US Marshals capture fugitive treasure hunter in Florida after 2-year hunt

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descent

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Fugitive treasure hunter nabbed in Florida after 2-year hunt

Amanda Lee Myers / AP
Published: 01/28/2015 11:13 AM Updated: 01/28/2015 11:20 AM

A fugitive treasure hunter embroiled in a legal fight over what’s been described as the greatest lost treasure in American history has been arrested in Florida after more than two years on the lam, authorities said Wednesday.

The U.S. Marshals Service tracked Tommy Thompson to a hotel in Palm Beach County and arrested him Tuesday, ...

Thompson made history in 1988 when he found the sunken S.S. Central America, also known as the Ship of Gold. In what was a technological feat at the time, Thompson and his crew brought up thousands of gold bars and coins from the shipwreck. Much of that was later sold to a gold marketing group in 2000 for about $50 million. ... (read more)
 
Hiding for two years at the Hilton Boca Raton Suites in Boca Raton. Rooms start at $224 per night. Probably got a cash discount, though.

DC
 
Fugitive treasure hunter says in court he is very sick

A treasure hunter who vanished two years ago while he was in a dispute over one of the greatest deep-sea hauls in American history was in court Thursday, appearing ready to defend himself and saying he was in an "extreme medical situation." ...

He told [Judge] Brannon he's "been very ill for a number of years" with a type of encephalitis, an overactive immune system and sensitivities and allergies that would be exacerbated if he is taken north.

"I'm a citizen of Florida and there's very strong reasons why I haven't left here since 2005," Thompson said. "It's very major for me to be exposed to things up north." ... (more)

---------- Post added January 29th, 2015 at 02:09 PM ----------

Looks like the AP has re-released its detailed bio of Thompson and summary of the case, originally published in Sept 2014.

--

These days, off the South Carolina coast, a new expedition is underway to recover more treasure from the "Ship of Gold," the sunken SS Central America. Inside the mess hall of the barge making the voyage hangs a "Wanted" poster of the man who first found the ship.

The U.S. Marshals Service wanted the poster of Thompson displayed so the crew would recognize him in case he shows up, lured out of the shadows by the galling idea that someone else is collecting the gold he unearthed.

US Marshals agent Mark Stroh says "They've awakened the sleeping beast." ... (more)
 
Too Bad.
 
He was robbed, I tells ya!!
 
The hotel staff may have tipped off the cops.

gold.jpg
 
The guy did screw over his investors. They funded his expedition and a world class crew to go along with it and he did not pay them. And why would he stay in the US?
 
The guy did screw over his investors. They funded his expedition and a world class crew to go along with it and he did not pay them. And why would he stay in the US?

Looks like he thought he could stay one step ahead of several specialized law enforcement task forces. There is a detailed story about Thompson's tradecraft in the Washington Post.

Federal agents have finally caught one of the most frustratingly intelligent and elusive criminals they have ever sought: famed treasure hunter Tommy G. Thompson.

On the lam for more than two years, Thompson did virtually everything he could to become “invisible,” leading law enforcement officers on a storybook chase for a man with few financial limitations, an abundance of smarts and a dogged determination to leave no paper trails.

“Thompson was smart — perhaps one of the smartest fugitives ever sought by the U.S. Marshals,” Peter Tobin, U.S. Marshal for the Southern District of Ohio, said in a statement announcing his capture. Thompson, Tobin said, had “almost limitless resources and approximately a ten year head start.” And yet, Tobin noted, law enforcement agencies, using “all of our resources and ingenuity,” still accomplished “what some thought would be near impossible.” ...

They paid rent for the multi-million dollar Vero Beach property in cold, sweaty cash that had become damp and moldy after being buried underground, according to court documents from 2013 that were unsealed this week. Thompson kept at least 12 disposable cellphones — each assigned to a different person or purpose.

Also found in the house were money straps stamped with “$10,000,” a bank statement bearing one of Thompson’s pseudonyms with a balance of $1 million, and a book called “How to be Invisible,” which details how to evade law enforcement. ... ( read more (1000 words) )
 
COLUMBUS, OHIO - AP

A fugitive treasure hunter plans to plead guilty to a contempt of court charge related to his refusal to testify about gold he discovered from a historic shipwreck, court documents indicate.

A plea agreement was filed in federal court Thursday [April 2] in Columbus in the case of Tommy Thompson, along with a criminal information document used by prosecutors when a deal has been reached and a defendant has agreed to plead guilty. ... (read more)
 
There is a book about Thompson and his explorations (I think it's entitled "Ship of Gold") and it's fascinating. It's very clear that this guy is amazingly bright and creative, and more than a little obsessive. It's a great read.
 

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