Michigan Couple In Mexican Prison

[Chiefsmom]

Link to story

I've been following this story since I saw it on our local news.  Of course, at first, they didn't give much detail, so I went digging.

Paul & Christy Akeo were arrested on March 4th after getting off the plane in Cancun.
This all revolves around Time Share/Resorts and the company that owns it, The Palace Co.

Now, you can find some bad reviews on them, going back many years, speaking of excess charges for things not received and all kinds of issues.   
In this couples defense, they thought that their dispute with this company had been resolved before they went to Mexico this time.  The charges were over 100,000.00.  Stays the company cancelled, ect.

Apparently not.  They are still in prison They have tried negotiating.  They now of course have health concerns.  They were denied bail.

Thankfully, Congressman Tom Barrett and other officials are heading down there.   Hopefully they can get them out.
Sure doesn't seem like a good idea for Mexico to pursue this, and treat them the way they have been, with everything going on.  Unless that is it, trying to use them as a bargaining tool?
I see this as really bad for the tourism business for Mexico.
I never really had an urge to go there before.   I sure won't support them now.

[Maxmars]

For shame on those who are responsible for the well-being and treatment of US citizens while they are abroad...

17 days until engagement with an incarcerated US citizen is not excusable... and would have been a terrible scandal many, many years ago... I guess I'm just old.

There's no indication of the 'legality' of the arrest... it's certainly not in US law.

[Chiefsmom]

For shame on those who are responsible for the well-being and treatment of US citizens while they are abroad...

17 days until engagement with an incarcerated US citizen is not excusable... and would have been a terrible scandal many, many years ago... I guess I'm just old.

There's no indication of the 'legality' of the arrest... it's certainly not in US law.

Yeah, there is a lot very questionable about this whole situation.   
I just hope we can get them home safely.
The wife has apparently lost a lot of weight already, because they are supposedly only offering her food that she is allergic to.  Not sure why they are in a Max facility either.

[Chiefsmom]

Wow, that was fast.  They are home.

Way to go Mr. Barrett and President Trump.   They knew they had to get them out fast.
Something seriously shady about the deal they had to make.
Still had to pay over 100,000.00, but the money was going to be split between 3 non profits?

I think there should be an advisory out for traveling to Mexico.
And certainly don't use The Palace Company for anything.

Story

[chr0naut]

I wonder how many Mexicans are in Michigan prisons?

[Raptured]

So these idiots fell for a time-share scheme and didn't think they could just "play dumb" about it?

Cancun is in Quintana Roo - the richest state in MX (or one of).  It's prime and sole economy is tourism and has been for decades.  There are literally 10s of thousands of properties sold as timeshare or shared-ownership.
One dumb couple does not an issue make.

I go to MX a few times a yrear.  I have been for awhile.  The last thing anyone there who's any way legit is going to do is to mess with tourism.
Sadly, this was also a prime opportunity to politically-grandstand and make it an issue.

/rant over

[DontTreadOnMe]

Wow, that was fast.  They are home.

Way to go Mr. Barrett and President Trump.   They knew they had to get them out fast.
Something seriously shady about the deal they had to make.
Still had to pay over 100,000.00, but the money was going to be split between 3 non profits?

I think there should be an advisory out for traveling to Mexico.
And certainly don't use The Palace Company for anything.

Story

I just saw this locally reported.
https://www.fox2detroit.com/news/michiga...aker-visit
Hard to understand how they were never notified of the charges.

The parents decided to go to Cancun but were detained and arrested as soon as their airplane landed, Lemke Hull said. Customs officials claimed they had outstanding charges of criminal fraud and sent them straight to jail. 

I would never get involved in any timeshare kind of situation, but different strokes for different folks.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/fami...r-AA1Cik2m

And, like always, there is more to the story.....

Hull said her mother and stepfather challenged wrongful credit card charges made by their hotel, Palace Resorts.
The resort allegedly demanded $250,000, a public apology on Facebook and a non-disclosure agreement, Hull wrote.
When the couple refused, Hull said the couple was arrested.
Authorities in Mexico charged the couple with fraud after they canceled 13 transactions to the hotel chain in a dispute over when the couple could use their timeshare, according to a report on Good Morning America.