Attorney John Manly on Couple Jailed in Mexico Over Timeshare Dispute

Timeshare Dispute Escalates to Jail Time

• 📌 A Michigan couple, Paul and Christy Akeo, are jailed in Mexico, accused of breaching a timeshare contract and defrauding a resort.
• ⚖️ Their attorney, John Manly, argues this is a civil dispute and not a criminal matter, stating there's "nothing criminal about challenging charges on your card."

Allegations of Retaliation and Extortion

• 📣 Christy Akeo posted on Facebook, encouraging others to dispute credit card charges and stop payments, which the resort claims is a how-to on breaking their contract.
• 🎯 Manly suspects the resort retaliated after discovering Christy's daughter received a multi-million dollar settlement in a previous case he handled.
• 💰 The resort is reportedly demanding $250,000 (originally $1.6 million) and an NDA, which Manly describes as holding the couple hostage.

Conditions and Intervention

• 🏥 Conditions in the jail were initially dire, with the couple denied medical care, toilet paper, and toiletries.
• 🇺🇸 Intervention from the Trump administration and the State Department reportedly led to improved conditions and access to medical care and phone calls.
• 🚫 Manly criticizes the lack of rule of law in Cancun, stating the resort controls the process, with guards making the couple wear resort slippers to hearings and their lawyers heckling them.