A Central Texas man who triggered a large-scale emergency response last year by faking his own drowning off the Galveston coast has been sentenced to three years of probation and ordered to repay over $135,000 in restitution.

Joseph Grams, 48, of Reagan, Texas, was sentenced Friday by U.S. District Judge George Hanks. The sentence follows Grams’ guilty plea in March to a federal charge of communicating a false distress signal to the U.S. Coast Guard, a felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

According to reporting by John Ferguson of the Houston Chronicle, the charges stem from an incident on August 15, 2023, when Grams placed a call to Galveston authorities around 1 a.m., claiming he was stranded in a kayak near the Pleasure Pier. First responders—including Galveston police, firefighters, lifeguards, and a Coast Guard helicopter crew—launched an intensive search effort. All they found was an empty kayak washed ashore.

The search lasted several days, with authorities scouring the coastline for any sign of a body. On August 17, Grams was discovered alive and well at his home in Falls County—over 200 miles away from Galveston—where he was taken into custody after a prolonged standoff.

Investigators believe Grams faked the incident in an attempt to avoid pending legal trouble. At the time, he was under indictment for assault and had missed multiple court dates. In October, he pleaded guilty to several unrelated state charges, including aggravated assault, burglary, and bail jumping, for which he is currently serving a 12-year prison sentence. His federal probation and restitution payments are scheduled to begin once his state prison term concludes.

A federal grand jury indicted Grams on the false distress charge in January 2024. Court documents state he knowingly caused emergency agencies to attempt a rescue operation when no help was needed.

Original reporting by John Ferguson, Houston Chronicle.

Editor’s Note: We’ve recently updated the article to include attribution to the Chronicle, which was originally left out. We apologize for this oversight.