Lansing, Michigan — Paul and Christy Akeo, a couple from Spring Arbor, have returned home after spending nearly a month in a maximum-security Mexican prison. Their flight landed at Capital Region International Airport around midnight.
Their return to Michigan follows a court hearing on Thursday, during which the Akeos were ordered released from custody. The Akeos and U.S. Rep. Tom Barrett (R-Charlotte) say they are no longer being charged, and the entire case against them has been dismissed.
On March 4, the pair was arrested at Cancún’s airport on fraud charges. They were accused of defrauding resort chain Palace Elite of more than $116,000 by breaching a timeshare contract and illegally canceling membership charges on an American Express credit card.
Michael Lemke, the Akeos’ son, told 6 News that his parents could have been held for up to six months because a judge previously gave the company that much time to gather evidence.
Barrett paid the Akeos a visit in prison the day before they were released. Barrett told 6 News that he also spoke with the president of the Quintana Roo Supreme Court to discuss getting the couple released.
“We’re so glad it’s over,” Christy said.
6 News captured the moment the Akeos were reunited with their family. Paul Akeo described what happened after police arrested the couple on March 4th.
“We were whisked away to another facility and then sent straight to prison. We couldn’t talk to anyone, hadn’t contacted any lawyers, and didn’t have phones, so we were just sitting there,” Paul explained.
According to the two, it took them days to be able to communicate with their families or even each other. They are now sharing their experiences in a maximum-security prison in Mexico.
“It is awful. It’s not something you’d ever want to go through; it’s unbelievable. “The language barrier is unbelievable,” said Christy.
When Congressman Tom Barrett visited the couple in Mexico, he also shared his observations from the prison.
“I walked through part of the interior of the prison, and it was enough for me to see that no person would want to be detained there, no American should have to go through that, especially under the conditions they were in for the amount of time that they were,” the member of Congress said.
When Christy’s children learned of her arrest, they began to seek assistance. Word spread to U.S. Representative Tom Barrett, who flew to Mexico on Wednesday to meet with them.
“I insisted when I went down there that I wasn’t going to leave empty handed, and I wasn’t going to leave without bringing them back,” Rep. Barrett told reporters.
Even after meeting with Congressman Barrett, the Akeos had lost hope.
“I never imagined we’d be coming home for months,” Christy explained.
Congressman Barrett said he met with Mexican officials, who scheduled a hearing for Thursday. That is when the charges against the Akeos were dropped.
“There were some things that were getting a little uncertain at the end and we were able to resolve those quickly, took a lot of effort from all parties involved,” Rep. Barrett told reporters.
The Congressman goes on to say that this conversation involved all levels of the US and Mexican governments, including President Donald Trump.
“The president was very excited to hear this and expressed his excitement and welcomed them back to America,” Barrett, a congressional member, said.
Christy stated that now that the couple is home, the first thing she will do is take a shower.
“There were no showers there, and if you could take a shower it was cold,” Christy told me.
After a month of uncertainty, this family can now rest easy knowing the Akeos are back in the United States.
“Be thankful for what America has given us,” Paul added. “And just be thankful for the little things.”
On Thursday evening, 6 News received a statement from the Akeo children, saying:
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, April 4.
