gets Right About The Heist
Key Details Are Kept In The Film
Masterminds gets most of the broad strokes of the Loomis Fargo Robbery correct. David Ghantt did, in fact, work at Loomis Fargo as an armored car driver. He did hide out in Mexico following the robbery. What happens with the heist itself in the film is also pretty close to what happened in reality. Ghantt propped open the vault and was able, with a crew, of course, to steal over $17 million by stuffing bags full of money and then loading them into a truck.
The movie also includes one important detail: Ghantt took all but one of the CCTV tapes out of the office. In reality, there were three tapes total, but in the film, there were four. Regardless, Ghantt’s error is based in reality, and, eventually, officials were able to identify him and the rest of his crew through the CCTV tape that he left behind.
Important Details The Movie Leaves Out
A Major Factor In Ghantt’s Motivation Isn’t Included
Creating a film adaptation that’s based on a true story is difficult. Creating a faithful adaptation of a story cemented in reality is almost impossible, so Masterminds certainly took some creative liberties with its source material. Ghantt actually tried to flee to Mexico with Kelly Campbell, played by the always funny Kristen Wiig, not by himself, as the movie depicts. In reality, Ghantt and Campbell went to the Columbia Airport in South Carolina, where there weren’t any flights to Mexico.
Ghantt then traveled to Atlanta to catch a flight while Campbell stayed back in Charlotte. While this is a minor detail, it would have been interesting if Masterminds allowed Gnatt and Campbell to develop their relationship and Campbell’s character further. Maybe the film could have offered a tearful goodbye scene at the airport that would have added heart to the story.
But, the most glaring difference between the real Loomis Fargo robbery and Masterminds is that Ghantt had a wife and family at the time of the heist. In fact, the main reason he robbed the facility was that he couldn’t pay his credit cards and provide for his family (via Axios Charlotte). However, in the film, Ghantt is missing the love of his family as a motivation to rob the facility.
If Ghantt had a family, especially a wife, this dynamic would have added tension to his romantic relationship with Campbell.
Giving Ghantt a compelling home life in Masterminds would have added stakes to the story, as, with a family to take care of, Ghantt has much more to lose than just facing jail time. If Ghantt had a family, especially a wife, this dynamic would have added tension to his romantic relationship with Campbell. Honestly, Ghantt’s lack of a family in Masterminds seems like a wasted opportunity because this element could have added more tension and perhaps even comedy to the story.
What Cast And Creatives Have Said About Masterminds’ True Story
They Thought The Story And Its Characters Were Compelling
Masterminds director Jared Hess, who was also behind the cult-classic Napoleon Dynamite, discussed meeting the real David Ghantt. In an interview with Cinemovie, Hess offered insight into how he crafted a character based on a real person:
“For me, after meeting David and seeing how he was as a person, there was an innocence about him, and for me… I feel like your protagonist or main character really sets the tone of the film emotionally….I wanted to stay true to that element. The comedy that happened seemed to work at that level – that PG-13 level.
Actor Zach Galifianakis also discussed what Masterminds means to the real David Ghantt in an interview with USA Today. The actor said:
“David said to me that this movie is a combination of humor and comedy. He made me laugh so hard. I said that we should use that on the poster. I don’t think there’s any subsтιтute for those many years (of freedom) being taken away… But from David’s point of view, this is a happy ending.”
It’s worth mentioning that Zach Galifianakis, being from North Carolina, where the heist took place, actually knew friends of some of the people involved, such as Steve Chambers (via USA Today).
Where Ghantt And Other Major Players In The Robbery Are Now
Ghantt Has Started Fresh In Florida
Masterminds is accurate in the detail of Chambers hiring a hitman to kill Ghantt. But, unlike the film, Ghantt didn’t become friends with the hitman. After FBI officials traced Ghantt’s call to Chambers, where he asked for more money, the agency moved in and inadvertently saved Ghantt from being killed. Ghantt was promptly returned back to the U.S. where he was sentenced to seven years in prison and was fined $26,000.
Steve Chambers, his wife Michelle, Kelly Campbell, and four more people were arrested shortly after Ghantt. In total, 24 people were arrested by the FBI in connection to the Loomis Fargo heist. Ghantt was eventually released in 2006. He now lives in Jacksonville, Florida. He’s married and has a teenage daughter, but few other details are known about his family (via Action News Jax).
