US EditionTreasure Hunter Freed After Decade Jailed for Hidden Gold
- Last Wednesday, Tommy Thompson was released from federal custody after spending about a decade in prison, federal Bureau of Prisons records show.
- The treasure find and ensuing investor disputes set the stage for years of litigation after Tommy Thompson located the S.S. Central America in 1988, recovering thousands of pounds of sunken gold and battling investors who accused him of cheating them out of millions.
- After missing a 2012 hearing, authorities tracked Thompson to a Florida hotel and arrested him; a judge held him in contempt and sent him to prison at the end of 2015, with a 2019 appeals court rejecting his legal argument.
- U.S. District Judge Algenon Marbley agreed to end the civil‑contempt detention and ordered Thompson to start a two‑year sentence, while investors who sued in 2005 still await proceeds from the $50 million sale.
- Thompson says about 500 missing coins were placed in a trust in Belize with a $2.5 million valuation, and his extended detention beyond the federal contempt‑of‑court limit raises legal questions.
51 Articles
51 Articles
A former scientist turned treasure hunter was released from prison last week after serving a 10-year sentence for contempt of court for refusing to share the location of missing gold coins. During his searches, 73-year-old Thomas G. Thompson discovered SS Central America in 1988, off the coast of South Carolina. The steamboat sank in 1857, in the midst of a hurricane, with 450 passengers and tons of California coins, ingots and gold nuggets valu…
‘Ship of Gold’ Treasure Hunter Tommy Thompson Released After Decade in Prison for Refusing To Reveal Location of 500 Gold Coin | 🌎 LatestLY
Former treasure hunter Tommy Thompson has been released from federal prison after a decade. Thompson, who discovered the S.S. Central America shipwreck in 1988, faced years of litigation and contempt charges over 500 missing gold coins. His release follows a long-standing dispute with investors regarding the distribution of the shipwreck's riches. 🌎 ‘Ship of Gold’ Treasure Hunter Tommy Thompson Released After Decade in Prison for Refusing To Re…
The 73-year-old scientist and marine explorer Tommy Thompson was released from prison after spending nearly a decade in detention in the United States. The researcher gained notoriety in 1988. In that year he led the discovery of the remains of the SS Central America, known as the “Golden Ship.” Records from the Federal Department of Prisons, reviewed by Associated Press, confirmed that Thompson regained his freedom on Wednesday, March 4. His ca…
In 1988 Tommy Thompson located the wreck of the "Ship of Gold" and had valuable finds. To date, 500 specially minted coins are undetectable.
Deep-sea treasure hunter freed after decade behind bars for refusing to reveal gold location
Tommy Thompson, deep-sea explorer who discovered S.S. Central America gold coins, was released from prison after over a decade for refusing to disclose 500 missing coins.
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