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USA Today
04-04-2025
- USA Today
US tourists held in maximum security Mexico prison freed, return home
US tourists held in maximum security Mexico prison freed, return home Show Caption Hide Caption FBI issues tips for travelers going abroad for spring break The FBI's Los Angeles field office issued tips to Americans traveling abroad for spring break, urging travelers to stay safe. Paul and Christy Akeo were released from a Mexican prison after 32 days, following allegations of defrauding a hospitality company. The couple's arrest stemmed from a timeshare contract dispute with The Palace Company, which they claim involved undelivered services. As part of the resolution, the disputed amount of $116,587.84 will be donated to a Mexican charity for orphans. Two American tourists who were held in a Cancun, Mexico, prison have been released, their attorneys said. Paul and Christy Akeo returned to Lansing, Michigan, after 32 days, according to a news release from the law firm Manly, Stewart & Finaldi. Prosecutors in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo had alleged the couple defrauded a hospitality company by canceling nearly $117,000 in credit card transactions. The arrest stemmed from a timeshare contract dispute with The Palace Company. The Akeos' family maintained they were wrongly accused of fraud. The couple's children, Lindsey Lemke Hull and Michael Lemke, thanked President Donald Trump, U.S. special envoy Adam Boehler and Rep. Tom Barrett, R-Mich., 'for working tirelessly for the release of Paul and Christy Akeo' in a statement from the family on Thursday. Barrett visited the maximum security prison where the Akeos were being held, he said in a post on X on Wednesday. '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,' he wrote. 'This has left them scared, frustrated, and struggling to find hope. I assured them that I am doing everything I can to urgently secure their safe release.' The lawmaker later posted a video on X on Thursday night showing him boarding a plane with the couple. Palace and the Akeos 'agreed to a resolution of their dispute,' the company told USA TODAY in an emailed statement. 'The Palace Company and the Akeos agree that $116,587.84, the amount that was contested by the Akeos and refunded to them by American Express, will be donated to a bona fide established nonprofit in Mexico benefiting orphan children,' the company said. 'Each party regrets that this incident occurred.' A judge validated the agreement and dismissed the criminal case, the Quintana Roo Attorney General's office said. "The Prosecutor's Office reiterates its commitment to justice and social welfare, acting in accordance with the law to ensure repair for damages and respect for the rights of all parties involved," prosecutors said in a translated Facebook post. The couple's attorney, John Manly, said late last month that the Akeos disputed the charges with the credit card company after Palace failed 'to deliver services," including canceling booked weeks without notice. Palace told USA TODAY at the time that the pair's weeks were canceled because they violated their membership terms 'after promoting and profiting from their benefits on social media.' The Akeos were notified of the breach, the company said, and later disputed the charges. Manly said the couple believed they were allowed to market and sell some of their weeks to third parties. He also accused Palace of demanding $250,000 and that the Akeos sign a non-disclosure agreement in exchange for their release, among other conditions. 'No American should be held hostage to the demands of a private company anywhere in the world,' Hull and Lemke said in their statement Thursday. 'Paul and Christy are under the care of physicians and therapists to be treated for illnesses and trauma inflicted upon them during their captivity. We ask that their privacy be respected as they rest and heal.' Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at ndiller@
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Yahoo
Michigan Couple Returns to U.S. After Being Held in Mexico Prison for a Month Following Dispute with Timeshare Resort
A Michigan couple has returned to the U.S. after being held in a Mexico prison following a dispute with The Palace Company Paul and Christy Akeo have reportedly reached an agreement with the resorts company after it accused the pair of defrauding them of over $100,000 Congressman Tom Barrett, representing Michigan's 7th district, traveled to Mexico and shared a clip on X showing the couple boarding a plane to head back home on Thursday, April 3 A Michigan couple is now back in the U.S. after being held in a Mexican jail for a month following a dispute with a timeshare company. As previously reported by PEOPLE, Paul and Christy Akeo were held in a prison after being arrested while traveling to Cancún on March 4, the couple's daughter claimed in a March 24 Facebook post. In a previous statement, the Attorney General of Quintana Roo state alleged Christy had gone on Facebook to "spread the word" about having "committed fraud" against The Palace Company after her husband canceled 13 transactions totaling nearly $117,000. In a Thursday, April 3 statement, the Attorney General then said that the couple had reached an agreement with the resorts company, which had resulted in the pair's "immediate release" back to the U.S. The Palace Company confirmed in a statement that the parties had "agreed to a resolution of their dispute," noting that the $116,587.84 back-charged to the Akeos' American Express card would be "donated to a bona fide established nonprofit in Mexico benefiting orphan children." "Each party regrets that this incident occurred," the company wrote. Congressman Tom Barrett, representing Michigan's 7th district, shared a video on X showing the Akeos boarding a plane to return home, writing, "Paul and Christy Akeo are coming home. Mission accomplished." Paul and Christy Akeo are coming home. Mission accomplished. 