NALS66th AnnualEducationConference&NationalForumOctober5,2017

TheLastVoyageofCommanderWilliamLewisHerndon,theGoldoftheS.S.CentralAmerica,andtheLegalCase

Presentedby: RobertM.Tata,Esq.,NorfolkOfficeManagingPartnerHunton&WilliamsLLP

BobTata(VirginiaandDCOffices)– CommercialandIPLitigation(NorfolkOfficeManagingPartner)• B.S.,UnitedStatesNavalAcademy• M.B.A.,OldDominionUniversity• J.D.,UniversityofVirginiaSchoolofLaw

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Introduction

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Hunton&WilliamsOffices

SanFranciscoLosAngeles

Austin

Houston

Dallas

MiamiAtlantaCharlotteRaleighNorfolkRichmond

Washington,DCNewYork

London

Brussels

Bangkok

TokyoBeijingTysons

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Hunton&WilliamsOffices

SanFranciscoLosAngeles

Austin

Houston

Dallas

MiamiAtlantaCharlotteRaleighNorfolkRichmond

Washington,DCNewYork

London

Brussels

Bangkok

TokyoBeijingTysons

CommanderHerndonwas43yearsoldwhenhecaptainedS.S.CENTRAL AMERICA.Thiswastobehis19thvoyagewiththeship.HerndonpreviouslyhadattainedsomedegreeofnotorietyforleadingthefirstexpeditionoftheAmazonRiverValleyresultinginhisbookExplorationoftheValleyoftheAmazon,whichSamuelL.Clemens(“MarkTwain”)latercreditedasamajorinfluenceonhislife.

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TheStory

Itisariteofpassagetoclimbthismonumenttosignifypromotionfrom“plebe”toFourthClassMidshipman.

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TheHerndonMonumentattheUnitedStatesNavalAcademy

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S.S.CENTRAL AMERICA

*Notethesidewheelandthelifeboats.

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TheS.S.CENTRAL AMERICA Route

TherewasnoPanamaCanalin1857;itwaseitheraroundSouthAmerica’sCapeHornorthetreacheroustripacrossPanamabytrain.

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TheHurricane

Allhandsondeck– exceptwomen– bailing

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“Womenandchildrenfirst!

Thesmallbrig“Marine”isabletosaveabout100womenandchildren

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• At 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 12, 1857, the CENTRAL AMERICA sank,going down at an angle of 45 degrees, stern first. The enormous suctionpulled the men underwater for some distance. Those lucky enough toresurface were tossed like corks in the rolling water, as shown in thislithograph published by J. Childs of Philadelphia.

• This engraving from “Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper” was takenfrom sketch by one of the surviving passengers.

LitographdepictingS.S. CENTRAL AMERICA’S Finalmoments Engravingshowingpotentialsurvivors

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FindingtheLostShipandRecoveringtheGold

Columbus-AmericaDiscoveryGroupandtheR/VARTIC DISCOVERER

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CADGLeaders– TommyThompson(right)andBobEvans

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TheS.S.CENTRAL AMERICA sinkingwasbignewsin1857

Andthesenewsreportswouldprovideakeytofindingthelonglostshipwreckover100yearslater

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CADG’sSearchTheory/CompositeProbabilityMap

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SeaMARCSonar

SeaMARCSonarusedbyCADGtolocateSunkenWreck

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CADG’sRobotNemo

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CADGFindings

SomeoftheS.S. CENTRALAMERICA goldfoundontheoceanfloor

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CADGfoundandpreservedmanyartifacts

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TheLegalCase

• Abandonedwrecklocated160milesoffthecoastofSouthCarolinaunder1½milesofocean;

• CADGobtainedinjunctionbasedon“tele-presence”and“tele-possession”(competingsalvers);

• H&Wfiledaninrem action“arresting”theshipandseekingawardofthegoldbasedonanoveltheory,the“lawoffinds;”

• Representativesfrom39insurancecompaniesintervenedandsoughtthegoldbasedontheir“ownership;”

• Insurerscontendedthatthe“lawofsalvage”appliedandtheywereentitledtoatleast50%award;

• Discoverybattlesincludingintervenorsandidentificationofthegold;

• AfterseveralweeksoftrialDistrictCourtJudgeKellamawarded100%ofthegoldtoCADG;

• 4th CircuitReversedandRemanded,lawofsalvage;and

• DistrictCourtreconsideredandawarded90%oftherichestshipwreckinAmericanhistorytoCADG.

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TheLegalCase

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WhatHappenedtoTommyThompsonandtheTreasureTroveofGold?

• CADGbeganmarketingthegold(“numismaticvalue”);

• Ancillarycaseswentonforyearswithinvestorsandothers;

• Investorswereseeinglittleornoneoftherecoveryeven20yearslater;

• In2012TommyThompsondisappearedandbecameafugitive;

• HewaslastseeninaFloridahotelroom;

• Whenfederalagentsraidedittheyfounditabandonedandfoundabooktitled:“HowtoLiveYourLifeInvisible;”

• TheFBIcalledThompson“oneofthemostintelligentfugitiveseversought;”

• OnJanuary17,2015,ThompsonandhisgirlfriendwerefoundattheHiltonHotelinBocaRaton,Florida;

• Hehadbeenpayinghisbillwithstacksofmoldy$100bills;

• HewasextraditedtoOhioandpledguiltytocontemptonApril8,2015

• Mostofthegoldappearstobe“longlost”onceagain!

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TheRestoftheStory

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AnyQuestions?