Man Jailed For 10 Years For Refusing To Reveal Location Of “Ship Of Gold” Treasure May Soon Be Freed

A former deep-sea treasure hunter and research scientist who has been in jail for refusing to reveal the location of 500 missing gold coins may soon see some light at the end of the tunnel. A judge has decided to end the civil charge against him, stating that further incarceration may not necessarily compel him to comply.

Back in 1857, the SS Central America sank during a hurricane while carrying passengers from California to New York. Among its cargo was a whopping 21 tonnes of gold nuggets and coins, earning it the nickname “Ship of Gold”. This treasure was meant to support banks in New York but ended up contributing to the financial panic of 1857 when the ship went down.

Fast forward to 1988, a team led by research scientist Tommy Gregory Thompson finally discovered the lost haul using sonar technology after over a century of searching. Among the treasure were 500 coins worth around $2.5 million, the whereabouts of which has kept Thompson behind bars since 2015.

Thompson’s refusal to disclose the location of the coins led to a civil contempt charge in 2015, with a daily fine accumulating to over $3 million. Despite serving 10 years in prison, a judge has decided to drop the civil charge. However, Thompson is now facing a 2-year sentence on a related criminal contempt charge.

Throughout his incarceration, Thompson has remained tight-lipped about the gold coins’ location, claiming they were placed in a trust in Belize without providing further details. The judge expressed doubts that more time in prison would compel Thompson to cooperate, leaving his release date uncertain.