UPDATE: Palace Company Speaks: Michigan Couple in Mexican Prison

UPDATED March 27, 2025, 9:55 am: The Palace Company, the entity accusing the Akeos of fraud, issued the following statement, published by WZZM, breaking an over three-week silence:

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.

The family has launched a Facebook page called JUSTICE FOR AKEOS—BRING THEM HOME. While Akeo and Hull's social media remain primarily positive, screenshots reported to support The Palace Company's position have been shared in comments.

In what can only be described as a vacation from hell, a Jackson, Michigan couple is being held in a Mexican prison, with no trial date in sight, over a timeshare dispute. When Paul and Christy Akeo flew to Cancun on March 4, 2025, they had no idea they'd be taken into custody after going through customs.

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The couple was arrested and thrown into a Mexican prison based on charges filed by The Palace Company, which claims that they canceled 13 transactions totaling $116,587. According to Rivera Maya News, that's around 2.4 million pesos. The article states the Akeos were wanted and taken into custody by INTERPOL. However, no information on them could be found on the Most Wanted section of the site.

Held Without Bond

Christy Akeo's daughter, Lindsey Lemke Hull, has taken to social media and any platform that will let her tell her parents' story. Fox 2 reports that her mom and stepfather are being held without bond on fraud charges and can expect to spend at least the next 6 months in jail while the Mexican court allows The Palace Company 'time to gather evidence.'

On March 24, 2025, she posted the following to her Facebook page:

The Palace Company has yet to comment on the case, but Hull's post has bolstered over 25,000 shares in its brief time on the site. According to the post, Hull has already contacted several local and national government offices, including Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer's Office, the FBI, the US Embassy, and the Michigan State Police, for whom Paul Akeo is currently employed. Congressman Tom Barrett's office took notice and action, according to a post on X:

What's next for the couple? They are awaiting trial, yet no date has been set. Hull remains steadfast in defense of her parents, while other commenters have pointed out that without hearing from The Palace Company, it's a one-sided tale.

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Regardless, this shows the stark differences between American and Mexican courts. This would be a civil matter in the US and would not involve incarceration. Things are different south of the border. I'll provide updates as they come in.