After an extensive investigation, Florida officials recovered dozens of gold coins valued at more than $1 million that were stolen from a shipwreck recovery nine years ago.

It sounds like the plot of a modern crime drama, but it’s very real. In 2015, contractors working off Florida’s Treasure Coast as salvage operators for a company hunting for lost historical artifacts once contained in sunken Spanish fleets made a remarkable discovery: 101 gold coins.

A professional treasure hunter has been charged in the theft of the 37 gold coins stolen from the wreckage of the 1715 Treasure Fleet.

Florida authorities announced a collection of 37 gold coins that had been stolen from an 18th Century shipwreck and valued at around $1 million were recovered. A professional treasure hunter has been charged with dealing in stolen property in connection with the case,

Authorities have recovered 37 gold coins that were stolen by salvagers from a nearly 310-year-old shipwreck off of Florida’s coast

The gold items are from the 1715 Fleet, a collection of Spanish treasure ships that sank during a hurricane off Florida’s coast in 1715. The artifacts are protected by state and federal law, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says. FWC photo