A Michigan couple has been locked in a maximum-security Mexican prison for more than three weeks over a timeshare dispute that escalated when they successfully disputed $117,000 in credit card charges from Palace Elite Resorts.
Key Takeaways
- Christy and Paul Akeo were arrested at Cancun airport during a family vacation and charged with fraud after successfully disputing $117,000 in credit card charges from Palace Elite Resorts.
- Mexican authorities cited a Facebook post by Christy Akeo explaining how to dispute timeshare charges as evidence of fraud, despite American Express siding with the couple on the disputed charges.
- The couple is being held in Prison Cereso Cancún where family reports they lack adequate food and medical care while a judge has allowed the resort company six more months to gather evidence.
- The Akeo family claims Palace Elite offered a $250,000 settlement with a non-disclosure agreement, which they refused, calling it extortion.
- U.S. Representative Tom Barrett is working with the White House and State Department to secure the couple’s release while their family has requested intervention from President Trump.
American Grandparents Detained Over Credit Card Dispute
Paul and Christy Akeo, Michigan grandparents, were detained on March 4, 2025, after arriving at Cancun International Airport for what should have been a relaxing vacation. Instead, they were arrested on fraud charges stemming from a timeshare dispute with Palace Elite Resorts, a Florida-based company with properties in Mexico. The couple had previously disputed charges totaling approximately $117,000 with American Express, which ruled in their favor and refunded the money — a decision Mexican authorities later characterized as malicious.
Their daughter, former national champion gymnast and Larry Nassar abuse survivor Lindsey Lemke Hull, has been fighting desperately for their release. Hull has reported that her mother is deteriorating emotionally during their separation. “She’s very confused. She cries a lot. She is scared she’s unaware of the amount of corruption that is going on with this case. She’s just there,” said Lindsey Lemke Hull.
Social Media Post Used as Criminal Evidence
At the center of the charges is a Facebook post written by Christy Akeo advising others on how to dispute charges from the timeshare company. In the post, she instructed readers to report credit cards as lost or stolen and to stop making monthly payments. “FIRST & MOST IMPORTANT, report any and all credit card you used for monthly payments as lost or stolen… Then just quit making your monthly payments!” wrote Christy Akeo on Facebook, according to documents cited by Mexican authorities.
“American Express found for the Akeos, found for Lindsay’s parents, and refunded them over $100,000 of wrongful charges,” said John Manly, the family’s attorney.
Palace Elite’s response has been uncompromising. The company issued a statement saying that Mexican prosecutors reviewed evidence and obtained a court-approved arrest warrant after “Paul and Christy Akeo fraudulently disputed legitimate credit card charges and publicly encouraged others to do the same.” The company added that INTERPOL validated the case and issued a red notice, resulting in the couple’s detention.
Family Claims Corruption and Extortion
The Akeo family believes the criminal charges are merely a tactic to silence dissatisfied customers. They claim Palace Elite offered to settle the case for $250,000, a non-disclosure agreement, and a public apology — an offer the family refused, characterizing it as extortion. A judge has ruled there is sufficient cause for the case to proceed, ordering the couple to remain in preventive detention while allowing the company six more months to gather evidence.
“The Akeos are being held because they successfully disputed Palace’ charges and failure to deliver services with American Express, criticized the Company on Facebook and alerted others who felt wronged by Palace,” said Akeo family attorney John Manly.
Conditions at Prison Cereso Cancún have raised serious concerns. The family reports the couple has not received adequate food or medical care during their detention. The situation has left Hull describing the ordeal as “like a horror movie” for her parents, who are now separated and unable to communicate with each other within the prison.
U.S. Officials Working on Release
Representative Tom Barrett (R-MI) has taken up the couple’s case, coordinating with multiple federal agencies to secure their release. “I have spoken to their family and assured them that my team and I took immediate action and are doing everything we can to help. I have been in contact and will continue working with the White House, State Department, and law enforcement partners in Michigan to ensure this situation is resolved as urgently and safely as possible,” stated Rep. Tom Barrett.
The U.S. State Department has acknowledged awareness of the case but has declined further comment, citing privacy considerations. The family has also requested intervention from President Trump to help secure the couple’s freedom from what they view as wrongful imprisonment motivated by corporate retribution rather than legitimate law enforcement.
“There is clearly no length that they are not willing to go to make an example. That is exactly what is happening here. On top of corruption and extortion and the fact that, you know, this has gone on now for three full weeks, it’s time for it to be done,” said Lindsey Hull.
As the legal process unfolds in Mexico, the Akeo family continues their increasingly desperate battle to bring Christy and Paul home, highlighting what they see as the dangers of corporate influence in the Mexican judicial system and the vulnerability of American citizens traveling abroad.
