Florida officials have successfully recovered 37 gold coins valued at over $1 million that were stolen from a shipwreck recovery operation nine years ago. The coins were part of the 1715 Fleet shipwrecks, which occurred when a fleet of Spanish ships sailing from Havana, Cuba to Seville, Spain was wrecked by a hurricane off the coast of Eastern Florida just seven days into their journey.
The first ship from the fleet was discovered in 1928 by William Beach near Fort Pierce, Florida, leading to the recovery of various gold and silver artifacts over the years. In 2015, a group of salvage operators uncovered a treasure trove of 101 gold coins near Florida's Treasure Coast, but only half of the coins were reported. The remaining 50 coins were stolen.
An extensive investigation by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the FBI uncovered new evidence linking Eric Schmitt to the illegal sale of stolen gold coins. The Schmitt family, contracted salvage operators for the fleet's custodian company, had found the 101 coins in 2015.
Through the use of advanced digital forensics, investigators were able to trace Schmitt's involvement in the theft. Metadata and geolocation data from a photograph of the stolen coins taken at the Schmitt family condominium linked him to the crime. Schmitt had also placed three stolen coins on the ocean floor in 2016, which were later recovered by new investors of the fleet's custodian company.
Authorities have charged Schmitt with dealing in stolen property, and the salvaging company expressed shock and disappointment over the theft. The recovered artifacts will be returned to their rightful custodians, although 13 coins are still missing, indicating that the investigation is ongoing.
