Tommy Thompson, an eccentric engineer from Columbus, Ohio, built an underwater robot and pulled tons of pristine 1850s California gold from the bottom of the Atlantic.
It was the greatest sunken treasure recovery in American history.
Then 500 ultra-rare gold coins vanished.
When the Columbus Federal Court demanded the treasure back for investors, Thompson went on the run. U.S. Marshals tracked him down, but he refused to break. Faced with a furious federal judge and a $1,000-per-day fine, his only answer was that he had total amnesia.
He sat in a federal cell for nearly 11 years without uttering a syllable.
A few months ago, the courts finally admitted defeat, ruled further detention was pointless, and set him free at 73.
This modern-day pirate outlasted the entire legal system, walked out with his secret intact, and could be out there right now tracking down the millions he hid.😏