A Michigan couple was arrested at Cancun International Airport on March 4. When they arrived in Mexico for spring break, customs flagged their passports due to outstanding criminal fraud charges. They were immediately detained and incarcerated without bond in a maximum-security prison.
That’s because they had a payment dispute with a timeshare – Palace Resorts – they purchased from in November 2021, making automatic payments with their American Express card. But they disputed charges totaling $116,587 saying that the charges were wrong and their reservations had been canceled by the resort. They won the dispute. The couple returned to Cancun several times after that without incident.
Conditions in the Mexican prison are reportedly dire. Paul Akeo is a retired U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer who served for 21 years and is currently employed as a civilian worker for the Michigan State Police. His wife Christy has lost 25 pounds in 20 days without even being on Ozempic. Her daughter says that the prison knowingly serves her food she is allergic to. She has developed a severe rash that prison officials apparently refuse to treat.
Allegedly, the timeshare company demanded $250,000 and a non-disclosure agreement (a common hotel tactic in Cancun it seems) along with public apology on social media accepting all blame. The Akeo’s attorney says that this is using law enforcement for “hostage taking” and extortion.
- A Mexican court has granted the resort six months to gather further evidence, while the Akeos remain imprisoned (and refusing their request for house arrest).
- The family wants people to pressure American authorities to intervene. They believe a corrupt judiciary is assisting the Mexican company here.
- Rep. Tom Barrett (R-MI) is trying to bring in the White House and State Department, however the family’s attorney has criticized the state’s two Senators Elissa Slotkin and Gary Peters for ignoring plea for assistance.
U.S. travelers do sometimes wind up in Mexican prisons, like this American Airlines customer on a mileage run. Of course, sometimes Mexican travelers wind up in American prisons, too! It strikes me, though, that prison wasn’t even in my 7 reasons that buying a timeshare is the worst decision you can make.
Good grief, a timeshare in Mexico, a monetary dispute ‘won’, then visit Mexico again???? Why on earth would someone do that? I feel s sorry for these unfortunate travellers.
They had a contract and instead of going to court they disputed their fees with Amex which does not void a contract .
Palace resorts presentations are known to be brutal but this is a notch up.
We don’t do presentations anymore unless we are getting a killer rate at a resort in Hawaii. It’s just not worth the squeeze.
I don’t like this mixture of criminal and civil. If I’m accussed of shoplifting a $500 item, have mecarrested and charge me with that. But, having the store say I can go free for $750, a NDA, and an appology is wrong. And, is this even a criminal accusations (e.g., fraud, theft of services)? Good job Mexico, at a time the US is embarrassing itself, you do this.
Is their time share contractvwith a US company? Isvthe contract under US jurisdiction?
It’s looking like there’s a lot more to this story, for example the family had a FB group that included discussions of how to get out of it. GMA has screenshots saying to ‘report all your cards you used with the resort as lost or stolen’.
Palace probably went a bit overboard here, and I’m sure more evidence will come out, but it seems like there is some strong evidence of fraud here rather than just the resort company trying to do an end run around a simple card dispute.
Wow, international travel is becoming ‘weaponized’, and maybe it always was.
I’ve been an advocate for the free movement of people–some loathe this. They prefer walls, not bridges. Folks, it is and should be a human right. Likewise, it can be organized and convenient.
Arresting these folks over a civil dispute is egregious, regardless of which government or entity is pushing for it. Simply put, it’s corrupt.
Yet, if you compare this incident to the ‘renditioning’ of legal visa holders from the USA without ‘due process’ to forever prisons in El Salvador, then we’re talking truly concerning and actually ‘extreme.’
As for the couple stuck in Mexico, I hope these folks get freed immediately, and can actually resolve whatever differences they have with the timeshare without threats and intimidation against them. There are better ways to settle disputes.
The fish continues to rot at the head–running countries like mafia bosses leads to this nonsense. And it seems that it may only get worse. Be safe out there, everyone.
Good for the resort, these folks are scammers.
I could see cancelling the card so there would be no charges going forward but disputing the past 13 months of changes when you used the timeshare is theft of services.
No sympathy here.
Yeah it looks like we may have jumped the gun here.
