Trending Now - Treasure Hunter Freed as 500 Missing Gold Coins Persist

WHO:

Tommy Thompson, a deep-sea treasure hunter and research scientist from Ohio.

U.S. District Judge Algenon Marbley.

Dwight Manley, a California coin dealer.

Federal Bureau of Prisons.

WHAT:

Tommy Thompson was released from prison on March 3rd, 2026, after spending over a decade incarcerated.

Thompson refused to disclose the whereabouts of 500 missing gold coins from the S.S. Central America.

The S.S. Central America sank in September 1857, carrying 30,000 pounds of federal gold.

Investors sued Thompson in 2005, claiming they had not received any money from the $50 million sale of over 500 gold bars and thousands of coins.

Thompson was held in contempt and sent to prison at the end of 2015 for refusing to answer questions about the missing coins.

Thompson maintained that the missing coins were valued at $2.5 million and were turned over to a trust in Belize.

Thompson was sentenced to two years for skipping a court hearing in 2012.

WHERE:

The S.S. Central America was located off the coast of South Carolina.

Thompson was living in Florida when he became a fugitive.

WHEN:

The S.S. Central America sank in September 1857.

Investors sued Thompson in 2005.

A warrant for Thompson's arrest was issued in 2012.

Thompson was tracked to a Florida hotel in 2015.

Thompson was released from prison on March 3rd, 2026.

A federal appeals court rejected Thompson's argument in 2019.

Judge Marbley ended Thompson's civil contempt sentence in February 2025.

WHY:

Thompson contended he did not know the whereabouts of the missing coins, leading to his imprisonment for contempt of court.

Investors accused Thompson of cheating them out of millions, prompting legal action.

HOW:

Thompson went into seclusion and became a fugitive after failing to appear in court.

He was held in contempt for refusing to answer questions regarding the missing coins.

(UPDATED March 10, 2026 21:06 UTC)

Tommy Thompson, a deep-sea treasure hunter from Ohio, was released from prison on March 3, 2026, after serving over a decade for contempt of court. He had been incarcerated for refusing to reveal the location of 500 missing gold coins from the S.S. Central America, which sank in 1857, carrying a significant amount of federal gold. Investors had sued Thompson in 2005, claiming he cheated them out of millions from the sale of gold bars and coins, leading to his eventual imprisonment when he became a fugitive after skipping a court hearing in 2012.