TREASURE COAST, Fla. — A Treasure Coast treasure hunter has reached a plea deal for his role in stealing buried treasure worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Eric Schmitt agreed to one year and one day behind bars to consolidate a number of criminal charges he was facing in St. Lucie County.
Among them, that Schmitt took some of the 101 coins his salvage group uncovered back in 2015 south of the Fort Pierce Inlet.
Investigators with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said Schmitt had illegally sold multiple coins over the past two years.
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As part of the plea deal, Schmitt will also be placed on five years probation, where he will not be allowed to be part of any salvage operation.
Schmitt still faces a trial on similar charges in Orange County next month.