It is one thing to cancel a timeshare contract and refuse to pay and not use the resort. It is another to use the resort, reverse charges outside the 60 day window, brag on social media about your exploits, etc. If you intentionally defraud a company for 6 figures they are going to come after you. Though query how anyone could buy $250k worth of time – that seems a bit inflated. Even the richest Hawaii weeks go for 60-70k In that range you’re talking Ritz Carlton shared ownership, not cheapo Palace points.
Of course in California (and maybe Michigan?) scammers would be released on OR or cheap bail. Bienvenidos a Mexico!
SHAME on Mexico for sending foreigners to an unsafe, unsanitary and crowded prison without due process! The USA would never do that!
“His wife Christy has lost 25 pounds in 20 days without even being on Ozempic”
How distasteful, Gary. Wait, did I accidentally open loyaltylobby instead of VFTW?
Sounds a lot like ICE tactics.
@KidStarA — Bah! You get it!
@Sal — Let’s say that they are ‘scammers’—still, this is not the way to ‘settle score’ (‘Burn her! She’s a witch!’). No, there should be an orderly judicial process—not vigilantism, not summary execution, not renditions. C’mon, man. If it were you, you’d want your day in court.
Looks like these two morons are getting a taste of justice Mexico style. How stupid could one be to try to pull a scam within a country controlled and run by violent drug cartels?
Stop going to crooked and dangerous Mexico
Boycott that country
@1990
They are getting their day in court – in six months. Unfortunately for them, they are a flight risk and will not get any type of bail set. This is a normal thing in Mexico. If they didn’t want to be subject to Mexican laws and legal processes, they should have stayed at home and tried to scam there.
@Sal — I appreciate your response and your reasoning; however, they haven’t been convicted yet. So, even if it (used to be) an American ideal, I still prefer the presumption of innocence in such cases. Also, how are we to know this will be a ‘fair’ trial? We want to avoid wrongful convictions. I get it, if you don’t want the risks, don’t go there, but there should be better standards, worldwide. We, in the US (and the ‘free’ world), used to care about this kinda stuff… because, you know, like, it matters.
Too much to unpack. But better to keep your nose clean in Mexico as they are finding out.
Two sides to every story. Not sure they are as “innocent” as their daughter claims
I, for one, would have never returned to Mexico after I reversed over 1k of charges
@1990
…but people in the US get denied bond all the time for being flight risks too. Just look at P.Diddy for an example.
These people are basically complaining that their loved onesq are being treated like Mexicans in Mexico.
I was in cancun a month ago, I was stopped by cops for no reason, after the stop they told me my car smells of pot, and they need to check my car, I had my wallet on the seat and one of them opened my wallet, and emptied all my cash 400 usd, i asked him what are you doing, he told me it’s better for me, to stay quiet, or he’ll take me in, this is my first and last time in Mexico, it’s a curopt lawless country, if you do go, make sure to hide all valuables.
@Sal — I note your attempt at a both-sides-ism here. Yet, Mr. and Mrs. Akeo have very little in common with Mr. Combs, either personally or by their respective situations. So, that’s still a ‘no’ from me. Gary had it right to begin with: this couple is likely just being extorted. It’s sad.
That was exploiting and they got caught by Palace Resorts in Cancun. The fact that she posted to teach others how to do it made their case and now the judge extended the time to gather evidence for trial with no bail. The timeshare was purchased in Florida.
@ Marco — You seem like a total asshat.
People are still falling for timeshare pitches. That is the problem. Now they are in undesirable timeshare rooms that they cannot leave. They should have been clever and not went back to Mexico.
Double fraud by couple? Right? . If I am understanding it right, they signed contracts with timeshare. Then used timeshares. Then cancelled credit card payments falsely telling credit card company that cards stolen and charges bad.
If so seems couple double frauds as to both timeshare do and on credit card companies. If true, bad ass couple
Double fraud by couple? Right? . If I am understanding it right, they signed contracts with timeshare. Then used timeshares. Then cancelled credit card payments falsely telling credit card company that cards stolen and charges bad.
If so seems couple double frauds as to both timeshare do and on credit card companies. If true, bad ass couple
Mexican law is different than US law. Disputes with a timeshare cannot be remedied simply by disputing credit card charges.
