Nat Geo's latest documentary Cursed Gold: A Shipwreck Scandal again reopens Tommy Thompson's case to detail the exploits of the treasure hunter and his eventual arrest. Tommy Thompson is a renowned treasure hunter who made headlines in 1988 when he discovered the wreck of the SS Central America, the ship that sank in 1857 with a vast amount of gold onboard.
This was one of the most significant underwater treasure discoveries made in history. But Thompson's success was overruled by legal troubles, as investors started coming at him accusing him of withholding profits. National Geographic’s Cursed Gold: A Shipwreck Scandal dropped on Thursday, August 22, 2024, with the details of Thompson's case.
Five details from Tommy Thompson's treasure hunt explored
Here are five key points about Tommy Thompson's treasure hunt.
#1 Tommy Thompson's legendary discovery as a treasure hunter
Born on April 15, 1952, in Indiana, Thompson carved out a niche for himself as a treasure hunter, devoting his life to recovering valuable artifacts from shipwrecks and other historical sites.
He made a legendary discovery on September 11, 1988, when he found the wreck of the SS Central America, a steamship that sank in 1857 off the coast of South Carolina.
The ship came to be known as the Ship of Gold because it was carrying a massive cargo of gold from the California Gold Rush. The treasure is estimated to be worth $765 million in 2024
#2 A hunt that led Thompson into trouble
Thompson's hunt was financed by 39 insurance companies and several investors. However, they grew increasingly dissatisfied with the lack of timely returns on the investments they made.
Trouble came in October 1989 when the insurance companies sued him in federal court, claiming that hey had not received their returns.
#3 Thomspon went into hiding
In 2013, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio issued an arrest warrant for Tommy Thompson for civil contempt.
In 2014, he faced a criminal contempt charge, leading to another arrest warrant. He was declared a fugitive after failing to appear in court, and in 2015, he was finally located in a hotel in Florida, where he had been hiding.
#4 The treasure hunter's arrest
When Thompson was found, he pleaded guilty to skipping a court hearing and was sentenced to two years and a $250,000 fine. However, his sentencing was delayed until the issue of recovering the missing gold was resolved.
Tommy was ordered to provide information on the missing 500 gold coins as part of his plea deal. However, he claimed to suffer from myalgic encephalomyelitis or chronic fatigue syndrome that causes short-term memory loss, which made it impossible for him to locate the coins.
He only admitted that there were some coins in Belize, South America, but didn't provide more information on it.
#5 Tommy refused to reveal the location of the discovered gold
Tommy Thompson refused to give out the location of the treasure. In 2018, compensatory damages were awarded to the investors.
The primary group was paid $19.4 million and $3.2 million was given to the Dispatch Printing Company. Other court-recognized investors received $16.2 million. Thompson is 72, and his incarceration has raised significant concerns regarding his deteriorating health.
Currently, Tommy Thompson is being held in federal custody at a detention center in Milan, Michigan, and there seems to be a very slim chance of him making it out of there in the near future.
Catch Cursed Gold: A Shipwreck Scandal for more details on his case.