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A treasure hunter who spent years in prison for refusing to reveal the location of 500 missing gold coins from one of America’s largest shipwrecks has been released
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The 1857 gold ship, also known as the SS Central America, was discovered off the coast of South Carolina in 1988 by Tommy Thompson
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Thompson, 73, was sent to prison in 2015 for failing to reveal the location of 500 gold coins on the ship.
A treasure hunter who spent years in jail for refusing to reveal the location of 500 missing gold coins from one of America’s largest shipwrecks has been released.
Tommy Thompson discovered the 1857 gold ship, also known as the SS Central America, off the coast of South Carolina in 1988, according to the Associated Press and Associated Press. columbus telegram.
In 1857, the Ship of Gold sank in an Atlantic hurricane, killing 425 people. Columbus Telegram.
Tommy Thompson
Photo credit: Delaware County Sheriff’s Office (AP)
Thompson, 73, was sent to prison in 2015 for failing to reveal the location of 500 gold coins on the ship.
On Wednesday, March 11, a spokesperson for the federal Bureau of Prison Records confirmed to PEOPLE that Thompson was released from the federal Bureau of Prisons on Wednesday, March 4.
The spokesperson added that for privacy and security reasons, no further comment would be made on the “conditions of confinement” or “release plans”.
Thompson was initially celebrated when he made the discovery, which included a 150-year-old treasure on the ship, according to the Associated Press.
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SS Central America, known as the “Golden Ship”
Image source: Library of Congress/Associated Press
However, many investors who financially supported his expedition felt cheated after the location of the ship’s gold coins and bars, estimated to be worth an estimated $100 million, was not revealed. columbus telegram reported.
The investors argued that they had not received any payment for the 500 gold bars and thousands of gold coins sold for $50 million, the Associated Press reported.
Gold ingots salvaged from the SS Central America, which sank in 1857
Photo credit: Steven Sene/AP
Thompson faced multiple lawsuits before fleeing Florida, the outlet reported.
The explorer was eventually found in a hotel three years later. He was subsequently jailed for contempt of court.
He was also ordered to pay $1,000 for each day he is incarcerated, a civil contempt fine of $3,335,000, and a criminal contempt fine of $250,000. columbus telegram.
Thompson now reportedly claims the coins, worth $2.5 million, were donated to a trust in Belize. He also said the $50 million was used for legal fees and bank loans, the Associated Press reported.
Read the original article on People
