SANTA FE – A Colorado treasure hunter claiming he was duped has filed a $1.5 million lawsuit against a New Mexico man who said he 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 Forrest Fenn, 89, 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.
Hanson says Fenn issued “additional clues” that benefited someone else, who, the lawsuit claims, “found the items in question.” There has been no report that the treasure has been found.
Hanson declined to comment when reached by phone Tuesday.
Fenn said in an email Tuesday he was not aware of the lawsuit.
Fenn said 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 said hunters have quit their jobs and some have died in the search.
