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The Akeos had been imprisoned for weeks
A Michigan couple that spent weeks behind bars in Mexico returned home to the state.
Barrett posted to X Thursday, April 3, around 8:44 p.m. a video of Paul and Christy Akeo entering a plane.
“The Akeo family wishes to thank President Donald J. Trump, his Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs Adam Boehler and Congressman Tom Barrett(R-Lansing) for working tirelessly for the release of Paul and Christy Akeo.
We also want to express our deepest gratitude to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Mark Coolidge Johnson, Charge d ‘Affaires, U.S. Embassy Mission Mexico and his dedicated team.
Through four straight weeks of fear and uncertainty, Congressman Barrett’s commitment to bringing our parents’ home safely provided us with hope and reassurance. He traveled to Cancun at great personal risk, camped out at the prison and made it clear that he would not return home without them.
His heroic efforts as a veteran represent the finest traditions of our nation’s military to never leave an American behind.
No American should be held hostage to the demands of a private company anywhere in the world. Paul and Christy are under the care of physicians and therapists to be treated for illnesses and trauma inflicted upon them during their captivity.
We ask that their privacy be respected as they rest and heal. The family will have much more to say about this ordeal in the coming days.”
Lindsey Lemke Hull and Michael Lemke
The two, along with Barrett, landed in Lansing at around midnight on April 4.
Barrett had been working on getting the couple released since Mexican authorities alleged they knowingly defrauded a hotel chain when they purchased a timeshare.
However, the Akeo family refuted those claims as they insisted that the situation was a misunderstanding.
Once the couple’s ordeal was made known nationwide, the United States Consulate General in Mérida met with them on March 24.
Barrett said all charges were dropped for the two, and there won’t be any future litigation against them.
–> U.S. Consulate meets with Michigan couple detained in Cancun as fraud allegations continue
U.S. Dept. of State involvement
The U.S. Department of State got involved, and the couple reportedly received the necessary assistance.
The couple has been detained for over three weeks, and Michigan Congressman Barrett’s office had been in close contact with the situation leading up to their release.
Family members expressed gratitude after Barrett announced that he was visiting Mexico to help secure the release of the Michigan couple imprisoned in Cancun for weeks.
Barrett posted a statement on social media at 9:35 a.m. on Wednesday, April 2:
“This morning I departed for Mexico to insist on visiting Paul and Christy Akeo in prison and to demand their release after learning yesterday of their deteriorating physical condition.
I have been in regular contact with their family since I was made aware of their detention and I promised to do everything I could to secure their release and repatriation to America.
Enough is enough, after spending nearly a month in a maximum security Mexican prison over what amounts to a contract dispute on a time-share it’s long overdue for the Mexican authorities to release Paul and Christy.”
Rep. Tom Barrett
Lindsey Hull, the couple’s daughter, and her brother, Mike Lemke, released the following statement thanking Barrett for his efforts in working to get them home:
“We would like to extend our deepest gratitude to Representative Tom Barrett for his courageous action in traveling to Cancun, Mexico to assist in securing the release of our parents from captivity. His dedication, leadership, and willingness to personally intervene in such a critical situation means more to our family than words can express.
Through four straight weeks of fear and uncertainty, Representative Barrett’s commitment to bringing our parents home safely provided us with hope and reassurance. He was the first local representative to simply make a phone call to our family and listen to our horrific situation and offer his assistance. His efforts exemplify his commitment to not only our family, but our community as a whole, and we are forever grateful for his support and determination.
Thank you, Representative Barrett, for standing by us in our time of need. We are all hoping The Chapur Family and The Palace Company will make the correct decision in releasing our parents and putting an end to the unjust process they have forced our parents to endure.”
Lindsey Hull and Mike Lemke
The Akeos have been imprisoned since March 4, and have been held on fraud allegations stemming from a timeshare agreement they signed with Palace Resorts.
Monthly charges were made on a credit card, but between August and November 2022, the hotel learned that the couple allegedly disputed charges totaling more than $116,000.
Additionally, Mexican authorities said Christy shared information on social media about how they had broken their contract.
Hull said that her parents were being held for “simply challenging wrongful credit card charges made by the Palace Company,” and claimed that American Express sided with the Akeos in the dispute.
“Palace Resorts breached the contract, and they’re retaliating and they’re extorting them because of it,” Hull said.
Barrett’s office got involved in this situation, and the U.S. Department of State allegedly elevated the case as officials worked to help the couple get home.
“After landing in Cancun this morning, I traveled directly to the maximum security prison where Paul and Christy Akeo are being held.
I met with them personally for an hour and learned of the horrific conditions they are facing — rubbled walls, overcrowded cells, toilets that don’t flush, and disgusting food. This has left them scared, frustrated, and struggling to find hope.
I assured them that I am doing everything I can to urgently secure their safe release.
Following my meeting with Paul and Christy I met with the president of the Quintana Roo Supreme Court to expedite any relief we can provide.
Thank you to the U.S. State Department for their assets and support on the ground to end this family’s nightmare, and I hope to have more to share soon.”
Rep. Tom Barrett
This is a breaking news story, and updates will be posted as they become available.
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About the Authors
Brandon Carr
Brandon Carr is a digital content producer for ClickOnDetroit and has been with WDIV Local 4 since November 2021. Brandon is the 2015 Solomon Kinloch Humanitarian award recipient for Community Service.
Samantha Sayles
Samantha Sayles is an Oakland University alumna who’s been writing Michigan news since 2022. Before joining the ClickOnDetroit team, she wrote stories for WILX in Lansing and WEYI in Flint.
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