A Royal Caribbean cruise ship guest is facing federal charges after he jumped overboard to apparently avoid paying a large casino debt.
The criminal complaint alleges Jey Gonzalez-Diaz had jumped off Royal Caribbean ship Rhapsody of the Seas while it was disembarking ship guests in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Guest Had Racked Up Around $16,000 in Gambling Debt
He did this to allegedly evade settling a cruise ship bill of more than $16,000.
This was “almost exclusively associated to casino and gaming expenses,” citing the cruise line. He was picked up by a passing jet skier and taken ashore, which was caught on CCTV footage.
The complaint says Gonzalez-Diaz was later apprehended by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in downtown San Juan.
He was found to be carrying around $14,600 in cash, and five IDs, with some in different names. “He did not want to report the currency on his possession because he thought he was going to be taxed,” the complaint stated. When asked for his name Gonzalez-Diaz told officers: “If you guys were good at your job, you would already know that.”
Man Charged with Federal Monetary Reporting Offense
He was later charged in the US District Court for Puerto Rico with the federal crime of attempting to avoid monetary reporting at a US customs and border point, this could potentially lead to a $250,000 fine and/or up to five years in prison. CBP officers were later informed of the gambling debt by the cruise line.
No charges or legal action have yet been filed relating to this. Local media reported that Diaz was later released on bail.
The ship was on a week-long Caribbean cruise which had departed on August 31, visiting ports including Barbados.
In August, a 79 year-old man jumped off a Norwegian Cruise Line ship in August but did not survive.
