When you hear stories of cruise passengers going overboard, there’s usually a tragic ending – they either find the body or they don’t, but either way, much more often than not, the unfortunate person passed away.
A passenger on Royal Caribbean’s Rhapsody of the Seas either was or wasn’t so lucky – I guess it depends on how you look at it.
PC: Royal Caribbean
The Cruise Ship Jump
Jey González-Díaz was on the ship earlier this month. He had embarked on the ship at the Port of San Juan on August 31 and, after a stop in Barbados, returned to Puerto Rico on September 7th. During the disembarkation, González-Diáz jumped into the water around 9:15 am local time.
Based on security footage provided to CBP officers, and shown on social media, two jet skiers surrounded González-Díaz after he landed in the water. He was then taken to shore and arrested by CBP officers near the Capitol Building in Puerto Rico.
PC: US Customs and Border Protection
As it turned out, González-Diáz was trying to avoid paying off more than $16,000 in gambling debt to the cruise line — and that little stunt earned him federal charges. He’s been accused of attempting to avoid monetary reporting requirements when traveling into the U.S., according to the criminal complaint, per CBS News and El Nuevo Dia.
But wait, there’s more!
You’d think that trying to avoid a $16k gambling debt would be enough, right? Wrong.
According to the criminal complaint against him, González-Diáz was found with “$14,600 in United States currency, one handbag, two mobile devices and five identification documents.”
Nice.
How does this even happen?
According to the filing, González-Díaz was booked with Royal Caribbean under the name “Jeremy Diaz.” He had a total debt of $16,710.24 with the cruise line, which was “almost exclusively associated to Casino and Gaming expenses,” according to the complaint.
When asked why he jumped off the ship, the complaint stated that he said “he did not want to report the currency on his possession because he thought he was going to be taxed duties for bring in the currency.”
Well, DUH, yeah.
González-Díaz was reportedly released on bail. However, if found guilty, he could face up to five years in prison or a fine of up to $250,000.
Crime doesn’t pay, y’all. And don’t jump off cruise ships.
H/T ABC, CBS, NBC
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3 comments
I don’t understand this story. If he was $16k in gambling debt, how did he get the $14k in cash?
Why didn’t he just pay the loan with that money and he wouldn’t have anything left to declare?
You aren’t taxed on cash you bring in… why would you say ‘well duh’? Sure it can be seized if it’s potentially illicit but there aren’t IRS agents at the border skimming off cash