"Thompson, an Ohio-born research scientist, was hailed as a hero after finding the S.S. Central America and its thousands of pounds of sunken treasure that sat at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean for more than 150 years. But in the decades that followed, he battled with investors who accused him of cheating them out of millions and then spent years on the run as a fugitive before being sent to prison."
"The Central America was filled with a big haul from the California Gold Rush when it sank in a hurricane in 1857. Four hundred and twenty-five people drowned, and thousands of pounds of gold were lost, contributing to an economic panic. Investors who backed Thompson's venture sued him in 2005, saying they had yet to receive any money from the $50 million sale of more than 500 gold bars and thousands of coins."
"The judge then held him in contempt and sent Thompson to prison at the end of 2015 for refusing to answer questions about the location of missing coins. Thompson, now 73, maintained that the coins - valued then at $2.5 million - were turned over to a trust in Belize and said the $50 million from the sale was distributed accordingly."
Tommy Thompson, an Ohio-born research scientist, located the S.S. Central America off South Carolina's coast in 1988, discovering thousands of pounds of sunken treasure from the 1857 shipwreck. The vessel sank during a hurricane carrying California Gold Rush riches, resulting in 425 deaths. Thompson initially gained recognition as a hero but later faced legal battles with investors who claimed they received no proceeds from the $50 million sale of gold bars and coins. After investors sued in 2005, Thompson went into hiding and became a fugitive. Arrested in 2015, he was imprisoned for contempt of court after refusing to answer questions about 500 missing coins valued at $2.5 million. Thompson maintained the coins were transferred to a trust in Belize. He was released last Wednesday at age 73.
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