In a collaborative effort with the FBI, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) recently announced the retrieval of 37 gold coins, collectively valued at $1 million, stolen back in 2015. These coins are linked to the famed 1715 Treasure Fleet, a group of Spanish ships that met their unfortunate end during a hurricane off the coast of Florida's Indian River County. The wreckage and its sunken treasures have been a source of fascination and exploration for centuries.
The story unfolds in 2015, exactly 300 years after the tragic sinking of the 1715 Treasure Fleet, when the Schmitt family, operating under 1715 Fleet - Queens Jewels, LLC, discovered 101 gold coins off Florida's Treasure Coast. However, discrepancies arose when only 51 coins were officially documented, leaving the remaining 50 unaccounted for and presumed stolen.
This summer, the FWC, in conjunction with the FBI, launched an investigation targeting Eric Schmitt, suspected of illicitly trading the missing coins between 2023 and 2024. Through search warrants executed at various locations including private homes, safe deposit boxes, and auction houses, authorities managed to recover a portion of the stolen artifacts. Five coins were even retrieved from a Florida auctioneer who had unknowingly purchased them from Schmitt.
Digital forensics played a crucial role in connecting Schmitt to the stolen coins, using metadata and geolocation data from a photograph taken at the Schmitt family's Fort Pierce condominium. Furthermore, the investigation revealed that Schmitt had planted three stolen coins in the ocean in 2016, seemingly to be "rediscovered" by new investors of 1715 Fleet - Queens Jewels, LLC.
Although 37 coins have been successfully recovered, 13 remain missing. The FWC considers this recovery a significant victory in their ongoing investigation into the theft and illegal trade of these invaluable historical artifacts. The agency expressed gratitude towards the investigative teams, law enforcement partners, and experts whose contributions were instrumental in this complex case.
