Tommy Gregory Thompson is an American treasure hunter known for his leading role in the discovery of the wreck of the SS Central America on September 11, 1988.[4] He is also the author of a book about the discovery, America's Lost Treasure, published in 1998,[5] and is a main character in the best-selling 1998 non-fiction book Ship of Gold in the Deep Blue Sea by Gary Kinder.
In 2000, Thompson sold gold recovered from the Central America for $52 million.[6]
In 2009 he had an offshore account in the Cook Islands valued at $4.16 million.[7] In 2013, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio issued an arrest warrant for Thompson for civil contempt for his failure to appear as directed. In 2014, the same court issued an additional arrest warrant for Thompson for criminal contempt. The investigation was assigned to Deputy United States Marshal Mark Stroh of the Southern District of Ohio.[8] Thompson was a fugitive until U.S. Marshals arrested him in 2015 at a West Palm Beach, Florida hotel, together with fellow fugitive Alison Louise Antekeier.[9]
In November 2018, Thompson agreed to surrender 500 gold coins salvaged from the wreck of the Central America, but then claimed he did not have access to the missing coins.[10] On 28 November 2018, a jury awarded investors $19.4 million in compensatory damages: $3.2 million to the Dispatch Printing Company (which had put up $1 million of a total of $22 million invested) and $16.2 million to the court-appointed receiver of the other investors.[7]
Recovery expedition
According to the Tampa Bay Times, while Thompson discovered the wreck of the SS Central America in 1988, he did not receive legal authorization to salvage the wreck until 2003.[11]
He used the Arctic Discoverer as his expedition vessel, which deployed a remotely controlled vehicle, the Nemo.[11]
A 3-part mini docuseries titled "Cursed Gold: A Shipwreck Scandal" aired in 2024 about him. Currently available on Hulu and Disney+.[12]
Conviction and imprisonment
In April 2015, Thompson pled guilty for failure to appear for an earlier case and was sentenced to two years in jail and a fine of $250,000.[13] The plea bargain included a requirement for Thompson to answer questions about the whereabouts of 500 gold coins, which he has refused to do, claiming he suffers from short-term memory loss and has forgotten their location.[13] Since December 2015, he has been jailed indefinitely on charges of contempt of court until he cooperates.[13]
On December 19, 2020, The New York Times, and several other publications, published retrospective articles to mark the fifth anniversary of his conviction.[14] Steven Tigges, the lawyer for one of the investors who sued Thompson, said he could expect release as soon as he handed over the missing funds. As of August 2024, he was still in jail.
^ ab"Expedition seeks sunken treasure". Tampa Bay Times. October 13, 2005. Archived from the original on December 20, 2020. Retrieved December 19, 2020. The expedition uses an unmanned remote recovery vehicle, Nemo, which has recovered most of the easily reached gold in the last two years, Thompson said.
