American couple held in Mexican prison over timeshare dispute

A Michigan couple have been held in a maximum-security prison in Mexico because of a timeshare billing dispute.

Christy and Paul Akeo, both 60, were arrested shortly after they landed at the airport in Cancun for a family vacation.

Mexican authorities told ABC News they arrested the Akeos for "fraud to a hotel chain."

The two have been held for 22 days by state police.

"[My mom is] terrified," daughter Lindsey Hull said. "She tells us every single day, every single phone call how scared she is. She obviously cries a lot."

Family attorney John Manly said the couple signed up for a timeshare with Palace Resorts.

The hotel chain has resorts in Mexico and an office in Florida.

However, they said when the resort didn't allow them to use their time as promised, they disputed the contract and reached out to their credit card company to dispute the charges.

"American Express found for the Akeos, found for Lindsay's parents, and refunded them over $100,000 of wrongful charges," Manly said.

But Mexican authorities saw the refund instead as "the cancellation of 13 transactions," which were done "maliciously by not recognizing the charges."

Referencing a Facebook post obtained by ABC News - in the post, Christy walks other timeshare owners through how to get out of the charges. Mexican authorities said this post "described how they committed fraud."

"There is clearly no length that they are not willing to go to make an example," Hull said. "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."

A judge gave the timeshare company six more months to gather evidence to make their case while holding the couple behind bars.

The Palace Company issued a statement, saying:

"The Palace Company subsidiary, Palace Elite, filed a criminal complaint with Mexican authorities after Paul and Christy Akeo fraudulently disputed legitimate credit card charges and publicly encouraged others to do the same. Mexican prosecutors reviewed the evidence and, following failed attempts to serve notice, obtained a court-approved arrest warrant. INTERPOL validated the case and issued a red notice, leading to the Akeos' detention at Cancún Airport on March 4, 2025. A judge has since ruled there is sufficient cause for the case to proceed to trial and ordered the preventive detention of the Akeos."