Famed treasure hunter denied release from jail until he reveals location of buried gold

A known treasure hunter who went on the run with three tonnes of gold is being denied release from jail until he gives up the location of the buried loot.

Tommy G. Thompson hauled a huge trove from the depths of the Atlantic Ocean back in 1988, after he developed the technology to search the wreckage of the SS Central America.

But while he was initially hailed as a hero for the haul, which was described as ‘the richest in US history’, things quickly went awry.

Investors in the technology accused him of cheating them out of their share – after Thompson went on the run, spending the money on $200 luxury hotels and living in a lavish mansion.

The authorities eventually caught up with Thompson, and he was finally jailed in 2015 for contempt of court after falsely promising to reveal the location of rare 19th century coins that he had previously claimed to be located in Belize.

Since then, he’s been jailed in Ohio and is being fined £802 a day until he eventually reveals the location.

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But for his part, Thompson says that he really can’t remember where the haul went – despite being described by the FBI as ‘one of the smartest fugitives’ that they had ever encountered.

Describing the situation, US District Judge Algernon Marbley said: ‘Who knows? Maybe he might have an epiphany.’

The SS Central America sunk during a hurricane in 1857 – and is believed to have contained 15 gold bars, along with rare 19th century coins.