Michigan Couple Being Held Hostage Over Timeshare Dispute

A Michigan couple has been detained and could spend the next six months in a Mexican jail over a timeshare dispute.

Michigan Family Caught up in Timeshare Nightmare

Paul and Christy Akeo were arrested on March 4 at an airport in Cancun and have spent more than three weeks in a maximum security prison in Mexico.

The Spring Arbor couple is accused of defrauding a Cancun hotel chain out of more than $116,000. The hotel claims the Akeos signed a contract in November 2021 and then began racking up monthly charges on their credit card.

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Paul then canceled 13 transactions that had made on their account, but the hotel chain claims the committed fraud. The couple's daughter tells WLNS-TV that American Express sided with the Michigan couple after the dispute, which dates back more than a year.

In March of this year, the couple set out on a Cancun vacation. Their passports were flagged and they were arrested after their plane landed.

Attempting to Free Michigan Couple Detained in Mexico

Lindsey Hull is Christy Akeo's daughter. She and her brother have hired both American and Mexican attorneys in an attempt to bring her parents home. She tells WLNS-TV that Palace Resorts is now demanding $250,000 and wants the family to sign a non-disclosure agreement. Hull says these actions won't guarantee her parents' release.

WJBK reports that Palace Resorts may be given an additional six months to gather evidence before the couple is allowed to present their case at trial.