SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A Colorado treasure hunter claiming he was duped has filed a $1.5 million lawsuit against a New Mexico man who hid a chest filled with valuables somewhere in the Rocky Mountains.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reported Tuesday that David Hanson of Colorado Springs sued 89-year-old Forrest Fenn after suspecting he was given “fraudulent statements” about the treasure’s location.
Hanson said in a complaint filed Monday that he followed the clues and arrived at the location but Fenn gave additional clues that led Hanson to move away from his search area benefiting someone else who discovered the treasure.
Hanson declined to comment when reached by phone Tuesday.
Fenn said in an email Tuesday he was not aware of the lawsuit.
Fenn says he published clues in his autobiography The Thrill of the Chase and online after hiding the treasure in 2010 in an effort to get people outdoors.
Authorities say hunters have quit their jobs and some have died in the search.
