A Michigan couple was released Thursday after spending nearly a month in a Mexican prison due to a payment disagreement 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, their family reported.
Prosecutors in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, where Cancun is located, had accused the Akeos of defrauding a hospitality business. The couple was released, and their criminal charges were dropped after they reached a settlement agreement with the company, prosecutors stated on Thursday.
As part of the agreement, the couple consented to pay for damages, which would then be distributed among three non-profit organizations, according to the prosecutors.
The case originated from a 2021 timeshare contract between the Akeos and Palace Elite, a subsidiary of The Palace Company, John Manly, the Akeo family’s attorney, had previously informed CNN.
The couple’s family has maintained that the allegations against them are untrue. Through their legal representatives, the Akeos assert that they successfully disputed charges with their credit card company from a resort they claim breached their contract by failing to provide agreed-upon services.
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The couple arrived back in the US overnight Thursday, as shown in video footage from CNN affiliate WILX.
“We had no access to phones, internet,” Paul Akeo recounted regarding the conditions inside the prison where they were held. Speaking after their arrival in the US, the couple added that they were even separated from each other for approximately a week.
“They dictated what to do and when to do it,” Christy Akeo said, highlighting the difficulty they faced in overcoming the language barrier when they needed to request assistance from Mexican authorities.
Both Paul and Christy Akeo expressed their deep gratitude for the overwhelming support they received from US officials. “I don’t even know how we’re going to repay or thank people,” Christy Akeo said.
Earlier, the couple’s attorney thanked Congressman Barrett, calling him “a hero in my book,” as well as Special Envoy Adam Boehler and President Donald Trump.
“President Trump, I know he personally intervened in this matter and wanted them home, so I give him a lot of credit,” Manly told CNN on Thursday night. “No American should have to endure what these individuals have endured. But for these three men, I believe they would still be incarcerated.”
In a statement, Lindsey Hull and Michael Lemke expressed their gratitude to government officials for their assistance in securing their parents’ release, specifically acknowledging Rep. Barrett’s dedication.
“He traveled to Cancun at great personal risk, stayed at the prison, and made it clear that he would not return home without them,” they stated in their Thursday release. “His heroic efforts as a veteran exemplify 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,” they asserted.
Hull and Lemke further mentioned that their parents would receive treatment for “illnesses and trauma inflicted upon them during their captivity.”
In a Thursday statement, a spokesperson for The Palace Company also extended thanks to Trump, Barrett, and Boehler for their mediation efforts.
“The Palace Company and the Akeos have agreed that $116,587.84, the amount contested by the Akeos and refunded to them by American Express, will be donated to a reputable established nonprofit organization in Mexico that benefits orphaned children,” the spokesperson conveyed. “Each party regrets that this incident occurred.”
In a Friday statement, Manly reiterated that the Akeos “did nothing wrong and did not cause any damage to The Palace Company.” The attorney further clarified that the couple made no “payment of damages,” although Manly confirmed that he personally donated $58,294 to a Mexican charity to facilitate their 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.”
Related article A Michigan couple traveled to Mexico for vacation. They ended up in prison over disputed timeshare payments
Barrett condemned the prison’s “horrific conditions” on X after visiting the couple there on Wednesday.
Hull had previously expressed her concern to CNN regarding her parents’ health while they were imprisoned.
“Their lives are in danger. Their health is declining. We need to get these people home,” Hull stated, referring to her parents. “We simply don’t have another option. They’re not going to remain in prison indefinitely.”
A State Department spokesperson informed CNN on Friday that they are “aware of reports of the release of two U.S. citizens in Mexico,” but declined to provide specific details.
Hull had mentioned last month that her parents were taken into custody and informed that arrest warrants had been issued for them in Mexico following a criminal complaint 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 phone call on the day her parents were arrested.
How the Case Unfolded
Prosecutors in Mexico alleged in a March 15 statement that in 2022, the Akeos canceled 13 credit card payments to a hotel chain, totaling over $116,500. While prosecutors did not elaborate on potential evidence, they asserted that this activity constituted fraud.
Through their legal counsel, the Akeos maintain that Palace failed to deliver promised services within a few months of their timeshare contract. Consequently, the couple filed a complaint with their credit card company seeking a refund of nearly $117,000 in payments made to Palace.
The couple contended that the resort company breached their contract. Manly stated last week that the Akeos were detained “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 further suggested that the company was retaliating against the couple for contesting the charges.
A spokesperson for The Palace Company and attorneys representing the Akeos both provided CNN with documentation illustrating a prolonged dispute concerning the couple’s utilization of membership benefits and what could be considered breaches of
