Mel Fisher: Treasure hunter. In this 1985 photo, Mel Fisher (left) holds a champagne bottle as his son, Kane Fisher, lifts a gold bar after a treasure find estimated to be worth $400 million.

Until the theft, the bar was displayed in an acrylic case at the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum where visitors could touch it. Investigators proved that Johnson broke the case.

Richard Steven Johnson was captured on security video at the museum the day the gold bar was stolen. Mel Fisher Maritime Heritage Museum A California man has admitted to stealing a 17th century ...

Weighing 74.85 ounces and valued at $556,000, it disappeared from the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum in 2010.

Mel’s Aqua Shop, in Redondo Beach, was the first of its kind in California. Its founder, Mel Fisher, was a treasure hunter — and a successful one.