Two Michigan grandparents Detained in Mexico Due to a timeshare dispute, more than a month later, after his daughter begged for release, she finally returned home.
Christy Akeo, 60, and Paul Akeo, 58, Spring Arbor in Michigan They have been held in prison in Cereso, Cancun, for 32 days and have been arrested by Mexican authorities since they went there for vacation earlier this month because their daughter and lawyers had previously told Fox News Digital.
“The Akeo family wants to thank President Donald J. Trump, his hostage envoy Adam Boehler and Congressman Tom Barrett [R-Minn.] To release Paul and Christy Akeo, “their daughter and daughter Lindsey Lemke Hull and Michael Lemke said in a statement Thursday night: “We also want to express our deepest gratitude to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Mark Coolidge Johnson, the Mexican and his dedicated team leader Mark Coolidge Johnson.”
They added that after “four consecutive weeks of uncertainty”, Rep. Barrett’s commitment to helping Akeos come home safely makes them “hope and reassured.”
Michigan grandparents imprisoned in Mexico for their daughter’s release
Paul and Christy Akeo signed a Mexican timeshare deal in 2021. (Handout)
“[Barrett] “Go to camp in prison, camp in prison and make it clear that he will not go home,” Hulls said. “His heroic efforts as a veteran represent the best traditions in our nation’s military to avoid leaving the Americans.”
“No American should kidnap hostages from private companies anywhere in the world”
Rep. Barrett had previously told Fox News Digital on Wednesday that he traveled to Mexico to visit Akeos in prison and pushed them to release after learning that his physical condition had worsened.
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Interpol red notice was issued to facilitate the couple’s arrest. (FGE)
“Enough. It took nearly a month to go after the Mexican highest security prison, Mexican authorities should have released Paul and Christie long ago after the contract disputes between the Mexicans on the schedule.”
Akeos is currently receiving care from doctors and therapists.
“We require their privacy to be respected in rest and healing. In the next few days, families will have more meaning for this suffering.”
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Aerial panoramic view of the hotel area of Cancun, Mexico. (iStock)
On March 4, Christy and Paul headed to the resort of Isla Mujeres. Mexican authorities arrested them upon arrival and charged them with fraud for defending credit card charges caused by their timeshare vacation they purchased in another resort in Cancun in 2021.
Attorney John Manly previously told Fox News Digital about the situation in the prison. “It’s full of cartel members, drug dealers, rapists, murderers. Imagine it every day. For this grandmother and veteran, they just wanted to take a vacation. Until today, until today, until the last few days, no one can help them.”
They were detained for a timeshare purchase through a resort company called Palace Elite Resorts, which owns various resorts in Mexico and owns Florida office. In 2021, Akeos purchased the Cancun timeshare for an 11-year term for $6,932 per month.
Paul and Christy Akeo were detained in Mexico for weeks after a timeshare dispute. (Handout)
In June 2022, Paul filed a complaint with American Express, saying the palace had violated its contract and failed to provide goods and services paid through Paul’s American Express card, which Paul American Express Card competed for the Palace Elite Resort.
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Their attorney said American Express investigated the complaint and supported Akeos and issued a refund of more than $116,000 in September 2022.
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Palace Company, local media in Mexico and authorities tell a story about Akeos, saying they cheated over $100,000 for the hotel company.
Paul Akeo is a 21-year Navy veteran and an employee of the Michigan State Police Department. (Handout)
Mexican officials said AkeOS signed a timeshare contract in 2021, but in 2022, the hotel received 13 cancelled deals from Paul’s credit card totaling $116,587 (over 2.4 million pesos) according to a press release from Quintana Rooo’s attorney general’s office.
The Palace company told Fox News in a statement that “between 2016 and 2021, Akeos is interested and willing to enter into 19 separate membership agreements with Palace Elite (attachment), investing more than $1.4 million in exchange for exclusive benefits and interest rates strictly for personal use.”
The company continued: “In 2021, they were found to promote and profit on social media, they were seriously breached by these agreements, which was expressly prohibited under the terms they agreed to. They were formally notified of the violation and signed a breach of contract and a refusal to ratify the breach of contract or commitment of Palace Elitient Elite in April 2022.
The State Department is aware of the detention of Christie and Paul Akis in Mexico. (Handout)
After signing the waiver, Akeos “started to raise membership fees with credit card companies.”
“Though related to the services they actively use, these disputes were granted approval, resulting in more than $100,000 in reverse payments and significant financial damage to Palace Elite,” the palace company said.
Palace Elite filed a criminal lawsuit in August 2023.
Members of the National Guard were on Thursday, December 2, 2021 at the beach in the hotel area of Cancun, Quintana, Mexico. (Cesar Rodriguez/Bloomberg via Getty Image)
Christy wrote to the Palace representative on April 8, 2022 that Akeos’ lawyer responded to the Palace’s statement, saying she and Paul “still believe we did nothing wrong to violate our contract, but felt that the Palace had no other option to sign the document, even if it was against our better judgment.”
“We love the Palace Resort and if we can’t go, we’ll miss it.”
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Her lawyers said there was a dispute over whether Akeos has the right to sell their timeshares on job seekers to a third party, but they believed the matter should be settled in a civil lawsuit and should not lead to Akeos being sent to jail.
American Express did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
