Michigan couple arrested in Cancún for alleged fraud in timeshare dispute

A joined mates from agrarian Michigan has been imprisoned successful Cancún for much than 3 weeks aft being accused of committing fraud against Palace Resorts, a Mexican-based timeshare and hospitality company.

Paul and Christy Akeo were detained March 4 upon accomplishment astatine the Cancún International Airport, marking the opening of an ordeal that has reportedly landed them successful a maximum-security situation and sent their household into panic.

A household photograph of the Christy and Paul Akeo. (Courtesy of Lindsey Hull)

This week, children of the mates spoke out, declaring the accusations to beryllium mendacious and calling connected the U.S. authorities to intervene.

“The urgency is beyond important due to the fact that we person nary thought what is happening to them astatine immoderate time,” said Lindsey Hull, Christy’s daughter, noting that the mates is being held without bail and being denied connection with family.

“Their lives are successful danger,” she added. “Their wellness is declining. We request to get these radical home.”

Paul is simply a 58-year-old Navy seasoned employed arsenic an technologist with the Michigan authorities constabulary and Christy, 60, is grandma and tiny concern owner, according to their U.S.-based attorney, John Manly.

They are being “held captive successful a hellhole spread of a Mexican maximum-security prison,” Manly said successful a connection to CNN.

The Akeos — who unrecorded successful Spring Arbor, an unincorporated assemblage astir halfway betwixt Ann Arbor and Kalamazoo — traveled to Cancún connected March 4 expecting a carefree vacation, Manly and their children said, lone to beryllium stopped by authorities soon aft their level landed.

In a statement, reportedly issued 2 weeks later, prosecutors successful the authorities of Quintana Roo allege that the mates successful 2022 canceled 13 recognition paper payments to a edifice concatenation totaling much than $116,500. Though prosecutors didn’t connection further evidence, they said the enactment constitutes fraud.

According to Manly, the lawsuit stems from a 2021 timeshare statement that the Akeos signed with Palace Elite, a subsidiary of The Palace Company, which is headquartered successful Mérida, Yucatán. One of its brands is Palace Resorts, known for luxury all-inclusive properties successful Mexico and Jamaica.

Manly said the institution failed to supply the services promised successful the agreement, and arsenic a result, the mates disputed the charges with their recognition paper company, American Express.

Christy Akeo besides shared their experiences connected societal media.

Timeshares are communal successful edifice destinations similar Cancún, but often person hidden provisions oregon fees. (Wikimedia)

According to a connection from The Palace Company, a transgression ailment was filed aft the mates “fraudulently disputed morganatic recognition paper charges and publically encouraged others to bash the same.”

The institution noted that “Interpol validated the case” and that a court-approved apprehension warrant was issued “following failed attempts to service notice.”

Hull insisted that her household received nary notices and said that, though her ma did dependable disconnected successful a Facebook radical of confused and aggravated Palace customers, she is baffled arsenic to wherefore that mightiness person contributed to the arrest.

“What happened,” Manly said successful a study connected WLNS, a vigor presumption successful Lansing, Michigan, “was they got lured into this timeshare, and initially it was immoderate tenable magnitude a month, and past — according to what we’ve been told — they took distant their benefits and fundamentally made them summation their monthly publication to $6,200 a month.”

“The thought that they’re sitting successful a maximum-security situation implicit a timeshare quality is, astatine best, unacceptable,” Hull added.

Manly said the institution was, successful fact, the enactment that breached the contract, notably the portion that allowed the Akeos to merchantability weeks of their timeshare. But erstwhile they attempted to bash that, helium said, “Palace conscionable began to cancel the reservations.”

A antheral identified arsenic the couple’s son, Michael Lemke, told WLNS that a justice gave Palace Resorts six months to stitchery evidence. He’s acrophobic this could mean that the Akeos mightiness beryllium detained successful Mexico for a while.

“The concern is incredibly unfortunate implicit thing that is simply a declaration quality that … seemed similar it was done and implicit with,” Lemke said.

U.S. Congressman Tom Barrett has pledged to assistance the household by moving with the White House and State Department to rapidly resoluteness the situation.

“I person assured them that my squad and I are acting instantly and doing everything we tin to help,” Barrett said.

With reports from Diario de Yucatán, CNN and WLNS Radio