Tommy Gregory Thompson

Tommy Gregory Thompson is known for his leading role in the rediscovery of SS Central America on September 11, 1988.[4] He is also the author of the book America's Lost Treasure, published in 1998.[5]

Tommy Thompson
Born
Thomas Gregory Thompson[1][2]

(1952-04-15) April 15, 1952[3]
Indiana
NationalityAmerican
Occupationtreasure hunter
Years active1988–1996
Known forrecovery of SS Central America
Notable work
America's Lost Treasure (1998)

In 2000 he sold gold recovered from SS Central America for $52 million.[6] In 2009 he had an off-shore account in the Cook Islands of $4.16 Million.[7] In 2013, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio issued an arrest warrant for Civil Contempt for Thompson 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 Marshall Mark Stroh of the Southern District of Ohio.[8] After several years of searching, U.S. Marshals arrested Thompson in 2015 at a West Palm Beach, Florida hotel, together with his fellow fugitive Alison Louise Antekeier.[9] In November 2018 Thompson agreed to surrender 500 gold coins; but then claimed he doesn't 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 $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 United States in 1988, he wasn't able to get 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]

Serving his sentence

On December 19, 2020, The New York Times, and several other publications, published retrospective articles to mark the fifth anniversary of his conviction.[12] 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.

References
  1. "Ship of Gold Treasure Hunter Arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service". Usmarshals.gov. Archived from the original on 2017-05-14. Retrieved 2017-05-23.
  2. Julia Glum. "Who Is Tommy Thompson? Fugitive Treasure Hunter Who Found S.S. Central America Shipwreck To Appear In Court For Cheating Investors". Ibtimes.com. Archived from the original on 2017-02-10. Retrieved 2017-05-23.
  3. "Photographic image" (JPG). Assets.nydailynews.com. Archived from the original on 2016-12-20. Retrieved 2017-05-23.
  4. "COLUMBUS-AMERICA DISCOVERY GROUP and the SS CENTRAL AMERICA" (PDF). Columbia.edu. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2016-07-05. Retrieved 2017-05-23.
  5. America's lost treasure. Atlanta Monthly Press. 1998. ISBN 0871137321. OCLC 39728073. Archived from the original on 2016-12-20. Retrieved 2020-12-19.
  6. "Marshal: Fugitive treasure hunter had $420,000 in hotel room". UPI.com. 2015-02-04. Archived from the original on 2017-02-23. Retrieved 2017-05-23.
  7. "Columbus Ohio Dispatch 30 November 2018".
  8. Dispatch, Kathy Lynn Gray, The Columbus. "Treasure-hunter Tommy Thompson, girlfriend plead guilty to contempt charges". The Columbus Dispatch. Archived from the original on 2019-07-20. Retrieved 2019-07-20.
  9. How treasure hunter Tommy Thompson, ‘one of the smartest fugitives ever,’ was caught Archived 2016-12-16 at the Wayback Machine / The Washington Post, January 30, 2015
  10. Futty, John. "Treasure hunter Tommy Thompson testifies that he doesn't have access to missing gold coins". The Columbus Dispatch. Archived from the original on 2018-11-17. Retrieved 2018-11-17.
  11. "Expedition seeks sunken treasure". Tampa Bay Times. 2005-10-13. Archived from the original on 2020-12-20. Retrieved 2020-12-19. 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.
  12. Concepción de León (2020-12-19). "Treasure Hunter Notches 5th Year in Prison for Refusing to Forfeit His Loot". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2020-12-19. Retrieved 2020-12-19. 'All he has to do is tell the court where the gold really is, sign that power of attorney, and otherwise assist in getting the gold back to the United States, and he’s out,' Mr. Tigges said.

Further reading
  • Kinder, Gary (1998). Ship of Gold in the Deep Blue Sea. Grove Press. ISBN 9780802144256


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