An American couple was arrested in the UK after being accused of smuggling a British national treasure. A friend of theirs appeared in an episode of the show “Antiques Roadshow.”
Philip and Gay Courter from Florida were arrested in the UK in 2022 after a friend of theirs appeared in an episode of the show “Antiques Roadshow” in 1999. They were accused of smuggling a British national treasure.
They were arrested on June 29, 2022, while returning from a cruise in Norway. They were suspected of being involved in the theft of gold bars looted from the wreck of the Prince de Conty ship.
One of the friends appeared in an episode of “Antiques Roadshow” showing a photo of the gold bars, which led authorities to suspect the couple.
The Courters had received twenty gold bars from a French couple, Gerard and Annette Pesty, in 1986. The Pesty’s asked them to store the bars until they could find a buyer in the US.
The Americans kept the treasure for about 15 years before attempting to sell it on eBay. They would have declared the items to the IRS and believed they were acting legally.
The bars came from the treasure of the Prince de Conty ship, which was carrying 100 gold bars and sank off the coast of France in 1746. The cargo’s contents were located in 1974 by divers Patrick Lizé and Jean-Claude Lescure.
In 1985, the French Department for Underwater Archaeology (DRASSM) found three bars at the wreck site. In 2017, they discovered that the bars were up for auction.
They were alerted by a link to a video from an episode of “Antiques Roadshow” showing Annette Pesty with a photo of the looted gold bars from the wreck.
French authorities issued arrest warrants for the Courters. After their arrest, they were released on bail. The couple’s defense claims they had no criminal intent.
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