Tommy Thompson, once a respected researcher, has been held in contempt of court since December 2015. On top of his jail time, he’s been facing a steep $1,000 fine every single day.
The whole situation traces back to his historic discovery of the S.S. Central America in 1988—a shipwreck that’s been a source of mystery and legal battles for decades.
Ever since Thompson uncovered the wreck, he has refused to work with authorities who are trying to locate 500 missing gold coins that were minted from the recovered treasure. His lack of cooperation has only prolonged his legal troubles, keeping him in jail much longer than expected.
At one point, Thompson even hinted at the treasure’s whereabouts, claiming the gold coins—valued at around $2.5 million—were placed in a trust in Belize. However, authorities have yet to verify this claim, leaving the treasure’s true location a mystery.
U.S. Marshals eventually tracked him down in Florida and arrested him. By April 2015, he pleaded guilty to evading the court and was sentenced to two years in prison.
Throughout history, Gold Rush-era finds have fetched incredible prices. In 2022, one of the largest gold ingots recovered from the S.S. Central America was sold at auction for a staggering $2.16 million.
The gold bar, a Justh & Hunter ingot, weighed a massive 866.19 ounces, making it one of the most valuable pieces ever auctioned.
Last week, there was a small legal twist in Thompson’s case.
U.S. District Judge Algenon Marbley acknowledged that keeping him locked up for contempt of court no longer seemed effective in forcing him to cooperate.
This sentence had been delayed when his civil contempt jail time was enforced.
