Odysseys Lies uncovered

Roofis

Jr. Member
Dec 26, 2014
28
10
Mount Dora
Detector(s) used
Whites, aqua scan,Geometrics
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Forgive me if I am out of line. I am new here and really don't understand. But what I can't understand is why an object, coin or any other item what so ever is stolen. And in the process the owners of this property are inslaved, raped , tortured and kill without mercy over and over again. Why does this stolen property belong to the people who stole it? I just saw the movie Monuments Men and they gave all stolen goods back to the rightful owners. Like I said I am new here, maybe there's a law that allows stolen goods to the thiefs after a certain amount of years, that must be it. Does anyone here know how long that is , maybe I'll go rob a bank and kill hundreds and my kids can keep the cash.
 

old man

Bronze Member
Aug 12, 2003
1,773
1,709
East Coast
Roofis, I have questions too. If something is lost for several hundred years under the sea, and no one looks for it, why doesn`t it belong to the person that finds it ?

Lets take it one step further. If " Spanish " treasure is found on a shipwreck, why according to our courts, does it belong to Spain. Yet if this shipwreck treasure is found buried on land. It belongs to the finder ? ( at leSt it does in most states.)
 

NHBandit

Silver Member
Feb 21, 2010
3,470
3,279
Formerly NH now East Tennessee
Detector(s) used
Garrett GtaX1250
You guys need to stop trying to confuse Ossy with facts and logic.. The most shamefull thing that was done with regards to this whole case is the back room, closed door, deal that was made between our government & the Spanish government that resulted in the treasure being sent to Spain without a ruling from the court as to ownership.. But he can't ignore the opportunity to gloat over the fact that this stuff has now been stolen TWICE by the Spanish. The whole thing is ridiculous and defies logic. Let's say one of us discovers a bag of loot buried by Jesse James. It's found on property owned by NOBODY such as in the open ocean so permission is not an issue. A surviving member of the James family files suit in court claiming ownership of the stolen loot & the court agrees and makes you give it to them ? Seriously ?
 

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VOC

Sr. Member
Apr 11, 2006
484
189
Atlantic Ocean
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All Treasure Hunting

The best part of this is that by Spain applying to get the coins, confirmed the legitimacy of the Gibraltar Courts a thing Spain always resisted.

Unfortunately OME are being made to look the villains when in-fact they followed the law at every stage. Villains and Looters would have just raised it with no video records, chucked them in their ship, said nothing and landed them in a West African port for disposal, and Spain would not have been able to do a thing.

Spain has still yet to prove they own them or the ship was the Mercedes in a court of law. (the case in the USA did not prove that).
 

Vox veritas

Bronze Member
Aug 2, 2008
1,077
269
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And, how explain the protection that gave Spain to Odyssey for many years. Myself met Greg Stemm in Spain working with Spanish authorization from Madrid (year 2002). So ...
 

Jolly Mon

Hero Member
Sep 3, 2012
868
631
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Don't be too hard on the Spanish, guys.

After all, the Odyssey case was Spain's first significant naval victory in 400 years...
 

redbull

Jr. Member
Sep 5, 2013
56
35
iowa formerly from the south
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LOL
With that said the maritime/treasure laws are rediculous. If a country has not continously searched for the lost ship, it should be considered abandonment.
Don't be too hard on the Spanish, guys.

After all, the Odyssey case was Spain's first significant naval victory in 400 years...
 

redbull

Jr. Member
Sep 5, 2013
56
35
iowa formerly from the south
Primary Interest:
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With that said if I ever find a lost ship, I'd probably bring up enough to prove what/who was the original ownership country then get it set in court/writing of proper reimbursement if said country won't I'd tell them to get bent and let the ship rot with the loot. Either that or post the coordinates all over the interwebs and let them try to prevent looting.
 

signal

Hero Member
Apr 30, 2011
582
428
Royal Palm Beach, Fl
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Minelab CTX-3030, Minelab Exalibur II, Garrett AT Pro
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Forgive me if I am out of line. I am new here and really don't understand. But what I can't understand is why an object, coin or any other item what so ever is stolen. And in the process the owners of this property are inslaved, raped , tortured and kill without mercy over and over again. Why does this stolen property belong to the people who stole it? I just saw the movie Monuments Men and they gave all stolen goods back to the rightful owners. Like I said I am new here, maybe there's a law that allows stolen goods to the thiefs after a certain amount of years, that must be it. Does anyone here know how long that is , maybe I'll go rob a bank and kill hundreds and my kids can keep the cash.

Roofis, welcome, and good point! Not all laws are necessarily just, and many people protest certain laws. For example I am sure there are several on here who drank under 21, had "illegal" sexual relations while underage, and my god, don't report their metal detecting finds as income!
 

signal

Hero Member
Apr 30, 2011
582
428
Royal Palm Beach, Fl
Detector(s) used
Minelab CTX-3030, Minelab Exalibur II, Garrett AT Pro
Primary Interest:
Beach & Shallow Water Hunting
You guys need to stop trying to confuse Ossy with facts and logic.. The most shamefull thing that was done with regards to this whole case is the back room, closed door, deal that was made between our government & the Spanish government that resulted in the treasure being sent to Spain without a ruling from the court as to ownership.. But he can't ignore the opportunity to gloat over the fact that this stuff has now been stolen TWICE by the Spanish. The whole thing is ridiculous and defies logic. Let's say one of us discovers a bag of loot buried by Jesse James. It's found on property owned by NOBODY such as in the open ocean so permission is not an issue. A surviving member of the James family files suit in court claiming ownership of the stolen loot & the court agrees and makes you give it to them ? Seriously ?

