Michigan couple imprisoned in Mexico for a month after disputing timeshare payment returns home
Michigan couple finally returns home after horrific month-long imprisonment in Mexico following timeshare dispute.
What was supposed to be a relaxing vacation to Cancun turned into a month-long nightmare for Paul and Christy Akeo when they were immediately arrested upon landing in Mexico on March 4th.
The Michigan couple, Paul (58), a Navy veteran, and Christy (60), had no idea that when they stepped off their plane, Mexican authorities would be waiting to take them into custody. Their crime? A timeshare payment dispute with Palace Elite from three years earlier.
“We had no access to phones, internet,” Paul revealed after finally returning to American soil overnight Thursday. The couple described horrific conditions inside the Mexican prison where they were held, including being separated from each other for an entire week.
The nightmare began after the couple disputed approximately $117,000 in credit card charges from the timeshare company in 2021. They claimed Palace Elite failed to deliver promised services, so they filed a complaint with American Express. The credit card company sided with the Akeos and refunded the charges.
What the couple didn’t know was that Palace had filed criminal fraud charges against them in Mexico, claiming they “fraudulently disputed legitimate credit card charges.” Even more shocking, prosecutors cited Christy’s Facebook posts in which she shared her negative experience with other Palace patrons as evidence against them.
“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,” their daughter Lindsey Hull told reporters.
The Akeos’ attorney, John Manly, called the situation a hostage situation, claiming the couple was “held captive in a hell hole of a Mexican maximum-security prison” all because they “successfully disputed Palace’s charges and failure to deliver services with American Express, criticized the Company on Facebook and alerted others who felt wronged by Palace.”
Their release came only after intense diplomatic pressure, including Michigan Representative Tom Barrett traveling to Cancun and camping outside the prison. According to family members, Barrett made it clear “he would not return home without them.”
The couple finally gained their freedom after agreeing to donate the disputed $116,587.84 to Mexican non-profit organizations benefiting orphaned children.
“No American should be held hostage to the demands of a private company anywhere in the world,” the couple’s children said in a statement, adding that their parents will need treatment for “illnesses and trauma inflicted upon them during their captivity.”
The case has sent shockwaves through the timeshare community and raised serious concerns for Americans traveling to Mexico. Travel experts are now warning vacationers to thoroughly research any past business disputes before traveling internationally, as what happened to the Akeos could happen to anyone.
“They told you what to do and when to do it,” Christy Akeo said of their prison experience, noting how difficult it was to overcome the language barrier when they needed help. Both emphasized their gratitude for the outpouring of support from US officials that finally brought them home.
The Palace Company thanked former President Trump, Rep. Barrett and Special Envoy Adam Boehler for their mediation efforts, but many are left questioning how a credit card dispute could lead to imprisonment in a foreign country.
As the Akeos begin their recovery, their story serves as a frightening reminder of the potential consequences of international business disputes and the limits of American protection abroad.
