A federal judge on Monday ordered a former deep-sea treasure hunter to stay in jail until he answers questions about the location of 500 missing gold coins.
Defendant Tommy Thompson has been held in contempt of court since mid-December when Judge Algenon Marbley found Thompson violated a plea deal by refusing to respond.
Marbley said Monday that he hoped Thompson would have an “epiphany” about the coins and other assets connected to the recovery of the SS Central America, which sank off the coast of South Carolina in 1857.
Thompson, wearing an orange jail uniform and sitting in a wheelchair, said he never saw or touched the coins, minted from gold taken from the shipwreck. He said he told everything he knew during depositions last fall.
“I said what I know about them,” Thompson told Marbley. “There can’t be an epiphany.”
“I’m going to take that as a ‘no,'” Marbley said. He ordered Thompson to stay in jail for another 60 days. Thompson is also being fined $1,000 a day until he cooperates.
“As long as you are content to be a master of misdirection and deceit to the court, I am content to let you sit,” Marbley said.
Thompson’s attorney, Karl Schneider, told the judge discussions are underway with the government to resolve the impasse. He wouldn’t comment further outside court.
Federal prosecutor Doug Squires said the government doesn’t believe Thompson has met the terms of his plea deal, which requires him to answer questions about the coins and assets.
Thompson also received a two-year prison sentence in December and a $250,000 fine for failing to appear before a judge three years ago to answer similar questions.
Thompson pleaded guilty in April to contempt of court in that case. Part of his plea deal required him to answer questions in closed-door sessions about the whereabouts of the gold coins, which the government says are worth millions.
The first of those hearings was Oct. 19. A federal prosecutor called Thompson’s answers evasive and concerning. Thompson refused to cooperate at the December hearing.
That two-year sentence — including credit for nearly a year already spent behind bars — will be delayed until the issue of the gold coins is resolved.
A fugitive from Ohio since 2012, Thompson was apprehended in January 2015 along with his longtime female companion at a hotel where he was living near Boca Raton, Florida.
Thompson has been accused of cheating investors since he discovered the SS Central America, known as the Ship of Gold, in 1988. The Gold Rush-era ship sank in a hurricane with thousands of pounds of gold aboard, contributing to an economic panic.
The 161 investors who paid Thompson $12.7 million to find the ship never saw any proceeds. Two sued — a now-deceased investment firm president and the company that once published The Columbus Dispatch newspaper.
Thompson, 63, told the judge he suffers from a rare form of chronic fatigue syndrome that has created problems with short-term memory.
Thompson has previously said without providing details that the coins were turned over to a trust in Belize. The government doubts this.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
This guy sounds like a common thief. Once he remembers the gold’s location some of it should go to pay for his incarceration.
No he is not a common thief. Obviously he worked hard for years to find it, now the state wants its cut, maybe if the courts stayed out of this, his investors would get there cut. Otherwise he might as well get a job at Mc Donalds.
the real thievs are the corrupt judge and the state and Fed Gov who will get there taxes off his and the investors income.
Another case of a Federal judge trying to screw a treasure hunter out of his just rewards for his efforts.
Oh please. Would you turn over a treasure that you had found. I’de sit on it until Hell froze over. What right does the Government have to anything. It’s called Salvager’s rights. I’ll bet that you would hand all of your assets over to Obama if he asked for it.
I wonder just how much time, effort, research and money the judge and courts have in this issue to justify their claiming even one of the found coins? Their only driving force is their greed. The ship, when it went down, was not involved with the government and was a private ship of commerce. I agree with many that he just keep quiet. They can not justify keeping him under lock and key forever. I believe the limit is a year. And, when freedom comes I suggest he covertly gather his treasure and head for some foreign port and enjoy his life.
As for his having to pay up for his own incarceration, NO Way! He did not lock himself up, the court did, It becomes their responsibility to care for him in all ways. That would be protection, food, clothing and medical attention should he need it. That will be a nice sum that they would have to absorb with no return in cost. They can not keep him in jail because he refused to pay his jail time cost. That cost is on them!
The judge, sounds like a common thief… It hardly computes, that, so much gold, could only produce 500 coins, even if the coins were as big, as, serving platters… The gold, may have been, a hoax, from the gitgo….. Besides, who, supposedly, minted, coins, and, who, paid, for, that, work….??? Then, there’s the braindead judge, who’s mined the law, to use the law, to, commit, suborned, extortion, as if, he’s judge and jury, without, a proven crime, to, begin with…??? …You just can’t believe a word, lie-yers, tell you… and, judges are lie-yers…. You should throw the braindead juudge, in jail, until, he reveals, where the laws are, that, prevent, him, from, using his own ignorance, to play, dictator, under color of law….as he is deemed to have superior knowledge of the law, and, has, taken a sworn oath of office, duty, to uphold, superior law; extorting a salary, for, aborting the law… Where is it written, that, a JUDGES,’ IGNORANCE OF THE LAW, IS, AN EXCUSE, TO, TWIST THE LAW, TO, FIT, HIS DELUSIONS, OF, THE, “YOUR HONOR,” SYNDROME; DISEASE… ???………..Snidely….Edgrrr…
Who knows maybe a trip to Belize would be in order to snoop around. Bet hundreds have done it and some lawyer got it in a trust somewhere. And our friend does not know where it is.
Certainly does not pay him to sit in jail by not telling them. If somebody knows it’s his girlfriend.
Bet she’s waiting for the right time huh. Hope he get out and get the gold that way they will find it. Sitting in jail with taxpayer money going down the drain doesn’t solve anything.
treasure sits on ocean floor for 100,s of years our navy,coast guard an even noah cant kind it.So here comes big bad private citizen an he finds it, but can’t keep it cause government want’s it ,yes I’m very aware of all the laws surrounding sunken treasure work with the guy pay his bills,honey will get more than a hammer!
I was always told that if you ever found a treasure be sure to give it to your worst enemy so he can spend the rest of his life in court!
Isn’t it ironic that if someone has the drive, the money, the skill, and the luck to find something like this then there always is some S O B in a three piece standing on the dock with a piece of paper to take it away from you!
Absolutely…The state don’t want their “cut” they want it all like the greedy pigs they are !!
How long before the judge brings in an expert from Gitmo and waterboards the guy? They have ways to make him talk and not above using these methods. The prisoner could even be gived the choice of waterboarding or pulling fingernails with pliers, either way they can do it.
Yup, the govern mentals, will even, kidnap, your children, to incite you….. Snidely…. Edgrrr…
It’s almost like an old western. Remember “The Outlaw Josey Wales”? ” Pa, is that you, Pa?” “I got the gold right here!” “The gold me and Josey robbed from the bank!” “There’s no gold, he’s crazy.”‘ “Lige, take a look under that there blanket.”
It’s a very simple thing – You either let the corrupt government rob you or you sit in jail.
If the Judge really wanted to know where the gold is hidden they would give him truth Syrian. I agree that treasure find should belong to whoever builds the Pyramid , not to someone else with sticky fingers. Maybe the Judge should be taken on an excursion trip and see if he would turn over his find . Ha! Ha!