Royal Caribbean passenger jumps off cruise ship to avoid $16K gambling debt

A brazen Royal Caribbean passenger has been accused of hurling himself off the cruise ship to skip out on paying off more than $16,000 in gambling debt.   

Jey Gonzalez-Diaz jumped off the Rhapsody of the Seas boat as it disembarked at the Port of San Juan in Puerto Rico on Sunday around 9:15am, according to the affidavit. 

The cruise line said he racked up $16,710 in debt ‘almost exclusively’ from casino visits during the week-long vacation, which is allegedly why he attempted the great escape.

Once he splashed into the water, he was brought to shore by someone driving a jet ski, dragging another rider along on an inflatable boat. 

Images from the jaw-dropping moment show Gonzalez-Diaz in the water as he grabs onto the jet ski to climb on board.

Another grab from the security footage shows the alleged attempted scammer riding on the back of the vessel as it continues on its path to shore. 

Gonzalez-Diaz was able to run from the port, but Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) agents caught him near the Puerto Rico Capitol Building and detained him at around 9:45am.

Officers found that the suspect was carrying a backpack filled with $14,600 in cash, a handbag, two cell phones and five different identification documents, the affidavit states. 

The Rhapsody of the Seas (pictured) left Puerto Rico on August 31 and visited Barbados before returning on Sunday

The various forms of ID he possessed included a Tennessee identification card, a US passport, a Social Security card, a Puerto Rico birth certificate and a Royal Caribbean boarding pass. 

Further complicating matters, there were different names used among the documents, according to agents. 

The Tennessee ID and birth certificate were issued to a ‘Jeremy Omar Gonzalez-Diaz.’ 

The boarding pass was under the name ‘Jeremy Diaz,’ the name that Royal Caribbean billed for the whopping gaming expenses. 

‘Jeremy Diaz’ had booked the cruise, which departed from Puerto Rico on August 31 and visited Barbados before returning. 

The Social Security card and passport read ‘Jey Xander Omar Gonzalez Diaz.’ 

When investigators asked Gonzalez-Diaz for his real name, he boldly responded, ‘If you guys were good at your job, you would know that,’ according to the affidavit. 

Puerto Rico state records confirmed Jey Gonzalez-Diaz as the defendant’s true identity. 

Another grab from the security footage shows the alleged attempted scammer riding on the back of the vessel as it continues on its path to shore (pictured)

Gonzalez-Diaz jumped off the Rhapsody of the Seas boat as it disembarked at the Port of San Juan (pictured) in Puerto Rico on Sunday

Other record checks revealed that a man named Jeremy Omar Gonzalez-Diaz has been incarcerated at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Guaynabo since January. Gonzalez-Diaz claimed the man is his brother.

He justified his cruise ship plunge by stating he ‘did not want to report the currency in his possession because he thought he was going to be taxed duties for bringing in the currency,’ according to the complaint. 

The attempted cruise ship escapee has been released on bail, as per local reports, but he is now facing federal charges that could land him five years in prison or up to a $250,000 fine.