Latest news with #Akeo
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Yahoo
How Paul and Christy Akeo returned home to Michigan
LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — Shortly before midnight on Thursday, April 3, Paul and Christy Akeo of Spring Arbor returned to Michigan after spending weeks in a maximum-security prison in Mexico, and when it happened. The Akeos spoke to the media late Thursday night about their experiences, and U.S. Rep. Tom Barrett (R-Charlotte), who flew to Mexico personally to advocate for their release, sat down with 6 News Friday to provide some insight into what happened behind the scenes. The Akeo parents were initially arrested on March 4 at a Cancún airport, accused of defrauding resort chain out of more than $116,000 by cancelling membership charges on a credit card. The family and their lawyer disputes these allegations, saying the the timeshare contract they had with the Akeos and were actually at fault in the conflict. Paul told 6 News what happened to them after they were arrested, saying days went by before they could talk to their family or even each other. 'We were whisked off to another facility, and then we were sent directly to prison. We weren't able to talk to anybody, didn't have any contact with lawyers, didn't have our phones, so we were just sitting there,' said Paul. The language barrier also made the couple's stay in prison more difficult, with Lemke things are not being translated for them and that various 'odd situations' complicated their experiences. The Akeo children previously told 6 News that their parents' stay in prison was impacting their health—especially Christy's, whose allergies led her to avoid most meals. 'The problem is there's been several times where they've served her food that she's allergic to or cannot eat because of that,' the Akeo's son, Michael Lemke, 'She's been having this rash that keeps breaking out on her just after some food, so she's only able to eat certain things.' In a , the Akeos' daughter Lindsey Hull, began asking for help on March 24. That same day, Barrett of the Akeos' situation and began working to get them released. But for him, everything really began moving on Tuesday. 'There wasn't a feeling of urgency involved,' says Barrett. 'And so on Tuesday afternoon, I got a briefing from the State Department back here in the United States, in my office in Washington, D.C.' He expressed his dissatisfaction with the way the Akeos' situation was being handled. 'I felt like this had not progressed in the way we needed. And so, I made the decision to fly down as quickly as I could to just bring about a resolution to this,' says Barrett. 'We went directly to the prison, met with Paul and Christy at the prison immediately upon our arrival.' He spoke with the Akeos for an hour and called the conditions they were facing in the prison 'horrific,' with 'rubbled walls, overcrowded cells, toilets that don't flush, and disgusting food.' He says that from there, he met with the president of the Quintana Roo Supreme Court and others to negotiate their release. MORE: Where in Mexico are the Spring Arbor parents being held? 'From there, we left the prison and went and met with the president of the Supreme Court of Mexico, begin that process of negotiating some of the court proceedings side of it,' says Barrett. 'That can be very bureaucratic in Mexico.' 6 News previously spoke with Lemke, who that his parents could have been held for more than six months, as that was how long a judge gave Palace Elite to gather evidence. However, Barrett says it would have been longer than that. 'You might you know, their trial was not supposed to be for about a year from now,' Barrett told 6 News. The congressman says the negotiations for the Akeos' release were tricky, involving both legal talks and separate discussions with the company. However, after he met with Mexican officials, they arranged a hearing for Thursday, where the charges against Paul and Christy were dropped. 'So for us to be able to get them into a courtroom meant that we had to move a lot of channels to be able to do that,' says Barrett. 'And then in the background, on a parallel track, we had to negotiate with the company around the terms of what we could agree to, to ultimately get them released and how that was going to work.' As a result, the Akeos are no longer facing any charges in Mexico—but they still have obligations to take care of regarding the conditions of their release. Barrett says the Akeos and the company made a public statement where neither of them assigned blame or responsibility to the other and that both parties will be donating money equalling the amount of the disputed charges—around $116,000—to a charity that operates a Mexican orphanage. 