Treasure hunters sue for records on FBI's Civil War gold dig

Treasure hunters who judge they recovered a immense cache of fabled Civil War-era golden successful Pennsylvania are present connected the prowl for thing arsenic elusive arsenic the buried booty itself: authorities records of the FBI's excavation.

Finders Keepers filed a federal lawsuit against the Justice Department implicit its nonaccomplishment to nutrient documents connected the FBI’s search for the legendary gold, which took spot astir 4 years agone astatine a distant woodland tract successful northwestern Pennsylvania.

The FBI has since dragged its feet connected the treasure hunters' Freedom of Information Act petition for records, their lawyer said Wednesday.

“There’s been a signifier of behaviour by the FBI that’s been precise troubling,” said Anne Weismann, who represents Finders Keepers. She questioned whether the bureau is “acting successful bully faith.”

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A connection was sent to the Justice Department seeking remark connected the suit, which asks a justice to bid the FBI to instantly crook implicit the records.

Finders Keepers' owners, the father-son duo of Dennis and Kem Parada, had spent years looking for what, according to legend, was an 1863 shipment of Union golden that was mislaid oregon stolen connected its mode to the U.S. Mint successful Philadelphia. The duo focused connected a spot wherever they accidental their instruments detected a ample metallic mass.

After gathering with the treasure hunters successful aboriginal 2018, the FBI brought successful a contractor with much blase instruments. The contractor detected an underground wide that weighed up to 9 tons and had the density of gold, according to an FBI affidavit unsealed past twelvemonth astatine the petition of quality organizations, including The Associated Press.

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The Paradas accompanied the FBI to the tract successful Dent’s Run, astir 135 miles (220 kilometers) northeast of Pittsburgh, but accidental they were confined to their car portion the FBI excavated.

The FBI has long insisted the March 2018 excavation came up empty, but the bureau has consistently stymied the Paradas' efforts to get information.

The FBI initially claimed it had nary files astir the investigation. Then, aft the Justice Department ordered a much thorough review, the FBI said its records were exempt from nationalist disclosure. Finally, successful the aftermath of the treasure hunters' appeal, the FBI said it had located 2,400 pages of records and 17 video files that it could perchance crook implicit — but that it would instrumentality years to bash so.

Finders Keepers asked the Justice Department for expedited processing, which tin beryllium granted successful cases wherever determination is wide media involvement involving questions astir the government’s integrity. The Justice Department denied the petition — and, arsenic of past month, had yet to delegate the FOIA petition to a staffer for processing, according to the lawsuit.

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"From the outset, it seems arsenic if the FBI is doing everything it tin to debar answering the question of whether they really recovered gold,” Weismann said.

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