The Loomis Fargo Heist: David Ghantt’s $17 Million Disappearance

On an October evening in 1997, David Ghantt, a Loomis Fargo vault supervisor in Charlotte, North Carolina, executed one of the most audacious cash heists in American history. Tired of waiting for the good life, Ghantt orchestrated his own plan to walk away with over $17 million in untraceable cash, setting off an international manhunt.

The morning after the heist, police were alerted by Ghantt’s wife, Tammy, who reported that her husband had not returned home from work the previous night. When Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officers arrived at the Loomis Fargo warehouse, they noticed Ghantt’s pickup truck parked outside and the warehouse door and chain-link fence both open. Inside, however, the scene was eerily normal. There were no signs of forced entry, the vault was locked, and a company van was missing along with all the keys.

The supervisor at the facility guided officers to the security room, where they discovered that two security camera tapes were missing, but one tape remained. Reviewing the footage revealed the shocking truth: David Ghantt himself had emptied the vault. With the vault holding mostly $20 bills stacked for ATM use, the total haul amounted to $17.3 million, with nearly $11 million in twenties alone. None of the cash was marked, and the serial numbers were non-sequential, making it virtually impossible to trace.

Because the stolen money belonged to federally insured banks, the FBI quickly became involved. Agents faced a perplexing scene: the warehouse was empty, orderly, and lacked the chaotic signs usually associated with robberies. Without Ghantt or the van in sight, the FBI had to start from scratch. Even the discovery of Ghantt’s wedding ring in his truck offered little insight other than raising questions about his intentions—had he left it as a signal, a farewell, or a clue?

Tammy Ghantt told investigators that nothing about her husband’s behavior had seemed unusual before the robbery. While finances had been tight, David had been working long hours to keep the household afloat. According to family members, he was a hardworking and reliable man who would not normally be capable of planning such a major crime. Yet, the surveillance footage left no doubt: Ghantt had carefully orchestrated the removal of millions in cash from the Loomis vault.

Within 48 hours, a grand jury indicted David Ghantt, allowing authorities to circulate his photograph and issue a nationwide alert. The FBI launched what they called Operation Charloot, a manhunt aimed at finding both Ghantt and the stolen money. Complicating the investigation, the heist occurred during the Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR race, which brought thousands of visitors into Charlotte, making it difficult to track his movements or any potential accomplices.

Investigators soon found the unmarked Loomis van abandoned in the woods less than ten miles from the warehouse. Inside, agents discovered $3.3 million in cash, the two missing security tapes, and the vault keys. The FBI speculated that Ghantt may have abandoned this portion of the money either due to running out of space or time, or perhaps to mislead investigators. Still, approximately $14 million remained missing, and Ghantt’s whereabouts were unknown.

The FBI began compiling information on Ghantt’s personal life and coworkers, hoping to uncover clues about his motivation and whether he had accomplices. Over 100 interviews with employees, family, and friends yielded little evidence. Ghantt, described as both conscientious and disgruntled at work, had recently been promoted but had a history of conflict over mishandling cash. Friends described him as a private man who was surprisingly close only to a coworker named Kelly Campbell, though she denied any involvement or close connection.

Authorities also reviewed Ghantt’s past, including his military service and background as a law-abiding citizen. The duality of his personality—responsible, hardworking, yet frustrated and ready for change—made it difficult to predict his next move. While some believed he could not have acted alone, the FBI had no leads on accomplices, leaving the case shrouded in uncertainty.

David Ghantt’s bold theft exposed vulnerabilities in cash handling systems and stunned both the banking and law enforcement communities. The case remains one of the most infamous examples of an insider heist, demonstrating how a single determined employee can exploit trust, opportunity, and preparation to pull off a massive crime. The manhunt that followed illustrated the challenges law enforcement faces when a perpetrator disappears into a city teeming with potential hiding places, all while carrying a fortune that could change a lifetime.

In the end, Ghantt’s disappearance, the missing $17 million, and the unanswered questions about possible accomplices highlighted not only the scale of the crime but also the complexity of understanding the human motivations behind it. While some cash was recovered and the van found, the audacity and precision of Ghantt’s plan left an indelible mark on the history of American heists.