Key Takeaways:

• Tommy Thompson's civil contempt sentence has been lifted by a federal judge.
• Thompson will now serve a two-year sentence for a related criminal contempt charge.
• The treasure hunter has been in jail for nearly a decade for not revealing the location of gold coins worth $2.5 million.
• Thompson's contempt fine totals over $3 million.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Tommy Thompson, a former deep-sea treasure hunter, has received a partial legal victory in his long-running case involving the S.S. Central America, a shipwreck famous for its gold cargo. U.S. District Judge Algenon Marbley ruled on Friday to terminate Thompson's civil contempt sentence after nearly a decade in prison; however, he will remain incarcerated due to a separate two-year sentence for criminal contempt, which he must serve immediately. Judge Marbley expressed doubt that further imprisonment would compel Thompson to disclose the location of valuable gold coins he acquired from the shipwreck.

Thompson has been in contempt of court since December 15, 2015, and he has incurred a daily fine of $1,000, leading to a total civil contempt fine exceeding $3.3 million. The case dates back to Thompson’s discovery of the S.S. Central America, known as the Ship of Gold, which sank during a hurricane in 1857 off South Carolina, carrying thousands of pounds of gold that contributed to a significant economic panic at the time. Despite a court order and lawsuits from investors, Thompson has consistently refused to reveal the whereabouts of 500 gold coins minted from the vessel's cargo, maintaining that they were placed in a trust in Belize.

In a notable turn of events, Thompson fled before a scheduled court appearance in 2012, prompting U.S. marshals to track him down and arrest him in Florida early in 2015. Gupta had pleaded guilty to skipping the hearing and was sentenced to two years for that offense. In 2019, an appeals court rejected his claims that federal law limited incarceration time for contempt of court to 18 months, ruling that his situation violated conditions of his plea agreement.

The S.S. Central America has been the subject of numerous auctions, with some artifacts fetching millions. Recent sales have highlighted the ongoing interest and value associated with the ship's cargo, illustrating the financial stakes still tied to the treasure.

For more details, refer to the coverage by AP News, CBS News, and The Independent.