Reagan man who faked his own death sentenced to 12 years in prison for assault

REGAN, Texas (KWTX) – A Falls County man who cut off his ankle monitor twice and tried to fake his own death in Galveston two months ago was sentenced to 12 years in prison Thursday.

Joseph Grams, of Reagan, pleaded guilty to aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in a 2022 incident in which he hit a man with brass knuckles during a fight at the Reagan Roundup, a bar and grill in northern Falls County.

Judge Bryan Russ Jr. of Marlin State’s 82nd District Court sentenced Grams to 12 years in prison, according to his plea agreement with the Falls County District Attorney’s Office.

In separate cases, Grams also pleaded guilty to attempted burglary of a dwelling, for which he was sentenced to a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; two counts of bail jumping, for each of which he received a maximum sentence of 10 years; and two counts of cutting off his ankle monitor, a state prison felony for which he was sentenced to two years in a state prison facility on each count.

Grams is serving his sentence concurrently and must first serve six years in prison before he can apply for parole.

He also has an ongoing aggravated sexual assault case in Bell County in which he is accused of sexually assaulting a woman at gunpoint.

Grams was scheduled to stand trial on Nov. 6 in Falls County on aggravated assault charges.

Falls County Sheriff Joe Lopez told KWTX in August that Grams tried to fake his own death in Galveston by making a 911 call around 1 a.m. on August 15, saying he was on a kayak in trouble near the Pleasure Pier.

Officers found a kayak partially lying in the sand, upturned and filled with water, officials reported. Beach patrol, Galveston police, firefighters and a Coast Guard helicopter spent days searching for the supposedly missing Grams during the region’s peak season.

Falls County officers located Grams at his home in Reagan on August 17 and arrested him after a four-hour standoff.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Galveston Beach Patrol says crews searched for days for Falls County fugitive during their busiest season, the fugitive was later arrested at his home in Reagan