An FBI agent applied for a federal warrant in 2018 to seize a fabled cache of U.S.
The newly unsealed affidavit confirms previous reporting by The Associated Press that the government had been looking for a legendary cache of gold at the site, which federal authorities had long refused to confirm.
The AP and The Philadelphia Inquirer petitioned a federal judge to unseal the case.
“I have probable cause to believe that a significant cache of gold is secreted in the underground cave” in Dent’s Run, holding “one or more tons” belonging to the U.S.
In 2013, the affidavit said, the legislative staffer contacted a pair of treasure hunters who had identified the likely site of the gold.
According to the affidavit, the FBI based its request for a seizure warrant partly on the work done by the treasure hunters, who had made hundreds of trips to the area.
After meeting with the treasure hunters in early 2018, the FBI brought in a contractor with more sophisticated instruments.
The FBI apparently did not indicate to the judge, in writing, what it found at the site, according to the documents unsealed Thursday.
Dennis and Kem Parada, co-owners of the treasure-hunting outfit Finders Keepers, have said they believe the FBI found gold at the site.
But residents have told of hearing a backhoe and jackhammer overnight – when the excavation was supposed to have been paused – and seeing a convoy of FBI vehicles, including large armored trucks.