Judge Denies Prison Transfer Request By Ex-Treasure Hunter

MILAN, Mich. (WWJ/AP) - A federal judge in Ohio has denied a request by a former treasure hunter to change prisons because of an allergy to fiberglass.

Tommy Thompson is currently being held in Michigan's Milan federal prison for violating terms of a plea deal in December 2015 by refusing to respond to questions about the location of 500 missing gold coins.

He requested to be moved, citing an allergy to fiberglass in the prison, but a judge was unconvinced.

Judge Algenon Marbley in Columbus says Thompson has never been diagnosed or treated for fiberglass sensitivity. Marbley also said that Thompson hasn't proven there's fiberglass in the prison, or if there is, that there's an exposure risk.

The coins were minted from gold taken from the S.S. Central America, which sank in an 1857 hurricane, and are valued at up to $4 million.

Thompson doesn't currently have an attorney.

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