LANSING, Mich. ( WLNS ) — A Michigan couple remains behind bars in a Mexican prison, accused of breaching a timeshare contract — but their lawyer said the resort that filed the criminal complaint against them breached the contract first.
Paul and Christy Akeo have reportedly been charged with defrauding Palace Elite, a subsidiary of the Palace Company, out of more than $110,000. They signed a timeshare contract with the resort in Nov. 2021 to purchase a membership with the hotel, but are accused of breaching its terms by cancelling the charges, leading to their arrest at a Cancún airport on March 4.
Their children, Lindsey Hull and Michael Lemke, have repeatedly denied these accusations, telling Nexstar’s WLNS that American Express sided with the couple in the dispute.
“Every second of every day, we are concerned for their safety, especially with the lack of communication,” said Hull. “The idea that they’re sitting in a maximum-security prison over a time-share dispute at best is unacceptable.”
Michigan couple held in Mexican prison, daughter says
John Manly, the family’s attorney, provided some further insight into the situation, alleging that the Akeos did indeed sign up for a timeshare, but were taken advantage of…