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        <img post-id="1300" fifu-featured="1" width="1200" src="https://i2.wp.com/assets.iflscience.com/assets/articleNo/77920/aImg/81936/gold-nugget-meta.png?w=1200&amp;resize=1200,0&amp;ssl=1" class="attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="Man Jailed For 10 Years For Refusing To Reveal Location Of “Ship Of Gold” Treasure May Soon Be Freed" title="Man Jailed For 10 Years For Refusing To Reveal Location Of “Ship Of Gold” Treasure May Soon Be Freed" decoding="async"/><br />
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        <p>A former treasure hunter and research scientist, who has spent the last decade behind bars for declining to disclose the location of 500 missing gold coins, might be seeing a glimmer of hope. A judge has recently ruled to dismiss the civil charges against him, suggesting that further imprisonment may not lead to his compliance.</p><br />
        <p>The saga dates back to 1857 when the SS Central America met its fate during a hurricane while ferrying passengers from California to New York. The ship was loaded with an astounding 21 tonnes of gold, which earned it the moniker “Ship of Gold.” This treasure was intended to bolster banks in New York but instead contributed to the financial panic of that year when the vessel sank.</p><br />
        <p>Fast forward to 1988, when a team led by research scientist Tommy Gregory Thompson successfully located the lost treasure using sonar technology after years of searching. Among the recovered artifacts were those 500 gold coins, valued at approximately $2.5 million, which have kept Thompson incarcerated since 2015.</p><br />
        <p>Thompson's decision not to reveal the coins' location resulted in a civil contempt charge in 2015, accumulating fines that now surpass $3 million. After serving a decade in prison, the civil charge has now been dropped by the judge. However, Thompson still faces a two-year sentence for a related criminal contempt charge.</p><br />
        <p>Throughout his time in prison, Thompson has remained silent on the whereabouts of the gold coins, asserting that they are secured in a trust located in Belize but offering no further specifics. The judge has voiced skepticism regarding the effectiveness of additional prison time in persuading Thompson to cooperate, leaving his potential release up in the air.</p><br />
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