🇺🇸 — Congressman Tom Barrett (@RepTomBarrett) April 4, 2025 The Akeos' law firm confirmed the couple, of Spring Arbor, had been "released from custody and [had] returned to Lansing, Michigan," per a statement obtained by PEOPLE. The couple have made it safely home, attorney Stu Mollrich confirmed to PEOPLE. "No American should be held hostage to the demands of a private company anywhere in the world," Christy's children Michael and Lindsey said in a statement through their lawyer. "Paul and Christy are under the care of physicians and therapists to be treated for illnesses and trauma inflicted upon them during their captivity," the children continued. "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,' Mollrich told PEOPLE last month that his clients had a membership with Florida-based company Palace Elite Resorts — which has multiple locations in Mexico — and argued the company "breached their contact and failed to provide the goods and services they had been charged for." The Akeos had purchased a timeshare membership with Palace for $6,923 per month for a period of 11 years in 2021, Mollrich said, but after flagging the alleged breach to American Express, the couple had $116,587.84 kicked back to their card. Christy would later become moderator of a Facebook group full of former Palace guests disgruntled by the company's "heavy-handed and deceptive business practices," Mollrich said. In March, the couple traveled back to Cancún and were arrested upon arrival at the airport, the attorney noted. The Palace Company said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE on March 27 that criminal proceedings were underway against the Akeos "following a multi-year pattern of serious contractual violations and deliberate fraud during and after their membership in Palace Elite." Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Following the couple's release, the Akeo family said that Congressman Tom Barrett had traveled to Mexico "camped out at the prison and made it clear that he would not return home without them," per NBC News. After landing in Cancun this morning, I traveled directly to the maximum security prison where Paul and Christy Akeo are being held. I met with them personally for an hour and learned of the horrific conditions they are facing — rubbled walls, overcrowded cells, toilets that… — Congressman Tom Barrett (@RepTomBarrett) April 2, 2025 "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 family added, according to the outlet, as well as thanking President Donald Trump and others "for working tirelessly" to make sure the Akeos were released. A PR firm representing The Palace Company and the Akeos' law firm didn't immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE for comment. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Michigan couple released after nearly a month in Mexican prison over payment dispute with timeshare company
A Michigan couple was released Thursday after spending nearly a month in a Mexican prison over a payment dispute with a timeshare company, according to Michael Gordon, a spokesperson for Michigan Rep. Tom Barrett's office. Paul Akeo, a 58-year-old Navy veteran, and his wife Christy, 60, were taken into custody shortly after their plane landed in Cancun on March 4, according to their family. Prosecutors in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, where Cancun is located, accused the Akeos of defrauding a hospitality company. The case stems from a 2021 timeshare agreement between the Akeos and Palace Elite, a subsidiary of The Palace Company, John Manly, an attorney for the Akeo family, previously told CNN. The couple's family has said the allegations against them are false. Through their attorneys, the Akeos say they successfully disputed charges with their credit card from a resort company they claim breached their contract by failing to provide services. The couple is traveling back to the US and are expected to land in Michigan shortly before midnight, Gordon said. Manly also confirmed that the couple has been released and were heading home Thursday. He thanked Congressman Barrett, calling him a 'hero in my book,' as well as Adam Boehler and President Donald Trump. 'President Trump, I know he personally got involved with this and wanted them home, so I give him a lot of credit,' Manly said to CNN Thursday night. 'No American should have to endure what these people have endured. But for these three men, I think they'd still be sitting there.' A spokesperson for The Palace Company did not immediately respond to questions about the status of the case Thursday following the Akeos' release. Manly told CNN in a March statement that the couple was being 'held captive in a hell hole of a Mexican maximum-security prison.' Barrett decried the prison's 'horrific conditions' on X after he visited the couple there on Wednesday. Lindsey Hull previously told CNN she was concerned about her parents' health in prison. 'Their lives are in danger. Their health is declining. We need to get these people home,' Hull said, referring to her parents. 'We just don't have another option. They're not going to be sitting in prison indefinitely.' The US State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the couple's release. A State Department spokesperson previously told CNN it's 'aware of reports of the detention of two U.S. citizens in Mexico' but declined to offer specifics. Lindsey Hull said last month her parents were taken into custody and told arrest warrants had been issued for them in Mexico after a criminal complaint was filed by The Palace Company alleging fraud. 