'So, the two parties are investing the money into that charitable nonprofit, so a good resolution. Everyone seems to be happy, and they're home safe, and that's ultimately what I was trying to bring about with the parties,' says Barrett. The congressman gave 6 News an idea of his thought process throughout the dispute. 'I looked at it from the standpoint of, number one, if you have a financial contract dispute in the United States, you handle that through civil litigation,' Barrett told 6 News. 'You don't have a party in the desperate conditions that they were in down in Mexico as leverage for a settlement in a dispute of that kind. ' He says that in the end, he wasn't focused on who was at fault. 'For me, it wasn't so much 'Who's responsible for which part of this?' and 'Who's to blame for this?' and the other thing, I wasn't really interested in negotiating that part of it,' said Barrett. 'I was interested in what can we do that will expedite their return, their safe release, and return home as quickly as possible.' 6 News was at the Capital Region International Airport late Thursday night when the parents . 'I never thought we would be coming home for months,' Christy said. 'We are so happy that it's over.' The couple expressed their gratitude toward all the people who made their return home possible. 'I don't even know how we're gonna repay or thank people. There's so many people that have just supported us, but we still don't know all of them. We've just been glimpsing,' said Christy. 'I mean, how do you repay or thank people?' The Akeo parents were especially thankful for the work their children put into getting them home. 'Our kids, I can't say how proud I am for what our kids have done, the people they contacted, the using social media to let people be aware of what's going on, because we didn't know what we were going to do,' said Christy. 'How do you repay your kids for doing what they did?' Paul echoed Christy's words, telling all the people who watched their story unfold to 'be thankful for what America has given us. Just be thankful for the little things.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Michigan couple held in Mexico jail for a month after timeshare dispute is back in U.S.
A Michigan couple who were jailed in Mexico for almost a month after they disputed charges related to a Mexican timeshare have returned to the United States, their lawyers said Thursday. Christy and Paul Akeo, of Spring Arbor, "have been released from custody and have returned to Lansing, Michigan," their law firm said in a statement. The state attorney of Quintana Roo said the couple reached an agreement with the timeshare company for an amount of money it did not disclose. A judge then dismissed the criminal case and ordered their release, the prosecutor's office said. The family has said the Akeos were the victims of 'a kidnapping and extortion attempt' by a Mexican timeshare company. Palace Elite Resorts, a Mexican hospitality company, previously said the couple defrauded it through $117,000 of chargebacks on their American Express card, in which American Express takes back funds from a vendor. The couple bought a timeshare membership with the company several years earlier, Palace Elite Resorts said. The company said it filed a complaint with the Mexican public prosecutor, which then led to the arrests of the Akeos. The couple denies the allegations, and their law firm said Thursday that they were 'held captive for 32 days in Cereso Cancun prison.' John Manly, an attorney for the Akeos, previously called the fraud charges 'utterly false.' 'The Akeos are being held because they successfully disputed Palace's charges and failure to deliver services with American Express, criticized the company online and alerted others who felt wronged by Palace,' he said. The Akeo family thanked President Donald Trump, his special envoy for hostage affairs, Adam Boehler, and Rep. Tom Barrett, R-Mich., "for working tirelessly for the release of Paul and Christy Akeo." Barrett went to Mexico and "camped out at the prison and made it clear that he would not return home without them," the family said. "Through four straight weeks of fear and uncertainty, Congressman Barrett's commitment to bringing our parents home safely provided us with hope and reassurance," the Akeo family said. Palace Elite Resorts did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday night. The prosecutor's office said the money from the settlement will go to three nonprofit groups. "The Office of the Prosecutor reiterates its commitment to justice and social welfare, acting in accordance with the law to guarantee compensation for damages and respect for the rights of all parties involved," the prosecutor's office said. This article was originally published on
NBC News
04-04-2025
- NBC News
Michigan couple held in Mexico jail for a month after timeshare dispute is back in U.S.
