Michigan couple jailed in Mexico returning home after lawmaker visit
The Brief
A couple from Michigan is returning home after being jailed in Mexico for over a month.
Paul and Christy Akeo boarded a flight with Congressman Tom Barrett after the lawmaker landed in the country on April 2.
The two had a membership with the Palace Resorts, a company based in Florida that owns a number of resorts and time-shares in Mexico
(FOX 2) - It is the end of an international nightmare for two Michigan residents who were stuck in a Mexican jail in a dispute over a time-share, as they are now flying back home.
What they're saying
Paul and Christy Akeo, along with Congressman Tom Barrett, entered their plane back home on Thursday that can be seen in a video posted to the representative's X account at 8:44 p.m.
This came a day after Barrett landed in Mexico to meet the couple, who had been jailed since the beginning of March.
"I met with them personally for an hour and learned of the horrific conditions they are facing — rubbled walls, overcrowded cells, toilets that don't flush, and disgusting food," Barrett said. "I met with the president of the Quintana Roo Supreme Court to expedite any relief we can provide."
The backstory
According to their daughter, Lindsey Lemke Hull, the two had a membership with the Palace Resorts, a company based in Florida that owns a number of resorts and time-shares in Mexico, but Lemke Hull says the Palace Resorts breached the contract.
That was said to be about $117,000, but it was over a year ago. There was no dispute, or so they thought.
The parents decided to go to Cancun but were detained and arrested as soon as their airplane landed, Lemke Hull said. Customs officials claimed they had outstanding charges of criminal fraud and sent them straight to jail.
"She's very confused. She cries a lot. She is scared she's unaware of the amount of corruption that is going on with this case. She is upset because she can't see her husband or speak to her husband about anything," Lemke Hull said. "She's just there."
Dig deeper
Back in March, it was determined that the Palace Resorts would be given six more months to gather evidence, which meant that Lemke Hull's parents would have been jailed in Mexico for at least six more months.
Thankfully, they won't have to wait that long anymore.
The Source
FOX 2 used information from Congressman Tom Barrett's social media and previous reporting.
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