Treasure hunter freed from jail after refusing to turn over shipwreck gold

Spending a decade in jail at age 60+ is a hell of a price to pay for a few millions. I'm tempted to believe he doesn't actually know where the coins are. If that's the case, he just spent 10+ years in a cage because a judge didn't believe him....

The real story here is that civil contempt can net you an indefinite prison sentence without a conviction, and if you're lucky a judge will decide to let you out. Over something you may or may not even know.

Wonder why he was only charged with contempt, rather than defrauding investors?

The last time I saw this story, I learned that he was actually jailed for defrauding investors.

Was that not the case? If it is, is the BBC in the unavoidable click-bait game now?

“Ship of Gold in the Deep Blue Sea” is a book about the treasure hunt, recommended.

Previously (4+6 points) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47329627 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47372912

But also amusingly Deep-sea treasure hunter jailed for 10 years scores legal win but won't be freed (10 points, 1 year ago, 2 comments) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42923251

Jesus, what a tale

> Investors in Thompson's venture accused him of cheating them out of promised proceeds and after years on the run he was jailed in 2015 on a criminal contempt charge.

> They had been staying in a hotel for two years, paying cash for their room under a false name and using taxis and public transport to avoid detection.

But unless he plans on leaving secret wealth to his children, it scarcely sounds like a win even if he did actually get the $400 million. The investors are likely to watch him closely post-release for any actual accessing of the money. But even otherwise, what a life. Even if you have the $400 m worth of money somewhere, you're still living for years out of a hotel in Boca Raton, FL only going places via taxi and public transport while trying not to leave a paper trail. Then you're in jail for 10 years.

I suppose he can live out his seventies and later, but damn.

This is Thorin having to give away the Lonely Mountain treasure after Smaug's death all over again

Interesting that they stayed in Florida instead of absconding with the coins to where they'd be out of reach.

From what i have read, he is mostly guilty of defrauding his investors.

They probably released him because they don't want the secret to die with him and also they probably want to track him via satellite.

This is interesting. They really can’t keep you locked forever.

So just need to wait them out eh.

Is there any obligation to turn over treasure you find yourself? And why?

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