Shivangi Sinha
Tommy Thompson, a renowned treasure hunter, made headlines in 1988 when he discovered the wreck of the SS Central America, a ship that sank in 1857 carrying vast amounts of gold. The find, often dubbed the “Ship of Gold,” is reported to be one of the most significant underwater treasure discoveries in history. However, Thompson’s success was marred by legal troubles as investors accused him of withholding profits. National Geographic’s ‘Cursed Gold: A Shipwreck Scandal’ takes a deep dive into the case and features the details of Thompson’s eventual arrest. The series also highlights his life and raises many questions about his time in prison.
Tommy Thompson Recovered Gold From the SS Central America Wreck
Tommy Gregory Thompson, born on April 15, 1952, in Indiana, carved a niche for himself as a treasure hunter, which involves searching for and recovering valuable artifacts from shipwrecks and other historical sites. On September 11, 1988, Thompson successfully discovered the wreck of the SS Central America, a steamship that sank in 1857 off the coast of South Carolina during a hurricane. Also known as the “Ship of Gold,” the vessel was significant because it was carrying a massive cargo of gold from the California Gold Rush — a massive migration to California in the late 1840s after gold was discovered, leading to rapid population growth, economic expansion, and eventual statehood.
The treasure that Thompson recovered from the SS Central America is believed to be worth $765 million in 2024. He documented his experiences in a 1998 book titled ‘America’s Lost Treasure.’ However, the expedition was financed by 39 insurance companies and several investors, who grew increasingly dissatisfied with the lack of timely returns on their investments. In October 1989, the insurance companies sued him in federal court, claiming they had not gotten their returns. Despite these tensions, Thompson allegedly sold some recovered gold in 2000 for $52 million. By 2009, reports surfaced that Thompson held approximately $4.16 million in an offshore account in the Cook Islands.
Tommy Thompson Remained a Fugitive For Many Years
In 2005, some investors accused Thompson of mismanaging the gold recovered from the SS Central America wreck. He was ordered to sit for a debtor’s examination, during which he complied by providing a 319-page deposition. However, when a second deposition was ordered, his attorney invoked the Fifth Amendment, and Thompson refused to answer further questions. In 2013, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio issued an arrest warrant for Thompson for civil contempt after he failed to appear as required. In 2014, he faced a criminal contempt charge, leading to another arrest warrant.
Thompson was declared a fugitive after failing to appear in court, prompting a nationwide search. In 2015, he was located in a hotel near Boca Raton in West Palm Beach, Florida, where he had been hiding with Alison Louise Antekeier, another fugitive. In April 2015, Thompson pleaded guilty to skipping a court hearing and was sentenced to two years and a $250,000 fine. However, the sentencing for the criminal contempt charge was delayed until the issue of recovering the missing gold coins was resolved.
Tommy Thompson is in Federal Custody Even Today
Tommy Thompson was ordered to provide information on the missing 500 gold coins as part of his plea deal. However, when questioned, he claimed to suffer from myalgic encephalomyelitis or chronic fatigue syndrome, which causes short-term memory loss. He said his condition has made it impossible for him to locate the coins. At one point he admitted that some of the coins were in Belize, South America, but did not give any additional information. The judge had also mandated that his condition be assessed every 60 days during his 2015 sentencing, but it is alleged that this was not consistently followed. In his first year of incarceration, Thompson was attacked in jail.
In November 2018, despite initially promising to reveal the location of the coins, he refused to do so. Later that month, compensatory damages were awarded to the investors: $19.4 million to the primary group, $3.2 million to the Dispatch Printing Company, and $16.2 million to other court-recognized investors. At 72 years old, Tommy Thompson’s incarceration has raised significant concerns, particularly regarding his age and health. Currently held in federal custody at a detention center in Milan, Michigan, Thompson has reportedly not received the necessary medical assistance for his ailments. Given his advanced age and the ongoing legal issues, many believe that his release is unlikely in the near future.
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