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Treasure Hunter Tommy Thompson Released After Decade in Prison

3/16/2026

Summary

Story summary

Tommy Thompson, a US treasure hunter, was released from prison after ten years for not revealing the location of 500 missing gold coins from the SS Central America shipwreck.
Thompson, 73, discovered the ship in 1988, which sank in 1857 with 30,000 pounds of gold on board.
Investors accused him of fraud for not sharing treasure proceeds, leading him to go into hiding in 2012 and his arrest in 2015.
A judge ruled in 2020 that Thompson was unlikely to disclose the coins' location, concluding his contempt sentence.
He was later sentenced for missing a court date and released after serving that time.

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Story summary

Tommy Thompson, a US treasure hunter, was released from prison after ten years for not revealing the location of 500 missing gold coins from the SS Central America shipwreck.
Thompson, 73, discovered the ship in 1988, which sank in 1857 with 30,000 pounds of gold on board.
Investors accused him of fraud for not sharing treasure proceeds, leading him to go into hiding in 2012 and his arrest in 2015.
A judge ruled in 2020 that Thompson was unlikely to disclose the coins' location, concluding his contempt sentence.
He was later sentenced for missing a court date and released after serving that time.