'We're assuming it has something to do with the timeshare with Palace Resorts,' she recalled her stepfather telling her in a call the day her parents were arrested. Prosecutors in Mexico allege in a March 15 statement that in 2022, the Akeos canceled 13 credit card payments to a hotel chain totaling more than $116,500. Prosecutors did not elaborate on possible evidence but said the activity constitutes fraud. Through their attorneys, the Akeos say Palace failed to provide promised services a few months into their timeshare contract. The couple then filed a complaint with their credit card company seeking a refund of nearly $117,000 in Palace payments. The couple argued the resort company breached their contract. Manly said in a statement last week the Akeos were held 'because they successfully disputed Palace' [sic] charges and failure to deliver services with American Express, criticized the Company on Facebook and alerted others who felt wronged by Palace.' Manly added the company was retaliating against the couple for challenging the charges. A spokesperson for The Palace Company and attorneys for the Akeos both provided CNN with documentation showing an extended dispute about the couple's use of membership benefits and what could be considered breaches of contract. The Palace spokesperson told CNN in statements last week that they filed a complaint with Mexican authorities in August 2023 after the Akeos 'fraudulently disputed legitimate credit card charges and publicly encouraged others to do the same.' 'The Akeos began disputing their membership charges with their credit card companies,' Palace said in a statement last week. 'These disputes – despite relating to services they had actively used – were granted,' the company said in a statement. Palace claims the couple later took to Facebook and 'bragged about these chargebacks and encouraged others to follow suit.' Last September, attorneys for Palace sent a cease-and-desist letter to Christy Akeo claiming that her Facebook posts were unlawful because she had instructed members on how to end their agreements 'using illegal and fraudulent means,' according to a copy of the letter the company provided to CNN. Separately, in announcing the fraud charges last month, Mexican prosecutors pointed to social media posts, alleging Christy Akeo used them 'to inform how said fraud was committed against the hotel chain.' Palace said it has also filed a related civil suit seeking financial damages and that 'all of its actions are in full accordance with Mexican law.' 'The bottom line is this is a civil dispute which can be easily litigated,' Manly told CNN in a Friday statement. 'Palace has no right to force a settlement by having the Akeos arrested and thrown into a dangerous Mexican prison.' Hull previously told CNN her family received no notice of criminal charges that she is aware of and said her mother did take to social media to share her negative experience with fellow Palace patrons. However, she's baffled at why social media activity may have contributed to the arrest. 'My mom was very clear about that in this Facebook group where people were seeking information on what to do when you get in these memberships,' Hull said. 'If there's 8,000 people dealing with the same thing, and the same disappointments with Palace Resorts, and how they treat their members, maybe you should look in the mirror and make a change.'
CNN
04-04-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Michigan couple released after nearly a month in Mexican prison over payment dispute with timeshare company
A Michigan couple was released Thursday after spending nearly a month in a Mexican prison over a payment dispute with a timeshare company, according to Michael Gordon, a spokesperson for Michigan Rep. Tom Barrett's office. Paul Akeo, a 58-year-old Navy veteran, and his wife Christy, 60, were taken into custody shortly after their plane landed in Cancun on March 4, according to their family. Prosecutors in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, where Cancun is located, accused the Akeos of defrauding a hospitality company. The case stems from a 2021 timeshare agreement between the Akeos and Palace Elite, a subsidiary of The Palace Company, John Manly, an attorney for the Akeo family, previously told CNN. The couple's family has said the allegations against them are false. Through their attorneys, the Akeos say they successfully disputed charges with their credit card from a resort company they claim breached their contract by failing to provide services. The couple is traveling back to the US and are expected to land in Michigan shortly before midnight, Gordon said. Manly also confirmed that the couple has been released and were heading home Thursday. He thanked Congressman Barrett, calling him a 'hero in my book,' as well as Adam Boehler and President Donald Trump. 'President Trump, I know he personally got involved with this and wanted them home, so I give him a lot of credit,' Manly said to CNN Thursday night. 'No American should have to endure what these people have endured. But for these three men, I think they'd still be sitting there.' A spokesperson for The Palace Company did not immediately respond to questions about the status of the case Thursday following the Akeos' release. Manly told CNN in a March statement that the couple was being 'held captive in a hell hole of a Mexican maximum-security prison.' Barrett decried the prison's 'horrific conditions' on X after he visited the couple there on Wednesday. Lindsey Hull previously told CNN she was concerned about her parents' health in prison. 'Their lives are in danger. Their health is declining. We need to get these people home,' Hull said, referring to her parents. 'We just don't have another option. They're not going to be sitting in prison indefinitely.' The US State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the couple's release. A State Department spokesperson previously told CNN it's 'aware of reports of the detention of two U.S. citizens in Mexico' but declined to offer specifics. Lindsey Hull said last month her parents were taken into custody and told arrest warrants had been issued for them in Mexico after a criminal complaint was filed by The Palace Company alleging fraud. 