Treasure hunter walks free after a decade behind bars over missing gold
Tommy Thompson, the salvager who found the SS Central America treasure, was released from federal prison after 10 years for contempt tied to refusing to disclose the location of missing gold coins. Appellate rulings later found that his contempt violated a plea agreement, leading to the end of that sentence before his release, while he also completed a separate two-year term for missing a 2012 court date. The hunt over the sunken treasure and its coins remains unresolved for investors who accused him of bilking them.