That is an awesome analogy. Its crazy how countries don't apply that logic to their Imperialistic conquests.........as if they are somehow legitimate. Those in power see no wrong in their own ways. If you find a Reale in the ocean or sand, one thing is for certain, its probably stolen from someone.........
 

Vox veritas

Bronze Member
Aug 2, 2008
1,077
269
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Neither of which had provenance that they were indeed those vessels.

Yes, but I managed, in 2003, an agreement between Spain and Sea Hunt Inc.
This issue was all a well orchestrated scam. Convenio SEA HUNT - Cultura 01.jpg Convenio SEA HUNT - Cultura 09.jpg
 

dewdrop

Tenderfoot
Aug 22, 2012
7
0
Georgia
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
They will certainly think twice before going about it the 'honest/legal' way again. Makes you want to go about it the pirates way. What happened to the coins in Gibraltar? Did i miss that part?
 

OP
OP
MORE AND BEYOND OSSY

MORE AND BEYOND OSSY

Bronze Member
Jul 27, 2008
1,107
47
BRISBANE
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They will certainly think twice before going about it the 'honest/legal' way again. Makes you want to go about it the pirates way. What happened to the coins in Gibraltar? Did i miss that part?
Hi dewdrop, You make me laugh ! " honest/legal way , Odyssey did ask Spain to recover the Mercedes and the answer was NO , so they took it anyway and what they could sell easily ( coins ) and thought nobody could touch them. expensive mistake. Greg thought he would outsmart the Spanish and laughed in there face, who laughing now !! I'm still surprised people are still going on about killing and looting , the English had no problem killing the Spanish and taking every thing, Your great nation was taken from the locals by force ! Treasure hunters must be special and are immune from any moral issues , its only if its taken from them that it becomes blood money. Great Battles, bigger than the Armada Battle of Cartagena de Indias - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia This was removed from English history . By the way, It cost Spain Millions to get back the Mercedes artifacts and not one has been Sold !!! Home - El Ăšltimo Viaje de la Fragata Mercedes
 

AUVnav

Sr. Member
Mar 10, 2012
455
86
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They will certainly think twice before going about it the 'honest/legal' way again. Makes you want to go about it the pirates way. What happened to the coins in Gibraltar? Did i miss that part?
Odysseys behavior in regards to the items in Gibraltar, was really a last straw that, in addition to the behavior during trial, the conduct after rulings persuaded the Court to find Odyssey in Contempt of Court, and the $1.2 million dollar penalty for Contempt.

"Odyssey went where it went because it knew full well where to go; Odyssey found what it found because it knew full well what it was looking for; Odyssey withheld and deceived and deflected with respect to what it found because Odyssey knew full well why Spain was asking and knew full well the adverse consequence to Odyssey’s financial aspirations if Spain discovered the answer. To come to court and deny the truth of these facts is, as stated earlier, an unacceptable enormity propounded and maintained in bad faith and for an improper purpose."

See the timeframe with the before and after dates, completely based on Odyssey conduct with the Court.

"Spain’s objection (Doc. 344) is SUSTAINED IN PART and Spain’s motion (Doc. 321) is GRANTED IN PART. Accordingly, for bad faith and abusive litigation Odyssey is assessed $875,022.75, which equals only a half of two-thirds of Spain’s attorney’s fees incurred in the district court before February 10, 2012. For bad faith and abusive litigation, Odyssey is assessed an additional $39,855, which equals only a half of two-thirds of the costs and expenses (reduced by 20%) incurred by Spain before February 10, 2012 (that is, one-half of two-thirds of each of $79,510 for 2008; $18,834.20 for 2009; $13,494 for 2010; $5,776 for 2011; and $1,947 through February 10, 2012). As detailed above and as recommended by the magistrate judge, for contempt Odyssey is assessed $152,102 for events after February 10, 2012 ($71,803 for February 10, 2012, through March 20, 2012; $34,220 for March 21, 2012, through June 8, 2012; and $46,079 in seeking sanctions). Stated in familiar terms, this aggregate assessment is sufficient but not greater than necessary to accomplish the applicable statutory, regulatory, and judicial purposes.
ORDERED in Tampa, Florida, on September 25, 2013."
 

VOC

Sr. Member
Apr 11, 2006
484
189
Atlantic Ocean
Primary Interest:
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If it was OME trying to prove that the wreck was definitely the Mercedes, no court would have accepted that the coins and artefacts recovered was sufficient proof of wreck identity.

What goes for states isn't the same for us.

OME were not phased one bit by this stitch up. Cost to them was minimal in the big scheme of things, vessel and crew cost are 24/7 365 so it doesn't matter what the ship is doing searching or recovering.

Press coverage and publicity as well as TV rights more than out way the legal fees.

The only losers have been Spain as they are the ones who come across as selfish and unfair and not trustworthy to deal with.
 

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