'We're assuming it has something to do with the timeshare with Palace Resorts,' she recalled her stepfather telling her in a call the day her parents were arrested. Prosecutors in Mexico allege in a March 15 statement that in 2022, the Akeos canceled 13 credit card payments to a hotel chain totaling more than $116,500. Prosecutors did not elaborate on possible evidence but said the activity constitutes fraud. Through their attorneys, the Akeos say Palace failed to provide promised services a few months into their timeshare contract. The couple then filed a complaint with their credit card company seeking a refund of nearly $117,000 in Palace payments. The couple argued the resort company breached their contract. Manly said in a statement last week the Akeos were held 'because they successfully disputed Palace' [sic] charges and failure to deliver services with American Express, criticized the Company on Facebook and alerted others who felt wronged by Palace.' Manly added the company was retaliating against the couple for challenging the charges. A spokesperson for The Palace Company and attorneys for the Akeos both provided CNN with documentation showing an extended dispute about the couple's use of membership benefits and what could be considered breaches of contract. The Palace spokesperson told CNN in statements last week that they filed a complaint with Mexican authorities in August 2023 after the Akeos 'fraudulently disputed legitimate credit card charges and publicly encouraged others to do the same.' 'The Akeos began disputing their membership charges with their credit card companies,' Palace said in a statement last week. 'These disputes – despite relating to services they had actively used – were granted,' the company said in a statement. Palace claims the couple later took to Facebook and 'bragged about these chargebacks and encouraged others to follow suit.' Last September, attorneys for Palace sent a cease-and-desist letter to Christy Akeo claiming that her Facebook posts were unlawful because she had instructed members on how to end their agreements 'using illegal and fraudulent means,' according to a copy of the letter the company provided to CNN. Separately, in announcing the fraud charges last month, Mexican prosecutors pointed to social media posts, alleging Christy Akeo used them 'to inform how said fraud was committed against the hotel chain.' Palace said it has also filed a related civil suit seeking financial damages and that 'all of its actions are in full accordance with Mexican law.' 'The bottom line is this is a civil dispute which can be easily litigated,' Manly told CNN in a Friday statement. 'Palace has no right to force a settlement by having the Akeos arrested and thrown into a dangerous Mexican prison.' Hull previously told CNN her family received no notice of criminal charges that she is aware of and said her mother did take to social media to share her negative experience with fellow Palace patrons. However, she's baffled at why social media activity may have contributed to the arrest. 'My mom was very clear about that in this Facebook group where people were seeking information on what to do when you get in these memberships,' Hull said. 'If there's 8,000 people dealing with the same thing, and the same disappointments with Palace Resorts, and how they treat their members, maybe you should look in the mirror and make a change.'
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Yahoo
Family of Michigan couple held in Mexican prison release statement on Rep. Barrett's visit
LANSING, Mich. (WLNS)– The family of the who are behind bars in a Mexican prison after being accused of breaching a timeshare contract, have released a statement thanking U.S. Rep. Tom Barrett for traveling to Mexico Tuesday to help get them home. Paul and Christy Akeo were arrested on March 4 at an airport in Cancun and have been held without bond. Lindsey Hull, Chrisy's daughter, and Paul's stepdaughter told WLNS that the couple was being held because they had challenged charges made on their American Express credit card by The Palace Company, owners of Palace Resorts. We would like to extend our deepest gratitude to Representative Tom Barrett for his courageous action in traveling to Cancun, Mexico to assist in securing the release of our parents from captivity. His dedication, leadership, and willingness to personally intervene in such a critical situation means more to our family than words can express. Through four straight weeks of fear and uncertainty, Representative Barrett's commitment to bringing our parents home safely provided us with hope and reassurance. He was the first local representative to simply make a phone call to our family and listen to our horrific situation and offer his assistance. His efforts exemplify his commitment to not only our family, but our community as a whole, and we are forever grateful for his support and determination. Thank you, Representative Barrett, for standing by us in our time of need. We are all hoping The Chapur Family and The Palace Company will make the correct decision in releasing our parents and putting an end to the unjust torture they have forced our parents to endure. Lindsey Lemke Hall and family Lawyer for Michigan couple held in Mexican prison says resort company is at fault Local Mexican outlets reported that the Akeos have been charged with defrauding a Cancun hotel chain out of more than $100,000, alleging they signed a contract in Nov. 2021 to purchase a membership with the hotel, giving a credit card for the hotel to charge the monthly payments to. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
