Couple 'held hostage' in Mexican prison after disputing credit card charges on holiday
Grandparents Christy and Paul Akeo touched down in Cancun, Mexico, on March 4 - where they were arrested on criminal fraud charges and hauled off to a maximum-security prison
A couple who flew to Mexico for a luxury getaway were suddenly hauled off to a maximum-security prison and "held hostage" after disputing a series of charges made on their credit card. Michigan Grandparents Christy and Paul Akeo touched down in Cancun, Mexico, on March 4 - but as they made their way through customs, the pair realised staff had flagged their passports.
Christy and Paul were then arrested on outstanding criminal fraud charges and remain in the foreign prison 23 days on without bond. Christy’s daughter, Lindsey Hull, claims her mum and stepdad were arrested in “retaliation” after disputing charges totalling $117,000 (£90,000) on their American Express card by The Palace Company - a luxury, all-inclusive hospitality conglomerate with resorts in Mexico and Jamaica.
The couple had a membership with the Florida-based company, owned by Palace Resorts, but said things went south when they voiced concerns about discrepancies in their agreement. After months of back and forth, American Express sided with the couple, returned their money, and had their membership with The Palace Company cancelled. The pair have made several trips to Cancun since with no issues, until now.
“The last 21 days of torture my parents have been through is a direct response of The Palace Company’s corruption, extortion, retaliation and blackmail against our parents,” Hull wrote on Facebook. She claims the company is “demanding” $250,000 (£193,000) - and for the couple sign a nondisclosure agreement “that does not even guarantee their release.”
“If that’s not enough, they also demanded a public apology from my mom and Paul to be made to The Palace Company. Absolutely sickening,” Hull wrote. The lawyer representing Christy and Paul, John Manly, said the case was closed but the couple were still being held “hostage.” He told CBS: “Make no mistake, what they’re doing is they are holding two Americans hostage because they want them to pay them money.”
Hull meanwhile alleged her mum and Paul — a US Navy Veteran with over 21 years of service and currently working for the Michigan State Police — are “being denied medical attention, denied proper communication and publicly defamed.”
She said: “My mom has lost 25 lbs in 20 days due to inability to eat as the prison is serving her food they are aware she is allergic to. She also has a severe rash all over her body they refuse to treat.”
The couple has already appeared in court in Mexico over the charges. At the last hearing, Manly said Mexican courts gave Palace Resorts six more months to gather evidence and denied the Akeo's request for house arrest, ordering them to remain in jail until then.
He said: “This was intentional, it was knowing, it was calculated, and it was designed to extort them and to punish them for speaking out about what they felt was aggressive, wrongful, and illegal tactics by Palace Resorts.”
Hull has since made contact with the American embassy in Mexico for help, and other federal and state agencies, including the FBI and Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s Office. US Rep. Politician Tom Barrett, who represents Michigan’s 7th District, said he had spoken to the couple's family and is working to resolve the issue "urgently".
He said: “Today, I was made aware of the situation involving two of my constituents, Paul and Christy Akeo, who were arrested by Mexican police. 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.”