A Michigan couple is currently being held in a maximum-security prison in Mexico after a timeshare billing dispute escalated into criminal charges.
Christy and Paul Akeo, both 60, were arrested shortly after arriving at Cancun Airport for a family vacation. Mexican authorities arrested the couple for what they described as “fraud to a hotel chain,” according to ABC News.
The Akeos have now been held for 22 days, with their daughter, Lindsey Hull, expressing deep concern for her parents’ well-being. “My mom is terrified,” Hull said. “She tells us every day how scared she is. She obviously cries a lot.”
Family attorney John Manly explained that the couple had signed up for a timeshare with Palace Resorts, a hotel chain that operates resorts in Mexico and has an office in Florida. However, when the Akeos were unable to use their timeshare as promised, they disputed the contract and sought to resolve the issue with their credit card company.
“American Express ruled in favor of the Akeos, refunding them over $100,000 in wrongful charges,” said Manly. However, Mexican authorities viewed the refund as “the cancellation of 13 transactions” and accused the couple of maliciously disputing legitimate charges.
Additionally, Mexican officials pointed to a Facebook post by Christy Akeo, in which she allegedly provided advice to other timeshare owners on how to dispute charges. Authorities claimed the post encouraged fraudulent activity.
“There is clearly no length that they are not willing to go to make an example,” Hull stated. “This has gone on for three full weeks. It’s time for it to be done.”
Despite the Akeos’ claims of innocence, a judge has granted the timeshare company, Palace Resorts, six more months to gather evidence to support their case. Meanwhile, the couple remains behind bars.
Palace Resorts issued a statement, explaining that its subsidiary, Palace Elite, had filed a criminal complaint after the Akeos disputed legitimate charges and publicly encouraged others to do the same. The statement further explained that after reviewing the evidence, Mexican authorities obtained an arrest warrant with INTERPOL’s assistance, leading to the Akeos’ detention at the airport on March 4, 2025. A judge has since ruled that there is sufficient cause for the case to proceed to trial, and the couple remains in preventive detention.
