Cruise Passenger Jumps Off the Ship to Allegedly Escape $16,000 Debt

A passenger aboard the Rhapsody of the Seas, a Royal Caribbean vessel, jumped off the ship allegedly to avoid paying $16,000 of gambling debt he owed to the ship’s casino, according to CBS News.

During a trip to Barbados, Jey Gonzalez-Diaz gambled to his heart’s content and had racked up a substantial amount of debt.

Escape from Paradise

The cruise ship returned to port on Sunday.

According to a criminal complaint obtained by CBS News, Gonzalez-Diaz, upon realizing his mistake, chucked himself into the sea at around 9 am local time.

While the ship was disembarking and the US Customs and Border Protection were performing their inspection, he jumped off the ship to avoid being caught.

He was seen on surveillance video being picked up by a jet ski by someone passing, and he was then returned to shore.

A US CBP officer found Gonzalez-Diaz near the Capitol of Puerto Rico. On his person, they discovered $14,600 in cash and five fake IDs.

The Plot Thickens

Investigators were told by the Royal Caribbean that Gonzalez-Diaz hadn’t booked the trip under his own name; he had used the name Jeremy Diaz.

It was also discovered that he was using several other fake names, like Jeremy Omar Gonzalez-Diaz.

The complaint adds that someone with that name has been in federal custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Guaynabo since January. Jey Gonzalez-Diaz claimed that it was his brother.

When asked why he jumped overboard, he told officers that it was to avoid tax: “he did not want to report the currency on his possession because he thought he was going to be taxed for bringing the currency.”

Murky Consequences

Gonzalez-Diaz has since been released on bail.

He is being accused of attempting to avoid monetary reporting requirements when traveling into the US.

If found guilty, he could be looking at several years of jail or a fine of up to $250,000.