I suspect their big mistake was failing to know the law and what acceptable remedy is in that country. And believing a remedy acceptable in the US was acceptable there too.
The Mexican legal system is significantly different than the legal system in the USA as this couple is finding out.
Definitely has to be more to this story. On the surface it seems they’re not too smart for getting a timeshare in Mexico of all places. Then to dispute the charges with AMEX, win the dispute, and then go back to Mexico, welllll you just can’t fix stupid.
Then again, these folks seem to be scammers. Maybe they’re learning from the Irish Travellers. They’re grifters of the highest order.
Whatever we can say about Mexico – let’s solve the problem of the low class in America first.
FAFO – Looks like they got an extended stay in Mexico after all !
Not a good idea to mess around with a completely corrupt crime riddled 3rd world country.
Americans, especially these days, aren’t looked upon too highly by most of the world …
The USA has been imprisoning legal visa holders and even green card holders for no legal reason. Now other countries are doing this to our people. It’s tough to ascertain just how much of this is retribution for our insanely bad treatment of legitimate residents and visitors and how much is the Mexican system being ridiculously harsh.
Be patient. The US is doing it’s best to be more corrupt than another nation. We’ve only been in dictatorship for barely3 months…
Buying a timeshare is one of the worst mistakes you can make. Buying from Palace Resorts may be the last mistake you’ll ever make.
Their attorney blaming the senators is the worst bad taste blame possible. It was their decision to sign on the dotted line, no one pressured them into it so it’s their fault.
A lot of these MAGA people were dropped on their heads and these two are no exception. #FAFO
Question: why would a late middle age couple want ANYTHING to do with the Spring Break lunacy that overtakes Cancun? Talk about moths to a flame….
@Jack. Missing Dementia Joe now are we? Four years of incompetence and all covered up by the state run media.
@Coffee Please — Since you guys went there, I’m sure @Jack can speak for himself, but I’ll say, I sure do miss the relative ‘tranquility’ of #46. You know, like, when we, as a country, still defended the rule of law, due process, actually supported our allies and the free peoples of the world, and did not engage in completely unnecessary trade wars that raise the cost of nearly everything, etc. Oh well, everyone has their ‘opinions,’ and perhaps the coming recession will sort this all out anyway, right?
2 years ago, they agreed to sign a contract for vacation.
They used the service
They go back home and take their money back (via cc dispute)
They proceed to brag about it and teach others how to do it in social media
They are told by the Merchant they will be taken to court; they dismiss all that and miss their court dates
They are found guilty of not appearing
Then… they proceed to go BACK to Mexico (several times, possibly to keep doing what they do)
Now we are all SHOCKED that finally the authorities flagged their passport and they were arrested.
Oh no! the injustice!
Well, this occurred outside the US. As such, there are different rules and laws in a foreign country. Although I do feel badly for these people, they chose to do business in a foreign country and as such they have to live with this decision.
@JohnnieD — Nah, that’s a cop out. Such laws are indeed a human construct–it’s not gravity. Like, enforcement makes the difference, and it can be ‘selective,’ as it seems to be here (with this couple). But, also, jurisdictions can and will often neglect or abuse their powers. So, while it’s easy to say ‘sucks for them’–it’s more a failure of the international community to set and actually uphold reasonable standards of justice, worldwide. Mexico isn’t ‘that bad’–and, as others have said here above, the United States, these days, isn’t looking ‘that good’ for various reasons, at least as far as ‘rule of law,’ ‘due process,’ ‘equity,’ and ‘justice’ are concerned. By, hey, you do you. Say, ‘Mexico-bad,’ or whatever. Just keep going back-and-forth from your primary residence in the city/suburbs to your second-home by the lake, mountain, beach, etc. Keep Fox/OAN/Newsmax on 24/7, too. That’s a must.
@Coffee:
“Missing Dementia Joe now are we? Four years of incompetence and all covered up by the state run media.”
Huh?
@ Gary. That’s funny. Time for an edit of your “7 reasons that buying a timeshare is the worst decision you can make.”
@1990. You must have been in a different country than I was from 2020-2024. You do you.
@Marco Scola
Let’s also boycott your country and that of your parents