Posted on 12/14/2020 1:29:05 PM PST by Responsibility2nd
A former deep-sea treasure hunter who has not disclosed the location of 500 missing gold coins remains in an Ohio jail for the fifth year.
Research scientist Tommy Thompson was been in jail for contempt of court for half a decade - well past the normal maximum limit of 18 months for such cases
Thompson took on a case for 161 investors who paid him $12.7 million to excavate a sunken ship, the S.S. America, which was known as the Ship of Gold and sunk in 1857 during a hurricane off South Carolina.
Thompson took the money but never returned the gold, leading the investors to sue him.
After failing to appear in court in 2012 to disclose the coins' whereabouts, Thompson lived in Florida in hiding for three years before U.S. marshals tracked him to Boca Raton and arrested him.
Thompson pleaded guilty for his failure to appear and was sentenced to two years in prison and a $250,000 fine, but he had to answer questions in closed-door sessions about the coins, which the government estimated to be worth $2-4 million.
(Excerpt) Read more at apple.news ...
I doubt that no one believes he doesn’t have the gold. Of course he does. So the question is should he really be held without a trial for years and years?
And even if and when he gets out, what is he going to do with $4 million in gold? Try and spend it?
Obviously this story is missing key facts.
[[And even if and when he gets out, what is he going to do with $4 million in gold?]]
Melt it down and shape it into a golden calf of course
If someone has millions of dollars in gold, they would sell it and spend the proceeds, if they chose to do that.
If the story is correct, then Thompson is a thief and a swindler. He gets no sympathy from me.
I was thinking of a golden toilet seat and paint it porcelain colored (to hide it, of course), and then have it buried with him...
Five years in jail with no trial and contempt of court charge? Seems excessive and unconstitutional to me if that is what is going on here.
“If the story is correct, then Thompson is a thief and a swindler. He gets no sympathy from me.”
Should have said he lost the gold in a boating accident.
“If the story is correct, then Thompson is a thief and a swindler. He gets no sympathy from me.”
I agree.
Read this during lunch, don’t understand his motivation. Wonder if there’s more money involved in this then reported? Maybe there’s tons of millions of dollars stored away together, otherwise why not release the 2 to 4,000,000 and get out of jail?
“Five years in jail with no trial and contempt of court charge? “
Multiple
> Should have said he lost the gold in a boating accident. <
He should have split the gold into unequal two parts, and buried them in separate locations. Then give up the location of the smaller amount, saying that’s all there is.
(I can’t take credit for that idea. It’s an old mafia trick. Or so I’m told.)
Even if the guy stole the 2-4 million dollars how is 5 years (ongoing and adding month after month) a punishment that fits the crime? Jon Corzine stole 1.2 Billion dollars and didn’t do a day in jail.
Even if he has $4 million in gold, is that worth giving up five years and counting of your life?
He should have been more honest in his business dealings.
He could have shown up in court in 2012, and taken the 5th to every question. You are not in contempt if you decline to speak on the grounds you may incriminate yourself.
They could give him immunity from criminal prosecution, and then he would have to talk or be in contempt.
He holds the keys to the cell. All he has to do is account for the stolen property and he can walk.
Guy sounds like he’s paying the price for having more swagger than brains.
Something is fishy and it ain't just the critters swimming through the wreck.
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