A Prisoner Is Fined $1,000 Daily for Refusing to Give Up the Location of a Treasure Worth $2 Million (3 Photos)

A marine explorer has served years in prison for failing to disclose the location of missing gold coins in a rather peculiar case.





Explorer turned marine treasure hunter Tommy Thompson was found in contempt of court in December 2015 and was given a $1,000 daily fine to boot.

This all happened because he found the SS Central America in 1988. The vessel, known as the "Gold Ship," sank during the 1857 gold rush off the coast of South Carolina.

Since the discovery of the hoard, Thompson has refused to cooperate with authorities trying to find the 500 coins minted from some of the gold, which has landed him in a lot of trouble and continued prison time.

Thompson has appeared to taunt authorities about the location of the hoard, and has previously claimed that the coins are valued at around $2.5 million and were placed in a trust fund in Belize.

Thompson has likely been a source of public frustration for years, which began when he failed to show up for a hearing in Ohio in 2012 where the coins were discussed. This led to U.S. Marshals tracking him down in Florida and arresting him. In April 2015, he pleaded guilty to failing to appear for the hearing and was sentenced to two years in prison.



In general, federal law limits prison sentences for contempt of court to 18 months. However, in 2019, a federal appeals court rejected his argument that the law applied to him. The government said his refusal to cooperate violated the terms of his plea agreement.

Gold Rush-era finds have certainly gained enormous prices over the years. In 2022, one of the largest bars from the SS Central America ever auctioned sold for $2.16 million. The find was known as the Justh & Hunter bar.

Dallas-based Heritage Auctions, which sold the bar, said: "Considering that the Justh & Hunter bars recovered from the SS Central America numbered 86 bars of varying sizes, their experience and integrity made them one of the most reliable and well-managed."



Last week, a judge gave Thompson a small victory in the bizarre affair. U.S. District Judge Algenon Marbley said he was "no longer convinced that further incarceration is likely to compel Thompson to comply."

However, it also ruled that the research scientist must immediately begin serving a two-year sentence for a related criminal contempt charge - a term that was suspended when the civil contempt case was convicted.