About this item
In 1997, an amateurish group of thieves pulled off the second-largest cash heist in America's history. Their antics conjure up comparisons to novels by Elmore Leonard and Carl Hiassen, but even those authors could not invent such wacky behavior. Although the actual perpetrator, Loomis Fargo driver David Ghantt, was captured on tape as he methodically wheeled money from the vault into a van for a whole hour, it took several days to determine that he had stolen 17 million. The company had to chisel its way inside the vault, as Ghantt had set its security timer so it couldn't be opened for days. Unhappy with his life and marriage, Ghantt had been coaxed into a life of crime by Kelly Campbell, a former Loomis Fargo co-worker. Ghantt honestly believed that he could flee to Mexico and await Campbell, who would join him there with the rest of his share of the stolen money.
About the Author
Jeff Diamant, an award-winning journalist, covered one of the largest heists in U.S. history for the Charlotte Observer during the late 1990s. Afterwards he was a reporter for the Newark Star Ledger in New Jersey. His writing has appeared in numerous other publications including the Washington Post, Toronto Star and New York Times. A graduate of Yale College, he researches American religious history at the City University of New York. He has taught journalism classes at Rutgers University-Newark and American history at Lehman College. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.
