Tommy Thompson, the deep-sea explorer who discovered the famed S.S. Central America shipwreck, has been released from prison after spending nearly a decade behind bars.

Thompson found the S.S. Central America and recovered thousands of pounds of sunken treasure that had sat at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean for more than 150 years. The historic shipwreck discovery made Thompson famous in the treasure hunting community.

Despite his release, approximately 500 gold coins from the treasure remain unaccounted for. The location of these missing coins has been a central issue in Thompson's legal troubles.

The S.S. Central America, also known as the "Ship of Gold," sank in 1857 during a hurricane off the coast of South Carolina while carrying gold from the California Gold Rush. The disaster contributed to an economic panic that year.

Thompson's legal issues stemmed from disputes over the distribution of the recovered treasure and his alleged failure to properly account for all items brought up from the wreck site.