Fugitive treasure hunter charged with contempt due in court

COLUMBUS (AP) — A deep-sea treasure hunter charged with contempt of court after refusing to testify about gold he discovered from a historic shipwreck is expected to appear in court.

A federal prosecutor’s office spokeswoman says 62-year-old Tommy Thompson is expected to enter a plea during a hearing this afternoon in federal court in Columbus. A plea agreement was filed with the court last week.

Thompson’s attorney has said the plea agreement, which must be accepted by the court, includes terms of Thompson’s cooperation with the government and other “interested parties.”

Thompson has faced accusations of cheating investors since discovering gold in 1988 from a 19th-century shipwreck.

He went missing in 2012 amid demands he appear in court. He and a female companion were apprehended in January in Florida.