A Michigan couple who were jailed in Mexico for almost a month after they disputed charges related to a Mexican timeshare have returned to the United States, their lawyers said Thursday.
Christy and Paul Akeo, of Spring Arbor, “have been released from custody and have returned to Lansing, Michigan,” their law firm said in a statement.
The state attorney of Quintana Roo said the couple reached an agreement with the timeshare company for an amount of money it did not disclose. A judge then dismissed the criminal case and ordered their release, the prosecutor’s office said.
The family has said the Akeos were the victims of “a kidnapping and extortion attempt” by a Mexican timeshare company.
Palace Elite Resorts, a Mexican hospitality company, previously said the couple defrauded it through $117,000 of chargebacks on their American Express card, in which American Express takes back funds from a vendor.
The couple bought a timeshare membership with the company several years earlier, Palace Elite Resorts said.
The company said it filed a complaint with the Mexican public prosecutor, which then led to the arrests of the Akeos.
The couple denies the allegations, and their law firm said Thursday that they were “held captive for 32 days in Cereso Cancun prison.”
John Manly, an attorney for the Akeos, previously called the fraud charges “utterly false.”
“The Akeos are being held because they successfully disputed Palace’s charges and failure to deliver services with American Express, criticized the company online and alerted others who felt wronged by Palace,” he said.
The Akeo family thanked President Donald Trump, his special envoy for hostage affairs, Adam Boehler, and Rep. Tom Barrett, R-Mich., “for working tirelessly for the release of Paul and Christy Akeo.”
Barrett went to Mexico and “camped out at the prison and made it clear that he would not return home without them,” the family said.
“Through four straight weeks of fear and uncertainty, Congressman Barrett’s commitment to bringing our parents home safely provided us with hope and reassurance,” the Akeo family said.
Palace Elite Resorts did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday night.
The prosecutor’s office said the money from the settlement will go to three nonprofit groups.
“The Office of the Prosecutor reiterates its commitment to justice and social welfare, acting in accordance with the law to guarantee compensation for damages and respect for the rights of all parties involved,” the prosecutor’s office said.
