A Canadian couple’s retirement savings were allegedly defrauded through a condo-flip scheme by a British national, Harry Robinson, and a Mexican national, Jacqueline Herrera Herrera. A Mexican court has issued arrest warrants against the duo in late July. Robinson and Herrera are currently seeking to challenge these warrants in a Mexican federal court, while a separate criminal case at the state level is ongoing.
The state prosecutor’s office accuses Robinson and Herrera of committing fraud through deception. The victims, Cindy Thompson and Glenn Brown of Curve Lake, Ont., sent $280,000 to a company co-owned by Robinson and Herrera for a condo flip in Playa del Carmen that did not materialize.
Thompson and Brown filed a criminal complaint earlier this year after investing in the scheme in late 2024. The couple initially sent $170,000 for a one-bedroom condo but never received the keys. They later transferred an additional $110,000 for a deal to flip seven condos, under the promise of substantial profits, but their money disappeared.
While a federal court judge has granted a stay on Herrera’s arrest warrant, the process to have it dismissed is ongoing. Robinson’s application is scheduled for a hearing on Sept. 8 in Cancun. There are allegations from Herrera that Robinson misappropriated some of the funds, while Robinson has accused Herrera of stealing all the money.
Herrera, through her lawyer, offered a cash settlement of about $188,000 to Thompson in early August, along with a commercial property in Cancun valued at approximately $328,000. However, Thompson rejected these offers, expressing frustration with the complexities of the Mexican judicial system and the challenges of navigating the case from afar.
