Tommy Thompson made headlines in 1988 after discovering the wreck of the SS Central America, a sunken vessel loaded with 19th-century gold often called the “Ship of Gold.”

The recovery brought up a massive haul — but it also sparked years of legal battles with investors over missing profits and unaccounted assets. Courts eventually ordered Thompson to reveal the location of hundreds of missing gold coins believed to be worth millions.

He refused.

Or said he couldn’t remember.

In 2015, Thompson was jailed for civil contempt — not for the discovery, but for withholding information. What followed was unusual. Instead of a short sentence, he spent over a decade behind bars, as courts believed he still had knowledge that could lead to the missing treasure.

The logic was simple: comply, and walk free.

But he never did.

In 2026, a judge finally ruled that continued imprisonment would no longer force cooperation, and Thompson was released.

To this day, the location of the missing gold remains unknown.

Somewhere, millions in treasure still haven’t been found.