A former deep-sea treasure hunter at the center of one of the world's most famous shipwreck discoveries has been released from prison, but hundreds of gold coins reportedly tied to a trust in Belize remain missing.
Tommy Thompson, the scientist who located the historic shipwreck "SS Central America", was released from prison last week after spending nearly a decade behind bars.
Thompson became internationally famous in 1988 after discovering the wreck of the steamship, often referred to as the "Ship of Gold," which sank in 1857 during a hurricane while transporting treasure.
The disaster claimed the lives of more than 400 people and resulted in thousands of pounds of gold being lost at sea.
The discovery of the wreck was hailed as one of the greatest deep-sea recoveries in history, with treasure valued at tens of millions of dollars eventually brought to the surface. However, the story later turned into a prolonged legal battle. Investors who funded Thompson's expedition sued him in 2005, claiming they had not received their share of profits from the sale of recovered gold bars and coins, which reportedly generated more than $50 million.
Thompson claimed he turned 500 missing coins over to a trustee in Belize around 2009, and has repeatedly said he has no clue where they are now.
And now, even with his release, the fate of those 500 gold coins allegedly linked to a Belize trust remains unresolved.