A Michigan couple who were jailed in Mexico for a lmost a month after they disputed charges related to a Mexican timeshare has returned to the United States, their lawyers said Thursday. Christy and Paul Akeo, of Spring Arbor, "have been released from custody and have returned to Lansing, Michigan," their law firm said in a statement. The State Attorney of Quintana Roo said the couple reached a settlement with the the timeshare company for an amount of money that it did not disclose. A judge then dismissed the criminal case and ordered their release, the prosecutor's office said. The Akeos family has said they were the victims of 'a kidnapping and extortion attempt' by a Mexican timeshare company. Palace Elite Resorts, a Mexican hospitality company, previously said that the couple defrauded it through $117,000 of chargebacks on their American Express card, in which American Express takes back funds from a vendor. The couple bought a timeshare membership with the company several years earlier, Palace Elite Resorts said. The company said that it filed a complaint with the Mexican public prosecutor, which then led to the arrests of the Akeos. The couple denies the allegations, and their law firm on Thursday said that they were 'held captive for 32 days in Cereso Cancun prison.' John Manly, an attorney for the Akeos, previously called the fraud charges 'utterly false.' 'The Akeos are being held because they successfully disputed Palace's charges and failure to deliver services with American Express, criticized the company online and alerted others who felt wronged by Palace,' he said. The Akeo family thanked U.S. President Donald Trump, Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs Adam Boehler and U.S. Rep. Tom Barrett, R-Lansing, "for working tirelessly for the release of Paul and Christy Akeo." Barrett went to Mexico and "camped out at the prison and made it clear that he would not return home without them," the family said. "Through four straight weeks of fear and uncertainty, Congressman Barrett's commitment to bringing our parents home safely provided us with hope and reassurance," the Akeo family said. Palace Elite Resorts did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday night. The prosecutor's office said that the money from the settlement will go to three non-profit groups. "The Office of the Prosecutor reiterates its commitment to justice and social welfare, acting in accordance with the law to guarantee compensation for damages and respect for the rights of all parties involved," the prosecutor's office said.
Fox News
04-04-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Michigan couple detained in Mexico for over a month over timeshare dispute head home
Two Michigan grandparents detained in Mexico for over a month because of a timeshare dispute are finally heading home after their daughter pleaded for their release. Christy Akeo, 60, and Paul Akeo, 58, who live in Spring Arbor, Michigan, were held in a Cereso, Cancun, prison for 32 days since they traveled there for vacation earlier this month and were arrested by Mexican authorities, as their daughter and attorney previously told Fox News Digital. "The Akeo family wishes to thank President Donald J. Trump, his Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs Adam Boehler and Congressman Tom Barrett [R-Minn.] for working tirelessly for the release of Paul and Christy Akeo," their daughter and son-in-law, Lindsey Lemke Hull and Michael Lemke, said in a Thursday evening statement. "We also want to express our deepest gratitude to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Mark Coolidge Johnson, Charge d 'Affaires, U.S. Embassy Mission Mexico and his dedicated team." They added that after "four straight weeks of uncertainty," Rep. Barrett's commitment to helping the Akeos return home safely gave them "hope and reassurance." "[Barrett] traveled to Cancun at great personal risk, camped out at the prison and made it clear that he would not return home without them," the Hulls said. "His heroic efforts as a veteran represent the finest traditions of our nation's military to never leave an American behind." "No American should be held hostage to the demands of a private company anywhere in the world" Rep. Barrett previously told Fox News Digital on Wednesday that he traveled to Mexico to visit with the Akeos in prison and to push for their release after learning of their deteriorating physical condition. "Enough is enough. After spending nearly a month in a maximum security Mexican prison over what amounts to a contract dispute on a time-share, it's long overdue for the Mexican authorities to release Paul and Christy," Barrett said. The Akeos are currently receiving care from physicians and therapists. "We ask that their privacy be respected as they rest and heal. The family will have much more to say about this ordeal in the coming days," the Hulls said. On March 4, Christy and Paul were traveling to a resort at Isla Mujeres. Mexican authorities arrested them upon arrival and charged them with fraud for disputing credit card charges stemming from a timeshare they purchased in 2021 at a different resort in Cancun. "The place they're at is a hellhole," attorney John Manly previously told Fox News Digital of jail conditions. "It's filled with cartel members, drug dealers, rapists, murderers. Imagine what that's like every day. For this grandmother and veteran who just wanted to go on vacation. And until today, until really the last couple of