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Tommy G. Thompson, who found the SS Central America, now sought by US Marshals

epcjimi1epcjimi1 Posts: 3,489 ✭✭✭
in Precious Metals
It appears people still want their cut of the action from the salvage of precious metals from the SS Central America -

Treasure hunter who found 'Ship of Gold' now sought by US Marshals

Comments

  • Timbuk3Timbuk3 Posts: 11,658 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Interesting story, thanks for
    sharing !!!
    Timbuk3
  • roadrunnerroadrunner Posts: 28,303 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Rut roh. Here come the claw backs. image
    Barbarous Relic No More, LSCC -GoldSeek--shadow stats--SafeHaven--321gold
  • johnny9434johnny9434 Posts: 28,334 ✭✭✭✭✭
    interesting story ( not for tommy making the news but still interesting )
  • piecesofmepiecesofme Posts: 6,669 ✭✭✭
    There are many times in my life that I wish I was "at Sea" with more time and money than I knew what to do with.

    That B'tard is living my dream!!! image
    To forgive is to free a prisoner, and to discover that prisoner was you.
  • RevDrBlimberRevDrBlimber Posts: 391
    I hope the investors get their due. It is just too easy to elude authorities at sea. Another argument for strong government when necessary.
  • GrumpyEdGrumpyEd Posts: 4,749 ✭✭✭
    Interesting article:


    New article, they're looking for him
    Ed
  • BAJJERFANBAJJERFAN Posts: 31,082 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>Rut roh. Here come the claw backs. image >>



    Not sure how that would apply here. What did TT buy with the $$ he supposedly owed/owes?
    theknowitalltroll;
  • GrumpyEdGrumpyEd Posts: 4,749 ✭✭✭
    I blame the system more than I blame him.
    He put the effort to find it and it was clearly abandoned.
    Courts should have a simpler rule, if it was lost for maybe 50 years+ and it wasn't a navy ship lost in war that anyone that finds it should have clear title and courts should stay out of it.
    By doing what they did, feds taking the loot and delaying it being sold invited him to hit the road and not paying the creditors.
    It also made it more clear that if people find stuff that's it's easier to loot it quietly instead of salvaging it better and documenting it because it invites endless legal battles. Only the biggest outfits with deep pockets can afford to play that game for years.

    Ed
  • ebaytraderebaytrader Posts: 3,312 ✭✭✭


    << <i>I blame the system more than I blame him.
    He put the effort to find it and it was clearly abandoned.
    Courts should have a simpler rule, if it was lost for maybe 50 years+ and it wasn't a navy ship lost in war that anyone that finds it should have clear title and courts should stay out of it.
    By doing what they did, feds taking the loot and delaying it being sold invited him to hit the road and not paying the creditors.
    It also made it more clear that if people find stuff that's it's easier to loot it quietly instead of salvaging it better and documenting it because it invites endless legal battles. Only the biggest outfits with deep pockets can afford to play that game for years. >>




    He was awarded 92% of the find. You'd think he'd be happy, and at least pay his employees. He took everything he could for himself.
  • rickoricko Posts: 98,724 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Hope he is enjoying himself....cuz when they find him, it will end his freedom. Cheers, RickO
  • epcjimi1epcjimi1 Posts: 3,489 ✭✭✭
    GE, thanks for the 2 yr update. image

    I wanted to find out what TTs' assistant Alison Anteiker looked like, here she is -

    image

    Columbus Dispatch, Ohio, article, May 29, 2014 - Judge appoints receiver in gold-ship lawsuit , a bit of discussion about TT without the US Marshall all points bulletin angle. image

    Interesting stuff.
  • GrumpyEdGrumpyEd Posts: 4,749 ✭✭✭


    << <i> He was awarded 92% of the find. You'd think he'd be happy, and at least pay his employees. He took everything he could for himself. >>



    Maybe it wasn't that simple.
    I doubt it worked out that "he" personally got 92% of the value of the gold.
    A lot would have gone for the cost of salvaging/ship/equip/legal and I've never seen a breakdown on what was paid and what wasn't paid out of the finds. I don't know how much of the gold or proceeds vanished with him. (has it been explained?)

    It was held up in court for what, a decade?
    Almost any company or venture will fail if it doesn't get any of it's money back for that long.
    By then the interest expected from all the debts and legal fees might destroy most of the possible profits.
    I'm curious how much he really made off with, was it a few million or a lot more????
    If he stuck around would he have ended up with a few million or more or with a debt?
    I think knowing those answers would explain why he decided to go on the run.

    It's bad that the employees/investors didn't get paid but still thinking about how it went down I think the outcome was caused by the system. Just imagine, you work or put together a venture and beg and barrow and scrounge to get it to work then 10 years later still not having the money to pay things off. I've never seen it explained as to what went down after the case was settled and the time he vanished but I think there was always ongoing litigation.
    Ed
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