Man Allegedly Jumps Off Cruise Ship to Avoid Paying $16,000 Gambling Debt

A cruise ship passenger allegedly jumped overboard to avoid a hefty gambling debt.

Jey González Díaz was traveling on Royal Caribbean’s Rhapsody of the Seas when he attempted to avoid paying over $16,000 to the cruise line by jumping off the ship, according to CBS News.

The boat set off from the Port of San Juan in Puerto Rico on Aug. 31 and traveled to Barbados before returning to the port on Sunday, Sept. 7, which is when González Díaz reportedly jumped off the ship while guests were disembarking around 9 a.m. local time, per a criminal complaint obtained by the outlet.

González Díaz’s attempted escape failed however, and he was brought to shore by people on jet skis, according to the outlet and local newspaper El Nuevo Dia.

In footage obtained by CBS News and local station WAPA-TV, González Díaz could be seen between two jet skis.

He was then arrested by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers near the Capitol Building in Puerto Rico.

Following his arrest, González Díaz was charged with a federal crime and has 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.

PEOPLE has contacted the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico, Royal Caribbean and Policía de Puerto Rico for further comment.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

Royal Caribbean Cruise told authorities that González Díaz owed them $16,710.24 that was “almost exclusively associated to Casino and Gaming expenses,” per the complaint obtained by CBS News.

According to the complaint, González Díaz told officials in Spanish that he jumped off the ship because “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.”

González Díaz was allegedly found with a bag that had $14,600 worth of cash, five different IDs and two phones, according to WAPA-TV.

The identifications included a Tennessee ID and a birth certificate for a “Jeremy Omar González Díaz” and a Royal Caribbean boarding pass with the name “Jeremy Díaz” written on it.

Record checks of the identifications discovered that a Jeremy Omar González Díaz has been in federal prison in Puerto Rico since January for drug trafficking and weapons possession, per the criminal complaint and WAPA-TV. Jey González Díaz told investigators that Jeremy Omar González Díaz is his brother, according to CBS News.

After his arrest, Jey González Díaz was released on bail, per WAPA-TV.

He could face up to five years in prison or a fine of up to $250,000 if found guilty, according to CBS News.

If you or someone you know is struggling with a gambling problem, please contact the National Problem Gambling Helpline Network at 1-800-522-4700 or go to gamtalk.org.