Tommy Thompson, a former scientist turned treasure hunter, has been in jail since 2015 for refusing to reveal the location of missing gold coins worth $2 million. On top of that, he’s been fined $1,000 a day for his silence.
The coins came from the S.S. Central America, a Gold Rush-era shipwreck he discovered in 1988. Authorities have been trying to locate 500 coins minted from the treasure, but Thompson has refused to cooperate, claiming they were placed in a trust in Belize.
His troubles began in 2012 when he skipped a court hearing about the treasure. He was later tracked down in Florida and sentenced to two years in prison. However, his continued refusal to disclose the coins’ location has kept him behind bars for nearly a decade.
Federal law typically limits jail time for contempt to 18 months, but courts ruled that Thompson’s refusal violated a plea deal, keeping him locked up indefinitely. A judge recently admitted further incarceration might not force compliance but ordered him to begin serving a separate two-year sentence for criminal contempt.
Despite his lengthy time in jail, Thompson has never broken his silence, leaving authorities frustrated and the treasure’s location a mystery.