days, no one has helped them." They were detained over a dispute with their timeshare purchased through a resort company called Palace Elite Resorts, which owns various resort properties in Mexico and has offices in Florida. In 2021, the Akeos purchased a Cancun timeshare for $6,932 per month for a term of 11 years. In June 2022, Paul filed a complaint with American Express alleging that Palace breached their contract and failed to provide the goods and services they paid for via Paul's American Express Card, which Palace Elite Resorts contested. American Express investigated the complaint and sided with the Akeos, issuing a chargeback of more than $116,000 in September 2022, their attorney said. The Palace Company, local Mexican media and authorities in Mexico told a different story about the Akeos, saying they defrauded the hotel company out of more than $100,000. Mexican officials say the Akeos signed their timeshare contract in 2021, but in 2022, the hotel received 13 canceled transactions stemming from Paul's credit card totaling $116,587, or more than 2.4 million pesos, according to a press release from the Attorney General's Office of the State of Quintana Roo. The Palace Company told Fox News Digital in a statement that "between 2016 and 2021, the Akeos knowingly and willingly entered into 19 separate membership agreements with Palace Elite (attached), investing over $1.4 million USD in exchange for exclusive benefits and rates intended strictly for personal use." "In 2021," the company continued, "they were found to be in material breach of those agreements after promoting and profiting from their benefits on social media—conduct explicitly prohibited under the terms they agreed to. They were formally notified of this violation and, in April 2022, signed a waiver acknowledging their breach and committing to refrain from any further use of Palace Elite branding or commentary about the company." After signing the waiver, the Palace Company alleged, the Akeos "began disputing their membership charges with their credit card companies." "These disputes—despite relating to services they had actively used—were granted, resulting in over $100,000 USD in reversed payments and substantial financial harm to Palace Elite," the Palace Company said. Palace Elite filed a criminal complaint in August 2023. The Akeos' attorney, responding to the Palace's statement, said Christy wrote to a Palace representative on April 8, 2022, saying she and Paul "do still believe we have done nothing wrong to breach our contract but feel Palace has given us no other option but to sign the documents, even though this is against our better judgment." "We love Palace Resorts and would miss it if we could not go," she wrote at the time. Her attorney said there is dispute over whether the Akeos had the right to market and sell their timeshare "weeks" at the resort to third parties, but they believe the matter should be resolved in a civil suit and should not have resulted in the Akeos being sent to prison. American Express did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Yahoo
Concern grows over Spring Arbor parents imprisoned in Mexico
LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — A couple from Spring Arbor has been held in a Mexican prison for weeks, with no sign of being released. The has gone national, and their loved ones are desperate to get them back home. The Akeos were detained after landing at the Cancun International Airport on March 4, stemming from a contract dispute dating back to 2021 that they thought was behind them. 6 News spoke with their children, Lindsey Hull and Michael Lemke, to find out what might happen next. 'Every second of every day, we are concerned for their safety, especially with the lack of communication,' says Hull. 'The idea that they're sitting in a maximum-security prison over a time-share dispute at best is unacceptable.' Hull says they are being falsely accused of defrauding Palace Resorts out of more than $110,000 and that the dispute goes back to 2021. The Akeo family says Palace Resorts breached a timeshare contract they had signed with the Akeo parents, leading them to seek legal advice. Hull says they then presented evidence to their bank, who agreed with them, cancelling more than $110,000 of payments. The Akeo parents thought the dispute was over, but they were arrested and are now locked up in Centro de Reinserción Social de Cancún, according to their son Michael Lemke. 'The situation is incredibly unfortunate over something that is a contract dispute that we felt, I should say it seemed like was done and over with,' says Lemke. 'The big thing for us is just bringing them home.' The siblings say their stay in the prison has already taken a toll on them, especially their mother. 'They've been serving her food. The problem is there's been several times where they've served her food that she's allergic to or cannot eat because of that,' says Lemke. 'She's been having this rash that keeps breaking out on her just after some food, so she's only able to eat certain things.' Lemke says a Mexican judge has given Palace Resorts six months to gather evidence—meaning the Akeos could be detained for much longer. The siblings have been able to speak with their mother over the phone several times but still haven't heard from their stepfather. The U.S. government is aware of the situation, but so far, no agreement has been reached for their release as of Tuesday. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
