Associate of Treasure Hunter Sentenced for Criminal Contempt

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Alison L. Antekeier, 48, formerly of Columbus, Ohio, was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to five months in jail for criminal contempt, specifically disobedience or resistance of the court, stemming from a civil lawsuit.

Carter M. Stewart, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Peter C. Tobin, United States Marshal for the Southern District of Ohio, announced the plea entered into today before U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley.

Antekeier and treasure-hunter Thomas “Tommy” G. Thompson, 63, also formerly of Columbus, Ohio, pleaded guilty to criminal contempt in April.

According to court documents, Thompson disobeyed and resisted a lawful order of U.S. District Chief Judge Sargus, who ordered Thompson to personally appear at an August 13, 2012 hearing related to a civil case involving the defendant. Specifically, Thompson had been ordered to appear at a hearing to provide an accounting of certain funds and the location of 500 re-strike commemorative gold coins as part of a lawsuit over the treasure that Thompson found from the SS Central America shipwreck. A bench warrant for Thompson’s arrest was issued the same day.

Antekeier was also ordered to appear in U.S. District Court as a witness in the civil lawsuit. She was to appear in court to give testimony related to the civil case on November 7, 2012; a bench warrant for her arrest was issued when she failed to appear.

In March 2013, an arrest warrant based on a criminal complaint alleging criminal contempt was authorized against Thompson.

U.S. Marshals found and arrested Thompson and Antekeier on January 27, 2015 in Boca Raton, Florida. Thompson and Antekeier had been living in a Hilton hotel room under fake names and paying with cash.

As part of their plea, the couple has agreed to forfeit the more than $425,000 in cash that was seized at the time of their arrest.

Thompson is scheduled to be sentenced at 9:30am on October 29.

U.S. Attorney Stewart commended the investigation by the U.S. Marshals Service, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Doug Squires, who is representing the United States in this case.